Life studies in oils

I don’t consider my life paintings to be erotic in any shape or form. Instead, I prefer to focus on the curves and elegance of the female body.

The paintings shown started with a grisaille which is a tonal underpainting using grey and white. The benefit of this is that it focuses on light and dark to model the form without having to think about colour. Once complete and dry, the flesh tones are built up in layers, often allowing the grey underneath to show through. 

Lena, on the left, and my lovely wife, on the right, posed for me in my studio. I used daylight from one window to create natural skin colours and kept the background plain. This allowed the subjects to take centre stage and created the softer setting I wanted to compliment their forms.  

The pregnant lady, photographed in her home, commissioned the painting to capture a special moment in time. It was inspirational to work with someone determined to celebrate their body shape whilst pregnant.

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