Ronnie & Reggie - Inglebro

Sometimes inspiration nudges you in strange ways. I have had this photo of Ingleborough for some time, not knowing what to do or how to proceed with it, the composition is lacking, the tones don't work - but for a basis of a painting I think it has something, but it needs a little more. So I used the photo for a watercolour sketch to play around with different 'moods', the watercolour sketch, although quite muddy made up my mind about how to proceed.

'Inspirational' photo

Rather messy compositional w/c with notes and sheep

Following sketching out the main components (incorrectly I may add), the entire painting was blocked in using my most favourite acrylics to define the tones and final colours... at this point (unlike most times) I paused, and left the painting on the easel for a couple of days while figuring out what to do next as the acrylic dried darker, gaudier, and more primitive than I envisaged (or planned).

The fun was to start with the oils, they allowed me to change the composition - rectifying where I had fouled up with the original pre-acrylic sketch  -you might see this in the sky above the left hand side of the hill - the original skyline was much higher which in retrospect didn't look right so was altered during the oiling in stage (actually half-way through!)

The sheep, I have christened Ronnie and Reggie have a passing similarity to their more infamous alter-egos in my warped subconscious - hence the title.

Ronnie and Reggie - Inglebro Oil on Board 12" x 10"