Ever get bored doing the same old thing?

Time for a change perhaps? What about a collage painting? In order to get good at anything, repetition is important. Practice makes perfect as they say, but when you do the same thing all the time, no matter how much you enjoy it. Doing something different is fun!

I’m known for my watercolour and acrylic architecture paintings, but when someone commissioned me to do a painting in a style I haven’t used for a while, I am excited by the challenge! Like when I was asked to do a collage painting of Quarry Bank Mill in Styal, Cheshire. Here’s the process.

Stage 1

The application of paper and papyrus.

The focus here is on base colours for zones of the painting.

Stage 2

The initial painting creating zones of colour. The emphasis is toning them so that they resemble the colours in the original picture.

Stage 3

Fleshing out the textures in the brickwork and foliage. In reality the wooded area was heavily overgrown so some virtual pruning was required.

Followed by a little more until…

The Final Stage – Completion.

I admit to a large dose of Artistic license here. I’ve done some deforestation so you can actually see the mill! Would I do more collage painting? Well. yes I would.

Love the architecture? Check out my other paintings of industrial architecture in my usual style.