...wish it didn't happen, apprx 12" x 16", Acrylic, 2008

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This transformation was done with a clear purpose of demonstrating how great the new Winsor & Newton Artists Acrylics are. I did it while recording was going on so I didn't really have much time to think.

But I remember this was done with 3 colours- Cadmium Red, Ultramarine Blue, Lemon Yellow and Titanium White.

1. the method I used here was direct. As it was to finished in one sitting.

2. No colour references, just memory and a passion for faces.

3. I sketched the face from the sketch, which you can see is far more spirited in mood than anything my colours can produce!

4. Then with just the three colours at my disposal I mixed and mixed until I got what I wanted- Now this is no hit and miss game but calculated mixtures as I feel you can get all colours from just the primary three.

5. It started with mass colours. middle tones first then darks and then lights-Life is always easier when it has a structure!

6. The details were added succinctly

7. No water was used in this painting to mix and no medium just the wonderful lively acrylic paints!

8. I finished in about 25 minutes as it was a quick demo- you can see little parts of the video by clicking here

Bitterness, 10" x 8", Acrylic on Canvas Board, 2009

This is another transformation, once again with no colour reference but just a love for painting the human face and a bit of experience from memory.

This was an Asian man I sketched on the the tube in February last year. He just had those perfect features that tell stories and while transforming him, I just enhanced them a bit to suggest the title of this painting. This piece was done in Acrylic with a slow dry medium, almost giving it the qualities of an oil. I love acrylic because it is so versatile- it can do almost all the effects that other mediums do.

I have also put up a photo of my set up so that you can see how I go about these transformations.

This one went thus:

1.Direct transfer of the sketch to the canvas board, that had been primed with a warm grey colour.

2. With the slow dry medium, I went about this one with very light glaze sketch strokes till I had enough information on the canvas.

3. With the simple formula of light washes to darker washes I built up the layers making sure I kept all the strokes free and loose. This method is often used in watercolour paintings.

4. Then when I got to the lighter parts that had the most light, I introduced some impasto gel medium into the paint mixtures to help with the heavy build of such areas.

5. The background was very important in this piece because I wanted it to have a sort of direct effect to the past events in his life that have sparked bitterness in this his heart.

6. Before completing I turned the piece upside down and just painted the abstract qualities of this piece -tying the strokes together to help the overall design.

7. Then I flipped it over and signed it before further ruins.

The Casual Onlooker, 9" x 12", Mixed Media, 2009

This transformation was very fresh in my memory, I sketched this guy today on my way to my studio, so immediately I got to my studio with his image still fresh in my mind I go on to produce this transformation thus:




1.I painted the gessoed card with an acrylic warm base of cadmium yellow, burnt sienna and white

2. I sketch main features with burnt sienna, I love the contrast.

3.I then start adding the basic flesh tones, first starting with the mid tones, the darks, then lights.

4.It is looking balanced value wise now, need to add details......


5.I almost end it here, but with just acrylic, I don't feel I have captured this guys spirit, he looks too casual.

6.I spice it up with some coloured pencils

7.Still lacking enough spice, I work into it to get back some drawing lines and darks with my Black Biro.

8.Then finally I add some highlights with oil pastel sticks

9. He almost still looks casual, I have to stop or I'll end up making him even more casual.

Retrenched, 10" x 8", Mixed Media on canvas board, 2008

This is another transformation. The original sketch was done in may this year. Again, no colour references but just a love and passion for the human face and its ever changing emotions.


This was totally experimental





1. I first sketched in biro.

2. Then washed the tones in with acrylic

3. Then I sanded it

4. Retained the drawing again in biro.

5. Sanded it again

6. Added more washes in acrylic

7. Then I fixed it- it all went wrong, started bleeding!

8. Then when dry I etch out the lights and forms hit with light with my surgical blade

9. Enhance the drawing lines again

10. Finally do some last bits of etching.

"It's ALL over now.........." 6" x 8", Acrylic on gessoed card, 2008

This is another transformation, I have gone straight with acrylic here for most of this painting.




1. I sketched her face in, with the TOM BOW dual felt pen (dark grey)

2. I then went straight with a direct painting technique of shapes of colours, not paying attention to details ( Broad Brush Strokes)

3. I added detail to the shapes of colours (Smaller Brush Strokes)

4. I tried to recover some of the drawing with Wolff's carbon pencil(4B) that I purposely wanted to show in the final work

Then without the reference sketch, I combine some subtle strokes around the painting with some overstatements in the hair to keep the semi abstract nature of that area alive!

The day after, 8" x 10", Acrylic/Biro on canvas board, 2008

I sketched this guy recently, the 3rd of November as my sketch book reads, so I was still able to capture a bit of his feel in this transformation.






I have gone about this painting in a really systematic form, to help viewers understand my mixed media technique and also to help myself. I also need to understand a bit about my working procedure, which sometimes is quite haphazard and needs a bit of structure for future referencing and teaching purposes.




1. The canvas stained with a neutral colour that suited his overall skin tone
2. The sketch done with a brown fine permanent-ink marker(PITT Artist Pen-Brush nib)
3. Tones added with brown tombow felt markers
4. The details sketched in with black Biro
5. The acrylic added in various strokes blobs and patches just to cover the entire canvas
6. The drawing recovered with a Biro sketch
7. Addition of texture where necessary, using Winsor and Newton Galeria Heavy Structure Gel
8. Re-painting the whole piece with more definite strokes blobs and patches
9. Addition of Biro drawing for some details
10. Final highlights in acrylic with gel and Biro

Stay tuned for more!

INFLAMED BLUSHING, 6" x 8", Acrylic, 2008

This was a rare opportunity, as I have noted on the original sketch because I must have been so up close to this guy but I sure he hardly knew it!



I have the developed the painting purely from the sketch. I really wanted to play with colour and texture, just being free.



I sketched him from London Bridge to Woolich Arsenal, that journey takes about 20 mins.

Red Head, 6" x 8", Acrylic, 2008

This is another sketch of a woman, I sketched her from Waterloo to London Bridge, Must have been the Jubilee line but I have no record of the actual line. What must have interested me was basically, her beautiful profile, it was an elegant combination of curves and angles.






I have made her have red hair as I cannot remember what colour her hair was but I like red haired models anyway, they are rare and interesting. Again, I worked on this one extensively from imagination but borrowed a reference profile from a magazine for some forms and colours.

Melanchonly, 6" x 8", acrylic, 2008

I sketched this woman from London Bridge to Greenwich, I had only 2 stops to capture this woman's features, it was one of the quick ones. Approximately 8-10 minutes, with people looking and the train in motion.............




To try and interpret this in colour wasn't that easy. I could only remember the fact that she was black all the rest had to be invented. This exercise makes me get to stretch my imagination a bit, something that I am not really used to.

Deep BLUE SEA, 8" x 10", Acrylic on canvas board, 2008

This is the second sketch that will come alive in colour. It is quite fun seeing this transformation.




I remember sketching this guy on a 469 bus form Woolwich Arsenal to McLeod Road, where he got off. His wife knew I was sketching him and showed it to him, he was fast asleep. She said she loved art while younger... I guess many of us did.

The Test, 50 x 60cm, Acrylic on linen, 2008

I did this yesterday as an entry in these series of paintings from sketches I do on public transport.




Working like this is quite a test, sometimes I loose the spontaneity of the sketch, sometimes I just can't get the drawing right. Also, without the colour it is a nightmare. But I am up for this challenge!




I might still revisit this one. I just want to get this blog off board.

So here I'll be posting the sketch and the painting for each one.