Bruce Lawes

Second Prize is a two-page editorial feature in American Art Collector magazine

My Inspiration

My inspiration for this painting was to create a leopard with that intensity and purpose you often see in their eyes when they first spot an opportunity for prey. The leopard, being one of the big cat five predators in Africa, is an inspirational subject in how graceful it is with deadly finality in its intent. Its fur is not just beautiful to look at, and paint, but for them, it acts as an effective camouflage as it stalks through tall grass or perched in trees. These animals are truly one of the most strikingly inspirational animals in Africa. This work is also the prelude to a larger painting, presently in the works, that will go to auction in 2020 to help support Dr. Jane Goodall’s work in conservation.

My Design Strategy

The way I design a composition is often determined on what I am painting. How is it being featured—sitting, standing, flying, running or swimming? I also consider what the painting is being used for. Is it going to be on a cover of a magazine or featured in a prominent show? These factors all go into my planning stages before I begin. The size of the canvas is another consideration that needs some thought, as too big reduces the market to sell, but too small may affect the impact you may want to convey with that specific subject. With my painting, Spotted, the composition illustrates a framing of the main subject with surrounding foliage to direct your view to those incredible, intense eyes.

My Working Process

The way I work can be very timeconsuming but I sometimes like to introduce different techniques for effect. The foreground or main subject is highly detailed while background elements are more impressionistic. I think if I had made it completely sharp it would not have had the same impact and appear too busy. In preparing my canvas, I spray my gesso on my linen in order to get a wonderfully smooth surface before I paint, this allows for finer detail when necessary. I use ‘0’ size brushes when I get to the finer details in the leopard, for example, but will apply color with a broad brush and then use a fan brush to pull color and soften any sharp edges as seen in my background leaves. As I only paint in oils on linen this technique easily allows me to manipulate the paint with the extended drying time.

Contact Details

» Email: info@bklawesart.com

» Website: www.bklawesart.com