In October 2024 I took part in Inktober for the first time and by the end of the month I noticed that my sketching style had evolved quite a bit. As I quite liked the style, I wanted to explore how to replicate it in my paintings.
I've often tried using different brush marks to create texture and energy in my pictures but this time I wanted to experiment with making marks to remove paint, rather than add it.
I chose to base the painting on a photo of a tree that I had taken in March 2024 whilst on a walk over Tennyson Down because it was a relatively simple subject matter and the colours were quite vibrant. Â
I sketched out the basic composition and then did an underpainting using complimentary colours – so, reds, oranges and purples. This, in itself was quite an interesting approach and it was tempting to leave the painting as it was.
I carried on and applied thick colour to different areas using a palette knife. I then used another knife to scratch into the wet paint so that you could see some of the underpainting. This created very deliberate lines which resulted in an interesting texture – not unlike the lines in my sketches.
The effect of allowing the underpainting to show through was to knock back some of the vibrancy of the colours I was using. This meant that I could use highly saturated colours without overwhelming the painting and it also helped to unify the picture. The lines created by using the palette knife were really pronounced, giving the painting a
three-dimensional effect. Â
The disadvantage of this approach was that I could not adjust the colours once I had painted the top layer because any changes would have covered the glimpses of underpainting which were showing through. This meant that the closer the picture came to completion the more nervous I was about making mistakes!
Overall I was pleased with the experiment and I think I will use this approach again, perhaps with a seascape next time. Here is the finished painting:Â
