Stages From Start To Completion of Kalk Bay Moorings Painting

I am back in action folks. This is Stage 1 of the 5th painting in my Iconic Places in South Africa collection, and is of Kalk Bay which is quite a popular tourist destination in the Western Cape.  I have decided with this one that I am not going to fill in too much of the detail in the drawing at this stage, but have rather laid out the basic shapes, after which I will paint in the background buildings. In case you are wondering what the grids are there for, they simply help me to set out the composition correctly, because there is quite a lot of detail in this painting as well. Next I will be painting in the darker elements up to the mid-tones. As always, I enjoy sharing the process with you from start to completion. As part of the marketing course that Jess is busy with, she is getting set up to be able to do videos, so that sometime in the near future, you will be able to watch me on video.

In Stage 2 I have started painting in the darker shapes in the background and have done the outlines of the buildings and boats. Next I will be simultaneously building all the elements up to the mid-tones, after which the highlights will come.

In Stage 3 I have added some more of the background shapes and buildings, and have worked on the sky and mountain. Next I will be adding in the water, after which I will bring everything up to the mid-tones. It always seems that us artists need to choose the reference that inspires us, in the hope that it will resonate with our fans, followers and collectors as well.

Most people may not notice when the drawing aspect isn't correct, but I do my friends. So in Stage 4 I did have a few corrections to do which for me makes all the difference to the overall composition.  I also started putting in the water. There are no hard and fast rules when it comes to that, but my approach was to use horizontal strokes in the under painting, and then I crisscrossed the second layer with both vertical and horizontal strokes. Next will come the reflections which will be vertical strokes to accentuate the direction that they are running. Another 2 stages and this painting will be complete!

In Stage 5 I continued to work on the water crisscrossing horizontal and vertical strokes, and will then be adding the reflections. I have also put in some of the finer details on the boats and buildings and the mountain. The next time you see this painting it will be completed!

It is finished my friends! This is the 5th painting in my Iconic Places In South Africa collection. As always, I welcome your thoughts and comments on all my blogs!

Discussion On What Makes A Painting Great?

Good morning folks. I would be delighted if you are able and interested, to join me in developing this latest blog of mine. Everybody is welcome and there are no right or wrong opinions. A little while back I took part in what became a very interesting and informative discussion on this, and I will share the thoughts and opinions that came out as it went along.

So to kick it off, some people were of the opinion that a "photo-realistic" painting is boring, unimaginative, lifeless and is lacking in depth. One response to that was, “Maybe photo-realism tells the viewer too much, there’s not enough left to the imagination. All the facts are there. Maybe there’s too much information, the human brain likes to keep things simple. Some of the best artists in the world keep their paintings simple. They convey one idea at a time. Too many ideas in one painting can complicate".

Now for me, even though detail and accurately portraying what I see is important, it is never my aim to paint the actual objects I see, but in all my paintings it is about painting light and contrasts and shapes which will always be of an impressionistic nature.

Who will be the first to make a comment below?

https://www.art-and-soul-by-malcolm-turner.com/single-post/2017/07/18/Discussion-On-What-Makes-A-Painting-Great

Telling The African Story

A couple of years ago I did a collection of African Portraits, and also came across some great stories to go with each of them.  My wife Jessica then put these graphic packages together with the painting, backgrounds, borders, and stories that look so stunning, which I thought I would share with you all. The Swazi Dancers are still for sale if anyone is interested!

A-Maize-Ing Lady

Basotho Son


Swazi Dancers


Masai Maiden


Old Zulu Man

https://www.art-and-soul-by-malcolm-turner.com/single-post/2017/07/13/Telling-The-African-Story

Amazing Love .... How Can It Be?

Folks, there is nothing more important to me than seeing the world, nature, people, and myself through God’s eyes of Love. This prayer, whose author I do not know, expresses what I have come to know and experience, in a very real and living way, in my art and in my life.

I love You Lord, I love Who you are!

I look at nature – swirling, vast, fascinating and heart-stopping wonder and detail, and I love You. It is You – Your touch is there – everywhere.

Who was there before You? No-one – no-one instructed You or gave you wisdom. You made it all, and You made it all for me.

I look at little children faces full of your innocence and truth, and I see You there. Delicate sweetness, sensitive love such holy beauty, as if they just dropped out of heaven where they heard your heart beat and saw your smile.

I see Your mercy with the old, the sick, the lost, the beggars, and it’s You. But then I think further, how You love those who hate You, spit on You, persecute You, and I cry – how can such love be?

