How long does it take to create a painting of London is a popular question. The answer is that it varies. The oil paint goes down in layers. With a cityscape painting, I tend to work on the sky first and then add the first layer of reflections. When this is dry I add the skyline buildings and then work on the reflections once more, if need be. Visually I am balancing the details in the sky and then the bottom half of the London Skyline. This often includes the reflection or land texture. When this layer is dry I then review it, to see if I need to add any further details.

Commissioned Art

If I am painting on commission I liaise with the client to make sure they are happy before I stop painting the art. Generally I tend to send an image of the sky too, before I add the buildings in a cityscape work of art. This is to make sure they like the colour balance. Commissioned art is a challenge, but I enjoy painting with purpose. With a background in interior design, I love to see the context of where my art is for. It is also fun to try new ideas and work closely with people.

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It can take anytime from 20 mins to 8 hours for a layer.

Typically I work quickly “all-prima” and build the composition intuitively. On a large cityscape painting the layers can take me anytime from 20 minutes to a few hours. Once when I was creating “city of light” I looked down and my ankles were swollen. I then realised I had been painting for 8 hours and the time had just flown by. This is unusual, as I normally spend an hour or so on each layer or section. I then take a break to review the art with fresh eyes and can instantly see any area that I want to amend or improve. For me time just disappears when I paint.