I painted this last winter.  I have posted it today because it features in an article I wrote on plein air painting in winter that has just been published in The Artist magazine.

Its quite big for a plein air painting, 20 x 36 inches on stretched linen, and it was painted in a single rather cold session.

Above: A very early stage in the painting.  I have very roughly blocked in the main areas of the composition.

Below: My Plein-air painter’s guide to winter article in The Artist magazine.

The painting above is for sale at £2,000. Contact me for more details.

Ken Howard painting in Richmond

I also paint in the streets of London. In my experience most people are very happy to see artists at work.  It seems to be private security, under the direction of CCTV controllers, that try to move you.

I usually try to stand my ground.  After a polite chat they will often relent and I can carry on with my work.

The South Bank however is a wonderful place to paint. I have found the management and security guards of The Southbank Centre have a friendly attitude to artists.  The buskers, artists, skate boarders and the Golden Carousel all add to the wonderful atmosphere and nothing beats a walk along the river on a sunny afternoon or evening.

Above: The Golden Carousel on the South Bank by Roy Connelly.
Oil on board, 10×20 inches. Private Collection.

Two from Turner

Bellotto (left) and Canaletto

I often draw in the National Gallery and last week I spent some time studying figures from several different painters. These are some of the sketches I made of incidental figures. All of these figures, although not the main focus of the paintings, have a vital role to play. They add life and scale to the scene. Since the eighteenth century they have been known as staffage.

Below are some examples from my own work.

Above left: Little Boltons (detail). Above right: Pall Mall (detail)

It is due for publication by The Royal Academy of Arts on 21 February 2011, and you can pre-order a copy here: Light and Dark: The Autobiography of Ken Howard RA I can’t wait to get my copy.

This is what amazon.co.uk says:

KenHoward (b. 1932) is one of Britains best-loved painters.His cityscapes and coastal scenes reveal a deep connection with Venice, London and Cornwall; his studio interiors aremasterly evocations of space and light. In this candid autobiography he reflects on work, travel, love and loss. Recalling his early days at art school and the achievements and acclaimthat followed, national service in the RoyalMarines and the artistic commissions for the British Army that took himall over the world, Howard evokes the professional and the personal with verve and humour.

I have been painting out in the snow again so thought I would pass on a few tips to keep you warm on your winter plein air painting trips.

The key to staying warm when you are painting in the cold is to dress in layers.  Several thin layers will trap more warm air than one thick layer and can be easily adjusted to suit changes in temperature.  Start with a synthetic (or silk)  base laser with long-sleeves -  I use Paramo‘s excellent and seemingly everlasting thermal clothing.  Next, a number of thin mid-layers, fleece jumpers etc, and finally a water/wind-proof outer layer.

A lot of heat is lost from your legs, so fleece-lined trousers like those made by Craghoppers and Rohan will really help to keep you warm.  Otherwise, get some long-johns.  A pair of waterproof over-trousers can be useful too if it is raining or windy, or just as an extra layer on very cold days.

Don’t forget to wear a hat!  Mine is fleece lined and waterproof, with a peak to keep the low winter sun out of my eyes.  Most importantly it has ear flaps!

I usually wear gloves to paint in winter.  I use thin liner-gloves. These are designed to be worn inside mittens or over-gloves but they are warm enough to be worn on their own and thin enough not to interfere with brush handling.  If it is very cold I will wear another thin pair over the top.

A thermal ‘headover‘ or neck warmer is a great asset.  If your neck gets cold you tend to hunch up your shoulders – making it difficult to paint.  Avoid scarves if you don’t want the end to dangle in your paint!

The secret to warm feet in the snow? Make sure your boots really are waterproof.  If the damp gets in your feet are going to get cold.  I use Muck Boots which are completely waterproof and have a good solid sole.  Avoid ordinary wellies, they might be waterproof but they are not designed to keep you warm.  If you wear leather walking boots make sure they are regularly treated to maintain their waterproofness.  Thermal socks are essential and it’s important to make sure your boots are big enough – you should be able to wiggle your toes even with a thick pair of socks on.

As well as having the right equipment it is also important to make sure you have food and drink with you.  A flask with a hot drink can be a life-saver, but don’t forget that even just drinking water will keep you hydrated which in turn will help your circulation and keep you warm.

After an hour and a half working on this picture my feet were just as warm as when I started and if it wasn’t getting dark I would have carried on with another painting.

I always use the best quality materials when I am painting.  Here is a list of my favourite suppliers and what I buy from them:

Bird and Davis The UK’s oldest artists’ stretcher frame manufacturers and suppliers of best quality linen canvas.

C Roberson and Co High quality oil painting mediums and gilding supplies.  Founded in 1810 – past customers include Turner, Whistler and Sargent!

Cornelissen and Sons Artist’s Colourmen since 1855.  The best looking art shop in london. Brushes, goldleaf and other bits and pieces.

Gold Leaf Supplies Online seller of gold leaf and gilding supplies

Michael Harding Handmade artists’ oil colours

Old Holland Highly pigmented oil paints made to traditional formulas

Rosemary and Co High quality handmade brushes from Yorkshire

Winsor and Newton Professional quality artists’ oil colour

Yesterday I visited Room A at the National Gallery.  This little known room is rarely visited as it is only open for a few hours each Wednesday afternoon.  It houses around 800 pictures.  I was there to see the gallery’s collection of works by Eugène Boudin.  I made sketches of several of them – the one shown here is a beach scene at Trouville.

In the evening I visited the historic Life Room at the Royal Academy, for two hours of  drawing from the model with the New English Art Club Drawing School.

Next time you are in London on a Wednesday you know what to do.

Earlier this week I was painting the River Thames at Strand on the Green.   The top picture shows the painting a couple of minutes after I started.  I have used very thin paint to draw in the basic composition. 

The middle photograph was taken twenty minutes later.  With a dramatic and fast moving sky I needed to work quickly to capture it.  The trees are a little more solid but the river is still almost untouched.

The last photo shows the painting an hour later.  The trees and river have been worked on together, with a little more work on the sky. By this point the day was starting to brighten up and touches of blue were appearing in the sky.  It was time stop as I did not want to end up with one scene painted on top of another.

I was working in oils on an 8 x 16 inch board.   Click on each image for a larger view.