GETTING STARTED

The viewfinder I had chosen had a ratio of 433, so when back in the studio my first task was to find out whether I had a canvas of those proportions. Inevitably the answer was no, so the next step was to make one. If I decide to work on paper using watercolour or pastels it is still important to ensure that the paper used has the appropriate dimensions. I make my own canvases using stretchers and loose canvas from a huge roll. The trick is to stretch the canvas as tightly as possible. For this I use canvas pliers, which allow me to pull and fold the canvas over the frame before staple-gunning it in place.

Once the canvas is stretched I give it two coats of gesso. My current favourite is Liquitex Professional, which is transparent; this primes the canvas so the paint is not absorbed; it gives a good tooth while also providing a matt, grainy surface which holds the paint well.

I usually take lots of photos of the chosen view while sketching on the drawing walk, as the light changes constantly. It is important to take time to look through these. I choose the one that best represents my memory of what I saw and print it using the same ratio as the viewfinder and canvas. It is, of course, also possible to work from the image on screen, if you have the necessary equipment.