The Dream, Oil on board, 8" x 10", 2013

I don't think many of us could dream on public transport. But when it comes to titles, anything can pass for a good one. I transformed this sketch of a young lady I saw sleeping on the train on London Underground from Embankment to Elephant and Castle on The Bakerloo Line. I really sketched as fast as possible and I was so happy with the result.

The Dream, 8" x 10" Oil on Board, 2013

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The Original Sketch for "The Dream"

Here's how I went about this one.

1.  I used my usual limited palette of 4 colours The Zorn Palette). (Titanium White, Cadmium Red, Yellow Orche and Ivory Black.
2. I didn't make a preliminary sketch to start this one off, I was so inspired, I just went straight into placing large patches of colour on the surface to plan the way her face would be, value wise.
3. Once I had all the large shapes placed on the board, I added the brief notes of a washy background.
4. It was after this that I then sketched the features on the face tones. It was almost like drawing on a painted surface.
5. I was working really fast without thinking most of the time but I really wanted this piece to have a sketchy feel.
6. In someways it almost looks a bit flat but I made a bit of adjustments around the left side of her face, where the light hits her face.
7. I did my best to keep this piece simple and you can see from the picture below how it looked while working on it.

Work in progress on the easel