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Portraitmasterclass withPhilip Renforth

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M A S T E R C L A S S

Philip Renforth is an inspirationalpainter. The winner of severalprestigious awards, his detailed and

skilful work has been included four timesin the BP Portrait Award exhibition. Aswell as undertaking commissions, heworks full-time as an occupationaltherapist in a Northumberland hospital,specialising in rheumatology.‘Working full time was a conscious

decision to enable me to enjoy paintingwithout the need to earn a living from it,’explains Philip. ‘In my job I meet peopleon a daily basis from all backgrounds witha variety of problems – this does providea different perspective on life.’ This clearlyhelps to inform his art, as he bases hisportraits on what he knows of theunderlying experiences and characteristicsof his subjects. ‘The majority of myportraits have been of family and friendsand I plan compositions and poses basedon them and their personalities.’ Heemphasises the importance of gaininginsights into his subjects' personalitiesand to empathise with them.

An autonomous approachWorking in pencil, oil paints and ink,Philip’s working methods are fairlytraditional. He focuses mainly onportraiture. ‘I have painted a variety ofthemes including landscape andseascapes with an emphasis on mood andthe relationship between people and theenvironment. I have always painted in arealist style, which has certainly beeninfluenced by my friends, family andbackground. Earlier paintings were smalland highly detailed. Specific portraiture isa more recent development. I find thehuman figure, the face, the hands and

Insight intoportraiture

Debra, oil on canvas, 531⁄4�371⁄2in(135�95cm).Almost shockingly lifelike, although Debra issitting, contemplating, the work seemsdynamic, with an energy of its own

As Susie Hodge discovers, Philip Renforth finds and enjoys thetime to paint seriously, even though he has a full-time day job

Philip Renforth

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posture are wonderful subjects to strive toportray, encompassing the physical, socialand psychological.’His thoughtful and intuitive style seeks

to explore underlying emotions andexperiences of his subjects. ‘I always aimto produce an image that will conveysomething of the sitter,’ Philip says. ‘I amparticularly interested in textures, skintones and the play of light on a subject. Iwant to project a powerful image that willmean something to the viewer. I approacheach picture autonomously, although mymost consistent method is to plan eachpicture in advance through numerousquick sketches from imagination. At thisstage I usually have an image in my mindof what I would like to achieve.’ It was his haunting and perceptive

double portrait of his nephew and father,exhibited at the BP Portrait Awardexhibition in 2007 that first revealed his

discerning talents to a large audience.Many were intrigued by how he gets'beneath the surface' of his subjects. ‘Mypreliminary drawings have a subject inmind. The composition and mood areimportant considerations, for example inthe painting of Debra (left) who works asan accident and emergency nurse and issubjected at times to experiences thatcould be considered extreme. My aim was

to portray her in a reflective moodfollowing a tiring and potentiallytraumatic 12-hour shift. Debra has astrong personality and I wanted a strongcomposition and strong colour in thepainting. So I bought the material andmade the dressing gown she posed in.’How does he keep motivated andcontinue to paint while maintaining hisintense working life? ‘My approach is verydisciplined: I paint every day. Mymotivation is simple: I gain total pleasurefrom the whole process of painting, fromconception to completion – whichincludes the highs and the lows. I can'timagine a world without painting/art. Apositive is that I am never bored!’

Translucent layersAware of how intimidating it can be topose for a portrait, Philip says: ‘I generallypose the individual in a predetermined

Lauren and Dexter, oil on canvas,511⁄4�371⁄2in (130�95cm).With exacting detail, this portrait can beseen to resemble elements of both LucianFreud’s and Johannes Vermeer's styles. Theclose cropping of both Lauren and Dexterserves to focus viewers' attention on themas they both look intently in oppositedirections beyond the picture's edge

Caroline, oil on canvas, 223⁄4�141⁄2in(58�37cm).This serene, timeless portrait of a youngwoman with a gentle, arresting gaze couldalmost have been painted in a previouscentury. Although the light source is cooland direct, it is also soft on her skin

‘I find the humanfigure, the face, thehands and posture arewonderful subjects tostrive to portray’

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26 www.painters-online.co.ukMay 2013

Tuscany View, watercolour on Canson Bristol 110lb, 8�12in (20.5�30.5cm)

Judi Whitton looks at the practicalities of choosing the right watercolour paper for your work

When a loaded brush is applied tothe paper surface the amount ofwater in the washes, the speed of

application, the angle of the board, themanner in which the brush is handledtogether with the nature of the support allhave a considerable effect on the qualityof the final painting. In Tuscany View (above) you can clearlysee that the very smooth nature of thepaper support has had a distinct effect onthe final look of the watercolour. The sky

or Hot Pressed (HP) and although thisgeneral description is very useful, it doesvary between suppliers. Piazza, Lucca,Tuscany (top right) is a very typicalexample of a watercolour painted on Notpaper. The washes in the foreground areasettled happily on the surface giving alovely translucency, but without theribbons and rivulets which are perhapsmore characteristic of a HP surface. There are many other variables. Papercan be made from wood pulp, rag or

A good surface for watercolour

and water areas were applied with wetwashes and, working at an angle, thepaint ran down in ribbons givingatmosphere to the completed picture.Canson Bristol paper has an advantage inthat desirable effects can occur (happyaccidents) and a disadvantage in that thepainter may feel somewhat out of control.

