EXPERIMENTAL EXERCISE

Take a magazine and use the colours you find as if they were paint. In these thumbnails, below, you can see how I’ve cut or torn simple shapes to build up abridged images. You can do the same and it will help you to focus on the basic shapes you need in a painting as well as how you will use the collage. I’ve done this with coloured magazines here, but you could also do it with newspapers as you explore tone. If you keep practising using torn or cut pieces of paper as here, you will soon find that you can instinctively seek the type of paper that will make the most impact for whatever it is you are portraying. Of course, this is slightly different from my technique of using collage randomly under a painting, but it gets you into the frame of mind and the way of working that will ultimately enhance your larger work. It’s a kind of collage doodle that you can do almost anywhere, any time, and it will hone your skills and eye rapidly.

Modification

Right from the start, I tweak, adjust and modify my paintings, and do this right through the creative process. Beginners tend to see everything in detail. We’re taught from an early age to draw carefully all that we see, but for my style I prefer a looser, freer approach. Some people have a process to do this, but I find the best way is trial and error. That’s why mixed media helps this because, especially with collage, a lot of the method is about taking away; it’s a process of elimination. John Blockley was an early inspiration for me. His innovative watercolour paintings defied all ‘rules’, resulting in a unique visual language. His work was full of atmosphere, interesting colours and textures that expanded the characterisation of watercolour painting. But more specifically, I was particularly inspired by one of his drawings of Port Isaac; when I visited the location, I was surprised to see that he had left out a whole bank of houses. At that point, I realised that artists are allowed to leave things out of their paintings. You shouldn’t have a guilt complex if you omit aspects of a view; give yourself permission to leave things out or move them. This is your painting, so make it yours; reduce any complications and create overall effects rather than precise details.