The beginning of the painting – the controversial New Age Routemaster bus taking shape off centre on my Arches Watercolour Paper. I plan to give the painting a nighttime scene so I used light coloured interior finishes which will give a much better effect when the painting is completed. I painted the westbound Route 10 bound for Hammersmith, the birthplace of this artist.
The next stage was to paint the main façade of the old Derry And Toms Department Store, complete with a black London taxicab and a stopped cyclist. The window display and nearby bus stop was completed at the same time.
Close up detail of the black taxicab
A Morgan Plus Four sports car has been added with an attractive blue paint scheme and old European headlamp covers giving off a slight yellow hue. The start of an eastbound Route 9 bus takes shape.
I wanted to include a typical commercial white van with the name of a special friend of mine who specializes in creating fantastic desserts for friends. I adorned the vehicle with all applicable lettering and attractive mural on its side. I then diffused the overall look of the vehicle with a light brush wash.
I added a motorbike and a traffic warden behind the van, whilst working on the nearby buildings and tree. I completed the shop fronts and ambling crowd of pedestrians.
The completed painting drying out and ready for scanning. Included in the final stage was the spire of St. Mary’s Abbott Church which sits at the corner of the High Street and Church Street opposite the former Barkers department Store which currently houses a Whole Foods store. Also, the now traditional purple sky with clouds and a distant moon completes the picture. I hope you enjoy the results.
Painting completed in London 2017
Dimensions: 22.5″ x 15.0″