Meeting Somewhere In The Middle.

After starting with a lot more drawing in my last painting, with mixed results, I decided to meet somewhere in the middle; more drawing than usual, and less initial blocking in. The problem that I'm having with simply blocking in is down to subject matter; I need stronger references for the perspective. Blocking in allows me to feel my way into a painting by layering colours and tones, and enables me to keep it loose It doesn't always allow me to get the suggestion of perspective right. it's a bit like proportions - when they are wrong, they are glaringly wrong. I'm not sure that I have got the balance right yet - I need to paint (& draw) a lot more to really find the best approach for me.
It's all fun.
This painting is of the late afternoon light bouncing around and picking out certain features and surfaces in Coppergate, York.
approximately 60x60 oil on  box canvas.

Coppergate

Struggles

Struggling to get painting, struggling with the rubbish primer (the paint soaks straight in), and struggling with the subject matter. Anyway, I did manage to paint one painting this week; a 30x30cm view of shoppers in York. This is taken from a photograph that I took recently. I like the way everyone is wrapped up in their own thoughts; The mum is weighed down by life, the boy is looking back (for his friends?), the old man is deep in the thought, and the young girl is interested in something,everything just outside the picture.
I approached this picture in a different way to my usual way of blocking in shapes- I drew it all out. I don't do enough drawing, but don't actually like this approach because I find it too restrictive.
I think I need to compromise and meet in the middle, with more drawing than usual, but less than this.

The drawing on primed card.

I decided to start with the figures, again not my usual approach.

Shopping With Mum.