A hop through my process for a recent commission, from life drawing and observation, to layout drawing and final oil painting.
All stages help to resolve certain decisions about the final work for me.
Sound on for comments.

Portrait of Professor Margaret Stanley
for Christ's College, Cambridge

An insight into a recent very small drawing on panel, a reworking of an earlier idea.
You'll need sound on for the insights!
'Vanitas Revisited'
mixed media drawing on panel 20 x 15 cm
Framed size 29 x 24 cm

This work has recently returned from an extraordinary series of exhibitions over the past 2 years - from Hangzhou and Beijing in China, to the Palacio Real in Madrid, and finally Barcelona at MEAM.
It gives me a chance to video it for the first time.

A very condensed, edited, super fast glimpse into the painting process of the red leather jacket in my recent portrait of Professor Margaret Stanley for Christ's College, Cambridge.
www.christs.cam.ac.uk/news/portrai...

A time-lapse through the evolution of a painting.
All works are individual but for me certain principles hold fast:

- Everything starts with drawing
- Background in painting is key
- Light and Space are the building blocks

Portrait of Prof Helen Moore for Corpus Christi College, Oxford

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As we wave goodbye to the Royal Soc of Portrait Painters exhibition, here is a video I didn't get round to sharing.
The final prep before getting the panel into a temporary exhibition frame.

Prof Helen Moore, President of Corpus Christi College, Oxford
oil on linen over panel 85 x 65 cm

Being interviewed by James Nicholls at the Private View of the Royal Society of Portrait Painters annual exhibition at the Mall Galleries, for his Art Review feature of our exhibition

Talking about my portrait of Prof Helen Moore, President of Corpus Christi College, Oxford