First of all, the decision is taken on what the background is to be - plain, graded or detailed. Once this has been determined, the background is blocked in. The fun part comes next as the image is drawn freehand. This commeces with a roughing out the basic shape freehand in usually in white paint and using somethinglike a rigger bruch - depending upon the nature of the image. 

Very little by way of detail, just blocking in the subject and ensuring that the setting, the perspective and the proportions are all as desired.

In this imagre, a pencil outline is visible, where I initially sketched the subject (I dont usually do this anymore) and shows how I decided to move the subject to be central in the frame.

Now that the basic position, proportions and perspective are as desired, the subject is blocked out with a second application of white. Usually around four coats are required and this is a vital phase in ensuring that the final colours achieve clarity and radience. 

In reality, a painting of a car probably recieves more layers of paint than the factory gave the actual car....

The body is taking shape using blocked shading and a variety of shades of red. Continued fine tuning is also taking place - for example,  reference the angles orignally drawn in for the windows.

By now the subject is starting to resemble the subject. It woyuld likely be acceptable for most to stop now, but for me, this is the point where the real excitement starts as greater detail is applied to create a photorealistic portrayal.

A few solid days of work later, it is taking shape but is not ready by a long chalk (or back straight)!

From here on in, it is all about detail, detail and more detail. 

This is where my ADHD hyperfocus comes to the fore. When it kicks in, I can spend hours, which turn into days, focussing solely on the smallest of details that the vast majority viewing the finished painting will never notice....but I know its there! 

Bear in mind that this picture is A3. 

Detail, detail and more detail.

Cue the introduciton of the magnifying glass, tiny detail brushes and the need for a very steady hand.

The perennial issue is knowing when a painting is finally complete. 

I have reluctantly come to the conclusion that I will never feel that any painting of mine is fully  complete.

The nearest that I will ever get to complete is determining that a painting is fine and that to spend many more hours on ever finer detail is a futile endeavour.

The payback is that I have been contacted by a few folk asking if this a photograph  of my own car. 

I can but dream....

The painting is 'fine'. 

There are things that I know that I could spend more time on, but part of the magic of a painting is that it is not a photograph.

I loved doing this car so much that it overtook the Aston Martin. 

It must be something about that red.... 

My garage including a selection of my spanners....

Visible in this picture is the very beginnings of the Ferrari. 

It is the canvas standing above my paints. I still can't quite believe that it overtook the Aston!

Thank you

girds