Charles Reid Workshop - Day 2

Rising refreshed after evening critiques, pleasant dinner and much food for thought, Day 2 dawned. The task today would be studying the use of old photographs as the stimulus for figure work. Charles has a collection of photographs depicting old residents of the village of Urchfont where we were working. These are all monochrome images and do not confuse with regard to values by paying too much attention to colour. As was the case every day, great emphasis was given to the drawing process.



Tom Gillet - Charles Reid, preparatory drawing



Tom Gillet - Charles Reid, completed drawing

Charles' practice is to move on to the important central features of the face and it is fascinating to see how much paint actually goes in there. At first it is difficult to see how it all might be reconciled in the final image. The picture below shows the initial pass at rendering the central features. Charles believes in making the first strokes count with little adjustment after any appropriate softening. This image shows his choices of lost and found areas of colour in the face.



Tom Gillet - Charles Reid, detail of face

The next picture shows an intermediate stage, establishing the figure in relation to the surrounding space. Another of his messages, make connections between various elements in the piece and allow escape routes from one passage to another.



Tom Gillet - Charles Reid, intermediate stage


The next picture is the final painting.



Tom Gillet - Charles Reid, Watercolour


Who said watercolour was a clean process? Evidence that Charles practises his splatter technique on the floor as well as the paper.

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