TextureThe texture on watercolour paper surfacesis described as Rough, Cold Pressed (Not)

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Practical

linen, and the degree to which the paperis sized (waterproofed) affects howabsorbent the surface is. Knowing theway in which the paper is rolled out, orabout additives such as brighteners, willnot necessarily help you to decide whichpaper suits you. Some artists say that aRough paper enables them to showtexture, for example when painting trees,and also enhances the effect of thedrybrush technique. A Not or HP surfacemay be considered to be moresympathetic for finer work, pen and wash

LEFTPiazza, Lucca, Tuscany,watercolour on Fabriano Artistico140lb Not, 10�14in(25.5�35.5cm)

RIGHTSan Michele, Lucca, Tuscany,watercolour on Fabriano Artistico140lb Not, 9�12in (23�30.5cm)

techniques or a style using dabs of colourtogether with mixing paint on the paper.

Paper shadesDull ivory shades of paper may producemore harmony in the finished paintingwhereas a whiter surface could lead to amore colourful, brighter result. Theinherent tint of the paper will have someeffect on the finished picture aswatercolour is a transparent medium.The way in which a wash dries dependsto some extent on the nature of the paper

and a heavily sized paper will be differentto a softer more absorbent paper. Adelicious watercolour wash, which youare happy with whilst wet, begins tochange as it dries and can becomeirregular and displeasing. This occurred inSan Michele, Lucca, Tuscany (above) wherethe sky dried unexpectedly, revealingunwanted irregular marks. The washes onthe left and right-hand side of thewatercolour were painted with acontrolled and deliberate randomnessand the result gave the look here that I

‘The washes inthe foregroundarea settledhappily on thesurface giving alovelytranslucency’

‘A deliciouswatercolour wash,which you arehappy with whilstwet, begins tochange as it driesand can becomeirregular anddispleasing’

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have different properties such as levelsof transparency, permanence, staining orgranulation. Some artists prefer to havea whole range of colours whilst othersuse a limited palette.

I like to think that if forced to choosejust three colours I could still mix close tomost colours that I need. The threeprimary colours to aim for are yellow,cyan and magenta (NOT red, whichalready contains some yellow, so whenmixed with blue will not make a brightpurple but rather a brownish-purple). It isan interesting exercise to take these threecolours (which will have different namesaccording to which make of paints youuse) and see if you can match the coloursof a selection of flowers, fruit or leaves. So,for example, if you can’t get the rightgreen by mixing different levels of theblue and yellow then the only otherprimary colour that you can add is atouch of the magenta. Or, if you are tryingto mix a burnt orange and can’t find theright colour with just the magenta and

M

worth a try if you anticipate it takingseveral attempts to get the drawingcorrect.� White gouache Watercolourists tendto avoid white paint as it goes againstthe transparent qualities of thewatercolour – if you want a paler coloursimply water it down. However, whitegouache can be useful for painting tinyhairs or for the bloom on grapes orplums (right).� Bright subjects If you are paintingrose hips or bright flowers such asnasturtiums (page 33) or red poppies, aninitial layer of yellow will help give yourpainting the glow that you are after.Using darker reds then purples as yourshadow colours will also help to keepthe clean, bright appeal of the subject.� Colour mixing The mind-bogglingrange of colours and makes ofwatercolour on the market makes itquite difficult to recommend the basics.Some artists use pans whilst othersprefer tubes. Also watercolour paints

Exercise 1: ArtichokeIf you work out a stage-by-stage strategybefore you start any painting the projectwill not seem so daunting. Remember toposition your subject so that it is lit fromone side (as if over one shoulder). In thisway you will get highlights and shadowsthat will help to show its form.

Begin by drawing out your subject indetail on a piece of inexpensive paper(Figure 1). Then transfer the main shapeon to your watercolour paper. Wet thiswhole shape then dab or brush in colouruntil it starts to look three-dimensional. Iaimed to make the whole artichoke lookround with my first layers of watercolour(Figure 2). The same approach could beused for a pineapple or multi-petalledflower such as a peony or a rose. Allowto dry and repeat if necessary. If you arepainting a rose or similar flower, yourfirst stage may be a flat unifying wash ofthe palest petal colour.

When the first layers are completelydry, draw in the individual segments orpetals and work on each of these,darkening the shadow areas andbrushing in markings if appropriate(Figure 3). If you use wet-in-wettechniques for this, wet one segment ata time and drop in the colour.Remember not to work on adjacentareas or the colour will run from onedamp area to another, spoiling theeffect. Finish by using dry brushtechniques to add detail, sharpen edgesand emphasise any surface texture.

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Artichoke, watercolour,7�51⁄4in(18�13cm)

Grapes, watercolour,41⁄4�21⁄4in (11�7cm)

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