I thought it might be interesting to show you what goes into making one of my small paintings.
Firstly – why do I paint so many of these small alla prima studies?

For one thing, I think I get a bit greedy and impatient – I see something and want to paint it, then I see something else and want to paint that too- so a small alla prima study lets me follow my inspiration as it flits around from one thing to the next. They are also a great way of exploring small objects – ones which wouldn’t necessarily fit into a more traditional still life set up.

It was  a nice bright day today so at about 11.30 I set myself up for a painting session by the kitchen window, which faces north.  The light is really special at this time of year – a lot of cold blue reflected light from the sky, contrasting with the golden light of a low lying sun hitting bricks and autumn leaves.

At 12.00 I’m deciding what to paint.  I have  a peeled clementine with a curly strip of its skin in front of me, and also a teaspoon which is reflecting the light from the window.

(All the photos for this post were taken with my phone, so apologies for the poor quality).

Looking at the clock I think it’s going to be a bit tight trying to paint the clementine + skin so I opt for the teaspoon.  If the worst comes to the worst and I have to finish this another day the teaspoon will still be there waiting for me, but the clementine will have been eaten!

12.10 I lay out my palette – there are 4 colours which I always use – titanium white, ivory black, raw sienna and burnt sienna.  These provide me with the neutrals and near neutrals which are essential to realist painting.
The other colours I will use are cadmium yellow, winsor lemon, cobalt blue,  ultramarine blue and cobalt violet.
The little things which look like sweets are the remains of yesterday’s paint wrapped up in cling film.  This saves on wastage – most colours keep for a few days like this.

12.15 I seem to have got my hands covered in paint already.  Before I  spread it around and make a mess I wash my hands – I find rubbing them with baby oil before using soap and water is the best way to get the paint off.  While I’m doing this I notice how nice the old battered looking baby oil bottle looks in this light and think about painting it – but that will have to wait for another day!

12.20 I choose my support – a 7×12.5 cm piece of Daler Rowney mount board which I have previously primed on all sides with several layers of artists acrylic primer. Making these little boards allows me to make paint on a very small scale, and in any aspect ratio I fancy.  I can also hold the board in my hand as I paint, making it possible to achieve an informal, intimate view of the object, rather than the more formal upright view that easel painting tends to create.
As the teaspoon is a man made object I think it deserves to be drawn accurately. I make a little outline drawing in HB pencil. I don’t always bother with this if its an organic object as they leave a bit more room for interpretation.

12.22 I check the drawing from a distance, both with a mirror and upside down – all handy tricks to help you spot your errors.

12.30 After making a few adjustments I erase the line lightly to prevent it from muddying the paint. Sorry about the blurry photo for this stage.

Now I’m ready to start painting.  In my next post I will show  you my painting process.