I look at my life. How it was transformed by mercy, once a mess, but now something beautiful – I recognize every bit of that something is You. Patiently, lovingly, gently, you taught me to rest, to simply appreciate Your work, and taught me to dance with You.

I look at Your dream, and I find myself there at its center!

Your every thought and every breath concerned with me. Likeness finding likeness, it simply overwhelms me! I perceive everything You’ve done was to convince me this is not only a dream, but the most real and eternal matter in existence! Sealed with Your own blood.

What lies ahead is only more of You!

https://www.art-and-soul-by-malcolm-turner.com/single-post/2017/07/12/Amazing-Love-How-Can-It-Be

Whale Cartoons Galore

Whale Of A Time

A couple of years ago when my wife Jessica and I moved from Johannesburg to the Western Cape (which is in South Africa), we stayed in Hermanus for a year.

Whale Tours

Cruising With Whales

Whales Rule

Every year they have a Whale Festival there when the Southern-right whales come there to mate because the climate and environment is good for them.

Corp da Baleen

I had the idea to paint a whole collection of these whale cartoons that turned out to be quite popular and we were able to sell quite a lot of them.

Bunker Blues

Whale Patrol

Whale Cookout

Whale School

What made us think about them is that we were watching a video that showed us how we can take static images like these and animate them, and we thought how cool it may be to do it with these.

Whele Wine Fest

Day At The Beach

Watch this space to see if we get it right folks!

Whale Nursery

Whales Fishing

I also have some ideas of activities they could do that I can paint! I would welcome some suggestions from you as well!

Whales Golfing

We are also working on making high resolution images of them, from which we can have prints made.

Whale Waves

https://www.art-and-soul-by-malcolm-turner.com/single-post/2017/07/12/Whale-Cartoons-Galore

Sharing Stages Of Cape Town Waterfront Painting

Good morning folks. This painting of the Cape Town Waterfront is the first one I did in my current “Iconic South African Places” collection.  In Stage 1, I am always making sure that the drawing aspect is accurate because it strengthens the composition and creates a great balance and harmony to the painting. It is also for this reason that I divided it into blocks. The best advice I ever received about drawing was from Betty Edwards in her book "Drawing With The Right Side Of The Brain". She affirms that it is very necessary that you switch off your analytical left brain that wants to complicate things, and that you allow your creative right brain to take over that will simplify things so that you are able to draw shapes rather than what you think you see. And the way she suggests you do this is to take the reference you are using and turn it upside down. And I can confirm that this works brilliantly.

In Stage 2 I put in the base color which sets the tonal value (grading from black to white) for the rest of the painting. It is also here that I determine whether the colors are warm or cool.

In Stage 3 I started putting in the mid-tone colors in their correct values, and also some of the highlights. I always put in the darker values first and then come in with the highlights later.

In Stage 4 it was all about getting the finer details right has always been important to me folks, because for me it is the difference between a good and a great painting. It is when you get further along in the painting that you pick up errors in the drawing. So here I took the time to correct some of those errors that I can see, even if no-one else does. I also added some more highlights and put some of the people in. Thanks for following the process with me because you all inspire me to do better.

In Stage 5 I worked on the water, added some more of the people and added more of the detail. With any luck the next time you see it, it will be completed.

It is done folks! This painting has been a great challenge for me, and I have enjoyed the whole process, and especially being able to share it with you all as well. We are offering it on a 3-month payment option, so if you are interested, please feel free to chat to me.

Title: Cape Town Waterfont

Medium: Oils on Stretch Canvas

Size: 76 cm x 1.02 meters (40 x 30 inches)

Price: R12000 ($934)(£720)

https://www.art-and-soul-by-malcolm-turner.com/iconic-south-african-places?lightbox=dataItem-j3offe9e

Iconic Places In South Africa - Simonstown Stages Of Painting

Stage 1 version of my painting of Simonstown in my "Iconic South African Places" collection is an interim way that I can show you all the process I go through from the beginning to the finished product. We hope to be able to share videos in the future. So what you see is the drawing element of the painting which is always important for me to lay down right in the beginning because I truly believe that it strengthens the overall composition and gives you a rough guideline and background from which to continue.

In Stage 2 I am working my way up to the mid-tones. I always put in my dark background and then later put in the lights. I started this in acrylics and will then carry on in oils until it is completed.

In Stage 3 I am focusing on the values which are the various shades from dark to light in the various areas. I also started with adding some of the highlights.

In Stage 4 I strengthened the darks, corrected some of the drawing, and did some more of the highlights as well. There are still several elements that are needed to bring it into balance and harmony.

In Stage 5 I started adding the finer details that bring balance and harmony to the scene. The next one you see will be the completed product. This painting is sold.