Beach Busker - The Painting Process

Beach Busker © Kate Lomax 2017
Alla Prima - Oil on linen board

I loved painting this picture. I originally took the photograph of this double bass player, probably around 2000, in Hampshire. He was part of a quartet who were playing to entertain holidaymakers. I didn't want to be in his face taking pictures, so I found a vantage point directly above him, promising myself to paint it very soon after.  Ahem! Seventeen years or so on....
Alla Prima lends itself to water so well, allowing your brush to flow with the tide, swirling and rolling with the water, to me is one of life's joys.  Load your brush up with several colours, then roll your brush along the shore - remember to drop a shadow underneath the waterline first, because it is a devil to pop in after.....

Here is how 'Beach Busker' came to be

Stage 1 - Charcoal Sketch

Firstly, to decide on my composition, I sketched with charcoal the busker, adding very roughly, the shoreline in Prussian Blue, which became my shore and wave shadow as the work progressed. 

Stage 2 

The next two steps were to apply a colour map. Yellow Ochre was daubed roughly where the sand might be. French Ultramarine and Mussini's Titanium White were applied together and applied with a rolling brush. At this point, if I wasn't happy I could wipe it all off and start afresh, - one of the benefits in painting Alla Prima, win win  all around!   

 The darker tones were then applied to the Yellow Ochre, by introducing  in a touch of Mussini Indian Red. Do not overwork it, or it wont look like sand for very long!

Stage 3

For my own reassurance, I needed to work on the ocean and beach before proceeding to the figure, although I did map the busker out in colour tones to get an idea of the 'zing' factor.   I decided that applying Windsor & Newton's Turquoise to the ocean would zing with the reddy tones of the double bass, rather than use a cobalt or ultramarine which I felt would dumb down the zing factor.

Stage 4

The busker was relatively easy to complete, paying attention to details like his shoes, the shadow from his trouser leg on to his sock, the creases in his trousers. More Indian red was added into the sand where it might be wet.  Highlights were applied to the sand also, to lift the colour.  Highlights were then applied to the double bass, shirt and to the top of his balding head.  Almost Done!

Stage 5

The final stage is adding fine detail, almost invisible to the casual viewer, however easily spotted to the trained eye or art critic. The left hand under wave has a new edge on it which is a more natural shape, the sand has highlights, as if it is glistening in the sun.  The double bass now has it's fiddle thing holder.  I polished his shoes while I was there,  Worked on his flesh tones, arms and fingers,  and gave the double bass it's highly polished look with some subtle highlights.  I also disturbed the sand around the double bass to show where it had sunk into the sand.   The very last thing I added was his cap, placed to accept generous donations from the public. 

Beach Busker &  Instructional Blog © Kate Lomax 2017 - All Rights Reserved