Roger Dellar Demo - Capturing Light and Shade
Twenty-five RAS members attended a Zoom demo by Roger Dellar in his studio. He began by explaining his palette, which consisted of split primaries, plus burnt umber and white. He emphasised mixing the colours right at the start of the painting so that they were ready when needed.
Then, using a picture reference featuring heavy shadow, he drew an outline composition. He checked his composition throughout, sometimes using a mirror, to ensure it worked as an abstract arrangement of shapes and colours.
Initial marks and colours…
He painted in all of the dark areas, explaining that it was important to lay these out in thin paint, slightly larger than required as they would be corrected later.
He explained that as he proceeded through the painting, his colours would become lighter and the paint thicker, leaving the highlights until the end.
Adding mid-tones and highlights.
He did not use a lot of brushes: just two or three, including a rigger for final touches. He also used a palette knife and a clay tool towards the end for scratching out details.
He used the lightest of touches in the final stages to keep the colours clean and clear.