This stage by stage demonstration of my hyperrealistic painting of Uncle Joe was first published in the Artist and Illustrators 250th issue in July 2007. This is my original unabridged version, which includes extra photos - Uncle Joe's painting has subsequently gone on to win the RMS Presidents Special Commendation For Large Work Award and was exhibited in the 125th New English Art Club Annual Exhibition in London.

Uncle Joe; oil on canvas board 77.5cm x 67cm

This painting is not a commercial piece, but a personal depiction of a close family member, Joseph Ridge, whom I know as Uncle Joe. I wanted to express in this painting a person content with himself, reminiscing on a fruitful life spanning 92 years — from the tumultuous years of fighting in the second World War to the serenity of warm days in the South African sun. Memories are a precious commodity, and so is family, which is why I wanted to immortalise Mr Ridge in the medium I know best – oil paint.

In his latter years, Mr Ridge has become synonymous with his chair, so it was clear the composition of this painting had to incorporate this. I would normally start with preparatory sketches, but in this case I couldn’t expect the model to sit still for long periods, so I started by taking numerous photos from different angles.

I took his jumper back to the studio with me — I Prefer to paint clothing from real life, as this allows me to look intensely into the fabric and create detail that is not possible with a two-dimensional photo.

I am an unusual painter in that I like to work with a tiny brush — a ProArte Miniature painting brush — for almost the entire painting. Initially, I use a larger brush to fill in areas of flat colour, which is made translucent by being mixed with refined linseed oil. I do this so I can still see the pencil underneath, while also creating a base colour on which to work. As the pencil is only a guide, it will soon be lost as I build up layers of different colour and mould the contours of the face.

Materials

Canvas board
Winsor & Newton refined linseed oil
Turpentine
Winsor & Newton Artist’s Oil Colours: Titanium White, Winsor Red, Magenta, Permanent Rose, Ultramarine Green Shade, Manganese Blue Shade, Phthalo Turquoise, Mauve Blue Shade, Ultramarine Violet, Indian Red, Mars Black, Permanent Green Light, Permanent Green, Burnt Umber, Brown Madder, Burnt Sienna, Vandyke Brown, Brown Ochre.
Pro Arte brushes (various series)

Stage 1

Using the digital photos as a guide, I start by creating a comprehensive drawing using an ordinary clutch pencil on canvas board. Once I am happy with the drawing, I study it in a mirror so I can see it from a different perspective — you’d be surprised at the flaws you pick out this way.

Though it’s not shown here, when the drawing is finally finished, I cover the entire canvas with tracing paper to prevent the pencil from smudging. As I work on each area, I simply tear that piece of tracing paper away.

Stage 2

I believe there is no section of a painting that deserves special attention — all areas are equally important. Hence I pay the same attention to, say, the forehead as to the eyes.

When it comes to painting the face I prefer to work on small sections at a time, like putting together a jigsaw puzzle. Since the skin is a multitude of colours, I use my entire palette, each colour mixed with refined linseed oil to create different hues, which I build up in layers.

Stage 3

Once most of the face is complete, I start on the hair. I paint each hair individually, leaving spaces for the scalp to show through. This is time-consuming but also rewarding, as it will end up looking more realistic than flat colour. At this stage, I am not concerned about the hair on the perimeters of the head, as I still need to finish the background. After the hair, I remove a large section of tracing paper to paint the base colour of the chair.

Stage 4

Now I start work on the wallpaper. The flowers initially come out too bright and need toning down. I leave them to dry, then, using my fingers, I wipe the entire background with a mixture of titanium White, a tiny amount of Chrome Yellow Hue and refined linseed oil to make it transparent. I remove excess paint with a tissue.

Once the background has dried, I continue to go over the face with different tints, adding final details to the complexion.

Uncle Joe; oil on canvas board, 77.5cm x 67cm.

Stage 5

The final stage took months to finish, as the detail in the jumper was literally painted one thread at a time. I then finished the fine details in the chair and added dark tints over large areas with my fingers, wiping the excess paint away. This unified the entire painting, creating harmonious tones throughout.

Detail of Uncle Joe's jumper - every stitch individually painted

Detail of Uncle Joe

The 125th New English Art Club Exhibition, The Mall Galleries, London.

This entire painting took nearly seven months to complete; other paintings can be quicker, depending on the detail required. For a comprehensive look at pricing and how to commission a portrait - please have a look at the Gallery page in his portfolio.