The Malignant Flower process...

I was going for a certain atmospheric quality with this painting, and I think I've gone some way to achieving that. The background was patiently built up with multiple glazes, Burnt Sienna followed by Ultramarine Blue, layer upon layer, and so on until I got the desired affect. I think darks achieved in this way tend to be more dense and velvety, but you really need to be willing to wait. Each glaze (and there are definitely a dozen at least) took about two days to dry, sometimes three depending on how much medium was used. It's not a technique for everyone, but I like the result if you can spare the time needed. I also glazed in the rose, which I felt was needed to give it that luminous glow that only glazes can fully achieve. The first step was to glaze in a layer of Titanium White, then I built up alternating layers of Quinacridone Red and Phthalo Green until I acquired the depth of colour I was after. Again, it takes patience, but I think it's worth it. The figure was painted more loosely, along with the desk and the vase of flowers. I tried to get a particular kind of texture on the desk, in which I painted in an initial layer, then when I added a second layer, I scraped and scratched it with a palette knife to reveal the original layer to give it a worn look. I'm not going to go into detail about the theme of the painting here, I'll let the viewer interpret it for themselves...

Torous: Mindfield album cover process...

This was another highly collaborative effort with the rock band Torous. This is my third illustration in response to their music, and each time I've benefited from exploring various ideas with the band. It really felt like a symbiotic relationship, and the journey of the image, as it morphed from one concept to the next, evolved painlessly. That's not to say we struck on the final idea immediately, not at all. But the creative process was so enjoyable, it always seemed like the solution was 'just around the corner'. As usual, I've attached some of the earlier ideas that were eventually discarded. It interests me to see those initial sketches in comparison to the final image, as although they didn't make the final cut, they are imbued with a sense of enquiry and are therefore not altogether irrelevant to the final design. The background was rendered with acrylic glazes, whilst the main event was painted in oils using a limited palette.

Al Green process...

This is a little personal painting I've spent the last week on. I decided to give it the monochrome treatment, to give it that vintage feel. I glazed in a very subtle orange-brown around the central line of the face (forehead to the tip of the chin) just to give it that bit of glow, which I think adds more character to the face. In all honesty the most difficult aspect of the painting was the initial drawing. After that early hurdle it all seemed to flow rather smoothly. It must have been Al himself encouraging me subconsciously... "Sometimes in our lives, we all have pain, we all have sorrow. But, if we are wise, we know that there's always tomorrow. Lean on me, when you're not strong, and I'll be your friend, I'll help you carry on..." Thanks Al :)