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Soweto Fish & Chips
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A trip to Soweto in 2014 (in Johannesburg) provided the perfect opportunity to collect subject matter to paint. Soweto is a rich environment where you can find a work of art in the making behind every turn. My husband, a friend of ours from the UK and I spent a morning on a formal tour taking pictures of everything. Here’s the finished painting:
Finished painting
Back in the studio, I poured over the 338 pictures that we took that morning. I decided to combine the following photo’s:
- A picture of Inthuthuka Fish & Chips – a shop close to Walter Sisulu’s house;
- A man sitting on a rock on the side of the road – we took a picture of him from our bus; and
- A car guard smoking a cigarette.
I compiled the photos on PowerPoint and started by drawing a grid. I drew the picture onto the canvass with a terracotta pencil (it doesn’t give off on the paint the way that graphite does).
Drawing in pencil
The next step was to “fill in” the major parts of the painting, adding some dimension with darker and lighter areas where possible. In this step I figure out which colours to use and where I need to change. I included a different sign (Beauty Salon) at the top to introduce a bit more colour and interest. It’s crucial to keep the lines straight so that the composition is in balance at the end.
Main areas blocked in
For the Coca-Cola sign, I painted the writing in grey first so that it would stand out against the white background. Then I painted the red around it – red is very difficult to paint over once it’s on the canvas. After the red had dried, I went over the grey with white again.
The next step was to put in the first layer of the two people. I changed the colours a little bit – the blue jeans to viridian green and the red t-shirt to orange to bring in contrast to the painting. With the first layer I already put in definition (dark and light) taking care not to go too light, because the highlights would be the last step.
I also saw that the top line of the roof wasn’t quite right – the left side was much lower than the right side (thanks, Carien for pointing it out!) and I fixed that as well.
During the next painting session, I added another layer to the sky and put in highlights for the clouds – I used Prussian Blue and white. When this is dry, I’ll add shadows with Payne’s Gray. I went over the yellow sign with Yellow Ochre as a second layer, and fixed the line of the roof. I then put in the highlights on the Coca-Cola bottle using Yellow Ochre, Burnt Sienna and white and lastly went over the white writing with pure Titanium white. I filled in the notice board in one colour (Burnt Umber with White) and then put in the details of the posters next to the door. The last step for this session was to paint the pictures of the burger and chips, dagwood and whatever that top picture is! I’ll wait for it to dry before I put in the red for the ketchup.
Some building detail added
Next I started adding the details – the writing of the Beauty sign, the posters on the wall and the black board writing. I dry brushed the “blackboard” with white to make it look like the chalk writing had been rubbed out. I also used dry-brush techniques to create the inside of the shop by adding some fridges, sacks of flour and flourescent lights.
Detail on the posters and the people added
The next step was to put in the burglar bars in front of the two windows. I cheated a bit…I used masking take to get the bars equal and painted them over with white.
I added the details of the posters as well. When I looked at the painting, the ground looked too light and the porch too dark, so I changed it around. I also darkened the shadows that the signs threw on the roof because the photo was taken close to midday and the shadows (although not visible in the photograph) would be more pronounced.
Burglar bars added
The customer requested to, instead of the window (which I must admit, looked a bit overpowering) include a copy of a beer brand. I included a Carling Black Label wall sign, and thought that it came out quite well. It actually became quite the focus point of the painting.
My Green Lady
I grew up in the 70’s, an era known for its kitch and bad taste. 
Tretchikoff’s the Green Lady.
My grandmother was an ardent admirer of the painter Vladimir Tretchikoff. Several prints hung in her lounge (the Lost Orchid, Pink Lotus and others) but what most intrigued me was a picture book that she had of his work. This book was an A3 size with full colour photo’s of his most popular paintings, including the ones that he did during his stint in the Orient. A particular favourite of mine was the Green Lady – probably his most well-known piece.
I found the colours of her skin (green and blue with a touch of red) absolutely fascinating and would stare at the picture for hours. My grandmother passed away in 2003 and the prints and the book were donated to the old age home where she spent her last years. I forgot about it until a couple of years ago at a bookclub meeting with my friends. A friend of mine, Cristelle, was into making jewellery and brought some pieces to show us. One of them was a laminated picture of the same Green Lady on a scrabble tile. I was immediately drawn to it because of the memory of my grandmother but when I turned the tile over and saw that the letter on the back was “L” (the first letter of my name), the deal was clinched! I bought the piece and it has since become a favourite of mine.
