Capturing a landscape on canvas
Imagine your favourite view painted for you…
…what do you need to consider? And how does the process work?
Considerations
Size
Think about the space your painting is going to fit into:
Canvases come in all shapes and sizes!
Framing
Strangely, it’s best to think about this from the beginning. If I paint on board you will need to frame the finished picture. If you prefer an unframed canvas, painted round all edges, I need to know this before I start!
Your reference picture
It all starts with the reference picture. The landscapes I paint are defined by the light. I paint what I see. The colour temperatures, the palette, the very contours of the land change with the seasons, the time of day and the climactic conditions. Here you can see the changing moods of a view I have painted many times.
The landscape I love is not static. The landscape you love is not static either. Choose your reference photo carefully, so that the light highlights the aspects of the landscape that attract you, and the colours are those you want in your finished painting. I paint what I see.
The process - what happens next?
Tell me about the landscape
Send me a photo and tell me a bit about it. Where is it? What time of year and what time of day was it taken? What do you particularly like about the view?
Tell me about the picture
How big? Will it be framed? Is it wanted by a certain date?
Example reference photo
Work begins
I will make some preparatory sketches, exploring the landscape and broadly setting out the colours and light which I will use to create a balanced picture.
Any changes you want made are best done at this stage, bearing in mind that the level of detail will depend on the size of the picture. When the sketches have been agreed, I will set about painting your picture. Minor alterations can still be made once I have sent you a photo of the completed the painting, but not major re-working.
Finished painting
Pricing - and when do I pay ?
Prices start from £200 + p&p (UK only). This is for a small-to-medium, straightforward picture. The more complex the picture, the longer it will take, and it’s this that sets the price, rather than the size of the painting. Canvases vary in price, too, but unless you want a specific, non-standard size, (which would be much more expensive) I would expect to be able to paint what you want for £200-£300 + p&p.
Payment is via Stripe once the finished painting has been approved, and before posting.