Still life IN 3 HOURS

Former BP Portrait Award runner-up FELICIA FORTE guides you through a simple, structured approach to painting alla prima that tackles dark, average and light colours in turn

- FELICIA FORTE

Felicia's materials

• Support

A sheet of Arches oil paper, 12x16”, and a slightly larger foam core board

• Brushes Series 2025 Chungking Bristle long flats, sizes 0, 1, 2, 4, 6 and 8; Series 2085 Chungking Egbert, size 4; Ultimate Bristle pointed round, size 6; Series 7320 Pure Sable one strokes, sizes 1/8” and 1/4”; Smooshing brush, large; all Rosemary and Co.

• Paints Titanium White, Bright Yellow Lake, Cadmium Yellow, Cadmium Orange, Cadmium Red, Brilliant Pink, Quinacridone Rose, Ultramarine Blue, Yellow Ochre and Ivory Black, all Michael Harding Artists Oil Colours

• Palette New Wave POSH Neutral Grey-stained wooden table-top palette, 15.6x19.6”

• Palette knife

• White spirit

• Linseed oil

• Masking tape

• Paper towels or rags

I am going to walk you through a three-hour still-life study I made for a group of workshop students. I like to choose fun and nostalgic subjects – and for me a hot dog is just that. We need a little humour when learning to paint.

I like to make studies like these on oil paper because it isn’t precious. The lack of prep allows for a relaxed attitude to learning instead of the expectation of high art.

Exercises such as these are more about getting to know yourself than they are about the outcome. Give yourself small technical goals such as “I will draw with all straight lines today” instead of broad, outcome-based expectations like “I am going to paint the most beautiful hot dog the world has ever seen!”