Madurai Rickshaw - stages 1 and 2

This is based on a rickshaw ride through the streets of Madurai at what seemed perpetual rush hour, this scene is positively empty to how it usually was. Anybody that has been to India should recognise this! This is actually made up as a composite of many shots that I have taken off the iPhone movies I took there as stills that I have obtained by freezing the movie and then taking screen shots to work from.

The Green School, Madurai

This school painted bright green with yellow stripes was opposite my hotel in Madurai. You will note a church in the distance as Cochin has a large population of Christians due to being colonised by Portugal in the 1500's. A step-by-step progress of this painting can be followed in previous posts on this blog. 18 1/2" x 18 1/2" oil on board.

The Green School, Madurai - stage 5

The painting has a warmer feel than what it looks like in this photograph. So it should be finished tomorrow, I just have to finish the foreground, the left background and get the effect of the bright sun against all the wires working properly. For these recent paintings I have stopped using Underpainting White and am using Titanium White instead. The drying time is longer but I prefer how it goes on to the support, it gives more of an impasto look and the mixed colours stay wet on the palette right through the course of the painting.

The Green School, Madurai - stage 4

I want the central building to be the focus of the picture so I have lightened the building on the right (in reality it is the same colour) to emphasise the green. As the lighting is a warm contre jour  and the wall that faces us is in shadow I am painting it in a colder more blue-green colour but still trying to show that the building is quite a warm green overall.

The Green School, Madurai - stage 3

Painted in the colour block-in today; some decision-making on what colours to use without distracting from the central building which is the most important part of the painting. I have a very good photograph to work from on this - too good in many ways so that it is difficult to avoid just copying the photograph. I'm going for the dusty contre jour lighting that I have used in previous Indian paintings.

The Green School, Madurai - stages 1 and 2

In my search for colour in India I did not have far to go in Madurai as this was right opposite the hotel where I was staying. Here are the first two stages, the initial sketching-in in Burnt Sienna and then blocking in the tones also in Burnt Sienna. This colour seems to be ideal for this as most colours sit on top of it very well particularly blues and greens. I'm going for contre jour lighting again with warm and cold greens being a feature and I think that I will have some puddles in the foreground.

VOTE FOR ME! ......err again please

I have had another of my paintings accepted for this the final round of the "You Be The Judge" online art competition. This time it is "At The End Of The Day". Here is the link to the voting page if you would like to vote for it:
http://www.brianneher.com/you_be_the_judge_art_contest_2013_voting_page.aspx