I like to have my sitter sit for me and then I do a sketch or a couple of sketches, and then I proceed to put it on canvas, just block it in. I don’t use pencil or crayons very often, I like to use a brush with a very thin medium, and I draw it in onto the canvas and then I do a lot of blocking in, and then I like to have my sitter back when I’ve done all the preparing, and then paint with my sitter present.
Sometimes, of course, I come into very difficult problems because my models haven’t got as much time as they – as I – would need and I try and do as much without them from memory and occasionally have to have a photo taken, and try and do a little from that. But I don’t think you can ever get the colour and the feeling trying to ever paint from a photograph. You must have the live person there and you get some inspiration from them as you’re working, I think on portraiture anyway.
I like to have my portraits with a feeling that they are casual and not in every detail, because sometimes I think I feel as if they’re overworked and have a very tight feeling about them. I like the loose flowing feelings and a little bit of softness and a little bit of imagination left to it.