A year or so later I bought a book on the art of Tretchikoff and the full colour photo’s of the green Asian ladies so inspired me that I had to try it out. But where to find a model? The opportunity presented itself not long after. During a training course at work, I spotted a colleague whom I had known for a couple of years and thought she would make the ideal model. She had the most interesting face with beautiful traces of Asian influences. An artist cannot be timid, so I boldly asked her if she would mind posing for the photos. She generously agreed and became the model that I worked from.
First I did a layer using Sap Green, Titanium White and Payne’s Gray. The latter was used for the shadows because it’s a beautiful dark blue without being too bright. I didn’t use yellow on the face, preferring white.
At first I wanted to do the face in an impasto style which I did over the first layer. The veil was done in red, burnt sienna for the shadows and red mixed with white for the highlights.
When I showed the painting to a friend, she commented that the skin was a bit too rough – it looked like the lady had bad skin… Fortunately the paint was still fairly wet from the previous day and I could blend the skin quite easily. I must admit that it looked a lot better after that. I’m quite pleased with the final product. The background was done in Ivory Black and white and I made it darker towards the bottom. I put additional white next to the head when the painting was finished, to make it stand out more in contrast. 
Some friends said it was a bit “weird” for their taste, but I like it. At the moment I’m working on a second painting in the series. Keep checking the blog for updates.
Please leave a comment. I’m looking forward to your feedback.
Ready to Trade
I started the second painting in the series of two for South African Breweries.
Ready to trade - Final painting
I loved the setting of the woman looking back as if she’s looking for customers to come and buy beer for the weekend! I also liked the red beer crates and the interest that the bicycle brings to the picture.
Original photo
I started with filling in the background first and spent quite a lot of time getting the container right. Because it is a man-made object, and the style of painting is photo-realism, it is imperative that the lines are straight. Skewed or wobbly lines would throw out the observer’s eyes immediately.
The bicycle was a challenge. It was important to get all the bits of it correct so that it looks real. I filled in the major parts of it first to ensure that it was anchored to the canvas. I must admit that I “made up” some of the details because it had a weird shape. Then I did the background with two layers and finished it before tackling the bicycle again. The details on the bicycle were the last thing to do.
Close up of bicycle
The background behind the bicycle really competed with the bicycle and I wanted the bicycle to stand out much more – after the woman it was the second focus point of the painting. So, I used a very thin wash of Black and turps and brushed over the background. That ensured that the detail was still visible, but it became darker and receded into the background. I thought that worked really well.
The beer crates got two layers of Burnt Umber and Primary Red straight from the tube. I dry-brushed the highlights in white over it and included the imperfections to make it look real.
Close-up of beer crate
The woman’s skin was done in Burnt Umber, Flesh and Burnt Sienna. Again, the Burnt Sienna is crucial in giving her a “warm” and “human” look. I built up the flesh layer by layer – there are a total of 4 layers on the skin. The highlights were done last with a light coloured flesh and finally white as a super highlight.
Close up of face
The clothes were a bit daunting. In the end I decided not to include every little detail and really focused on getting the shape of the material correct. To get the khaki colour, I used Burnt Umber and White, but added a little bit of flesh to ensure that it didn’t look too dull.
The background inside the crate was done in pure black with some detail of the shelves. I ensured that the detail receded into the background by blending the colours well, in order to achieve the right perspective. The bottle on the shelf was interesting so I added it.
The foreground was done in Burnt Umber, Yellow Ochre and White and I had to keep on lightening it. I added some leaves so that the ground doesn’t look too plain and broke it up by adding lighter and darker sections, suggesting pebbles.
Close up of feet and crates
The shadows on the ground were important to get right and I ensured that the woman, the crate and the bicycle had clear shadows to anchor them to the scene.
Lastly I added the scuffed detail on the container and ensured that the lines aren’t too straight – notice the broken line between the yellow and the black paint. There’s also red paint on the black areas.
Close up of container
I think this has come out very well and I’m very proud of it! Your comments are welcome.
Shela’s portrait
My domestic has been working for me for 8 years. She is 30 years old, with 2 children and runs my household like a professional! Not only is Shela a pleasure to have around, with a great sense of humour and a work ethic that is second to none, she is also quite beautiful. She has been watching my foray into art during the last year with a lot of interest. About 2 months ago she was standing in the studio (read: a corner of the study that my husband allows me some space to paint) looking at my latest endeavour when she said: “Mammi, you must paint me a picture.” “What would you like me to paint for you, Shela?” I asked, thinking that she’ll ask for a nature scene or maybe a painting of the ocean. “Me!” she exclaimed with a bright smile.
