Rowan Huntley - Approach & technique

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Approach	Skagastølstindane, Norway
I have a strong belief that by gaining better understanding of the forces which shaped the structure of the landscape, I will in turn be able to better portray the 3 dimensional nature of my subject matter in a 2 dimensional way. My overall aim is to become an accomplished landscape painter and, in order to achieve this, the physical study of evolving environments forms an integral part of my development.
Many natural factors such as sea, wind, rain and ice have acted on the earth over millions of years and, as progressive investigation of these effects will undoubtedly enhance my visual interpretation of my subject, I am committed to researching them as widely as possible.

Working method

I work as a landscape artist, specialise in mountainscapes and I live in a city - which means that I am, for the most part, a studio painter. That said, I cannot emphasise strongly enough the importance of actually getting out into the landscape that I am trying to describe. I make frequent and intensive painting expeditions (whether local or abroad) to gather the visual information I require for my paintings - sketches, studies, colour notes, compositional drawings, photography and even video are all essential tools in my artwork. Many painters are reluctant to admit to using photography in their work but I am more than happy to say that used in the correct manner, photos can be and indeed are in my case, an extremely useful aid.

The most important thing of all though, is that I paint in-situ as much as possible. Only an intimate and truthful knowledge of the environment allows me to recapture it with paint and brush in the way that I do.
	Koldedal, Norway

Technique

I generally paint in Chromacolour, a water soluble resin based pigment which is superficially similar to acrylic paint but has more versatility. Chromacolour's stronger, opaque, pigments provide more vibrancy than most conventional paints - a characteristic which I try to exploit to bring out the intensity of the natural, but often overlooked, colour in the landscape. Together with my fairly unique application of paint on board or canvas, this has led to a personal and distinctive style which perhaps sets me apart from other painters. My approach to painting is loosely based on the 'patient masonry' technique, which itself echoes the construction and wearing away processes seen in nature. I begin by covering the white canvas with a watery mix of colour, usually raw sienna /raw umber or burnt sienna. I then draw in my key shapes using a water soluble pencil (which gets easily absorbed during the painting process), concentrating on accuracy not detail. I then build layers of paint, thickly in places and thin in others - often allowing the background canvas colour to show through. Working on the picture as a whole from the beginning enables me to bring together the fundamental elements of an image in an even way, maintaining both balance and harmony throughout the painting. The final result is, I hope, beauty and testament to the dedication and commitment I have to my painting.

How a painting evolves.........

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