The 381 Bus to Dover Heights

Transport enthusiasts are extremely demanding … accuracy is paramount when considering shape, colour and detail. Near enough is never good enough. Getting the proportions right is vital, too.

- Steve Leadenham

This painting of a 1950s Sydney double-decker bus climbing through the suburbs above Bondi was produced at the request of an enthusiast who sought the recreation of this scene from his childhood. A detailed colour photograph was provided but, for the purposes of the painting, the model of the vehicle had to be changed to one illustrated in a second photograph provided for that purpose. This demonstration provided a useful example of production of a painting for a critical audience; and the potential pitfalls that can be encountered.

STEP ONE

The reference photographs were provided as digital files, so to begin I prepared an A4 print of the main reference photograph and a grid five squares wide by four squares deep was applied in pencil. I selected a canvas panel of an appropriate aspect ratio and gridded it into 10cm squares – producing an equivalent 20 squares. The scene was then sketched onto the canvas panel with the aim of preserving the proportions of the original scene.

The sketch was not detailed at this stage but it was critical that the important shapes within each square on the photograph were drawn in the exact equivalent position on the canvas. Transport enthusiasts are demanding. Accuracy is paramount. Near enough is never good enough, and getting the proportions right will make or break the finished painting.

I rely heavily on photographic reference as a basis for my work; and, if not working directly from a single photograph, I will produce photo-composites using a computer graphics program as an aid to composition and lighting. Transfer of a photo-composite onto canvas follows the same broad principles described above.

STEP TWO