Well, I jumped at the opportunity to do a portrait. In fact, that was exactly what I had planned for my next project and Shela was the perfect model. We arranged for her to come through the next day, all dressed up for a photoshoot, and shot pictures of her in the garden, in the lounge on the couch, standing at the front door. She was brilliant! We finally chose a picture from the garden with her staring wistfully into the distance, face at ¾ angle to the camera. The light was great and I thought the picture made her look regal.
Original photo taken in the garden
I printed the photo on good quality paper and printed a black and white transparency as well. The canvas I used was 20 x 30 inches. I traced the picture onto the canvas with graphite using the transparency and overhead projector to ensure that the dimensions were correct. The next step was to get the first layer of paint on. I used a combination of Van Dyke Brown and Burnt Sienna to cover most of the face. At first I tried the Zelco brand, but the Burnt Sienna was too “runny” – almost watery – and it didn’t cover well. My teacher suggested the “Louvre” brand, which worked a lot better. During this layer, I focused on getting the light patches and dark shadows in so that the form of the face could take shape.
First layer in Burnt Sienna and Van Dyke Brown, lots of turps
After this layer dried (which it did within in a week) I filled in the irises in Van Dyke Brown surrounded by a black ring in Lamp Black. I also put another layer of Burnt Sienna and Van Dyke Brown onto the skin so that the canvas was covered well. Then I started on the clothes. I wanted to have quite a contrast between the skin (having a smooth texture) and the clothes, which I did very roughly. I used the red and blue from the photo, but didn’t blend it in at all, trying to get a rough finish where the brushstrokes could still be seen. I used colours that didn’t necessarily show up in the photo, like orange, purple and green, to create interest. The shadows and highlights were quite pronounced. I was very happy with the outcome and it went quite quickly.
Second layer over skin, clothes added
When this dried, I started on the background. A green would make a nice contrast and let the face stand out more. On second thought the green that I chose was a bit bright and started detracting from the portrait. Time to fix it later.
Background added - still wet!
The next step was to focus on the details of the face. I ensured that the skin was blended smoothly and focused on getting the shape of the nose right. With the many layers I had painted over the nostrils and it was imperative to get them right. The details are what makes a person look unique – the way that we recognise someone. I used a combination of Burnt Sienna and Flesh together with Van Dyke Brown. I found that the eyes and irises were too large (if you’re unsure, take a picture and look at the picture on your phone or camera. It usually shows the mistakes easier). I painted the eyes smaller and ensured that the irises were the correct size. The white of the eyes were done with a light grey, and I put in the shadow created by the eye lid. The pronounced shadows on the eyelid, under the eyes and next to the mouth, were done in Lamp Black and blended with Burnt Sienna. The lips were quite dark with a glint of pink. I used Van Dyke Brown and Naphtol Red, Titanium White and Burnt Sienna to get the pink shade right. Sometimes I also used Flesh to lighten the tint. The lips had to be blended quite well with a couple of layers to get it just right. The teeth were done in light grey (never white!) and the gap between the front teeth is a tiny black line. The highlights on the teeth were done with white. The highlights on the skin was also done with white, but blended very well into the rest of the tone. Where the white was too pronounced, I used Burnt Sienna to blend it in. The eyelashes and brows were done in Lamp Black, but when the brows looked too pronounced, I used Burnt Sienna to soften it. Also, be careful of not making the lashes too big or it will look unnatural. I painted a pupil in the eyes although it’s not visible in the photograph, but sometimes, for the sake of reality, you have to paint what’s not there. I also included Burnt Sienna in the irises to ensure that the eyes don’t look dead. Lastly, I added highlights to the eyes and that really brought them to life.
Highlights and shadows added, check the sparkle in the eyes!
Finally the mouth had to be finished. I took care to ensure that after the teeth were painted, the lines of the top- and bottom lips were painted over it. Otherwise it looks like the teeth are protruding from the mouth – not a pretty sight! The earring was done with Cadmium Yellow and grey with white to highlight the reflection. The background was re-done in a dirty green but still kept some of the light green from the first layer to give it depth and interest.
Shela's finished portrait
When I presented Shela with her portrait, she was stunned! Although I had shown her the progress (I was too excited to keep it to myself!) I don’t think she expected the finished portrait to be so beautiful. We will frame it with a simple wooden frame and she has assured me that it will have a place of honour in her house.
Very proud!