Project Perspective - The Three Blackbirds

Using my village as inspiration for the linear perspective exercise, I prepared some sketches of a local pub, The Three Blackbirds, and took some reference photos so that I could continue working in my studio as the weather was not conducive to painting outside.

From my architectural training early in my career and subsequent years of sketching, I am comfortable drawing linear perspectives of buildings. Previously I have produced painted works in watercolour or pen and ink with colour washes. For this exercise I was keen to stay with acrylics to develop my skills with that medium. I, therefore, added an acrylic colour study in my sketchbook prior to setting out the composition on paper. Following feedback from my tutor, I continued to experiment with a limited palette of colours mixing as necessary.

Working in my studio, I sketched out the composition scaling up the drawing from my sketches and photo references. I chose to use the natural white base of the acrylic paper support onto which I blocked in areas of colour using light washes.

Once I was satisfied with the proportions and overall composition, I built up the image working across the whole painting. I took regular breaks as I added colour allowing the acrylics to dry and reach their natural hue and give me opportunity to step back and check the overall impact of the part I had been working on.

Reflecting on previous feedback from my tutor regarding the visual impact of backgrounds and foregrounds to the overall picture, I concentrated particularly on the visual quality of hues in the sky and road surfaces.

As the work progressed I increased contrast between light and dark areas to enhance the feel of depth and perspective. I also used the diminishing scale of some figures walking away into the distance to emphasise the the illusion of perspective.

I was reasonably satisfied technically with the outcome although I felt I had over worked the pub's left. However, the composition was fairly typical of the views I have illustrated in the past and did not stretch me conceptually as much I would like. If I paint this or a similar subject again I intend to experiement more with distorted/bent perspective, play with a nieve aproach and create an abtract or dream like illusion. 

Having painted St.Paul's Cathedral, in the last exercise, in aerial perspective I chose not to practise this approach again here.