The Painting Thread... (as opposed to art debate)

[TANGODANCER]

There were a lot of Crofters around. To me "The Crofters" referred to the junction of St. George Road and Chorley New Road (I think there was a hotel of that name there though I don't remember it). I used to have a pint in the Jolly Crofters when walking back from the Pike to Lostock (I was a lot younger then). The Crofters Arms was on Halliwell Road. Perhaps it and the Jolly chaps are still around.

Aye Monty. I went in the Crofters on Chorley Old/New junction quite a lot years back. The Crofters on Halliwell I'd been in but my local on Halliwell was The Lamb, now called The Claremont Arms, believe it or not.

[Montreal Wanderer]

There were a lot of Crofters around. To me "The Crofters" referred to the junction of St. George Road and Chorley New Road (I think there was a hotel of that name there though I don't remember it). I used to have a pint in the Jolly Crofters when walking back from the Pike to Lostock (I was a lot younger then). The Crofters Arms was on Halliwell Road. Perhaps it and the Jolly chaps are still around.

Aye Monty. I went in the Crofters on Chorley Old/New junction quite a lot years back. The Crofters on Halliwell I'd been in but my local on Halliwell was The Lamb, now called The Claremont Arms, believe it or not.

I've just been on google maps to check Halliwell Road. The Crofter Arms is still there but there is a Lamb and Smith for sale sign on it but in hasty parentheses "business unaffected" so I guess it is going strong.

[Lost Leopard Spot]

Cheers Tango. To be honest, I think we have wildly different styles. But all your hints and tips are doing me some good, really. I've just negotiated for the wife to go away for the weekend to leave time for me and the dog to really hammer this painting. I'm looking forward to it.

[TANGODANCER]

There were a lot of Crofters around. To me "The Crofters" referred to the junction of St. George Road and Chorley New Road (I think there was a hotel of that name there though I don't remember it). I used to have a pint in the Jolly Crofters when walking back from the Pike to Lostock (I was a lot younger then). The Crofters Arms was on Halliwell Road. Perhaps it and the Jolly chaps are still around.

Aye Monty. I went in the Crofters on Chorley Old/New junction quite a lot years back. The Crofters on Halliwell I'd been in but my local on Halliwell was The Lamb, now called The Claremont Arms, believe it or not.

I've just been on google maps to check Halliwell Road. The Crofter Arms is still there but there is a Lamb and Smith for sale sign on it but in hasty parentheses "business unaffected" so I guess it is going strong.

Halliwell is apparently shot these days Monty. Mind you, we were quite parochial back in the day and didn't venture much from home territory, pub wise. Civilisation ended above the Lord Raglan and the Mop (Weavers) upwards and the New Inn downwards. Demons dwelt outside those boundaries. Town of course was open house so we spent some fair time there.

[Dujon]

Methods:

My father used to sketch in pen and ink as a hobby. His sketches he framed and displayed for sale at various places around the city. He sold many of his pieces but I don't know that he made any money from them - framing is expensive.

As best I can gather he'd do a rough sketch and take a photograph of the subject as well. The photographs were on 'slide' film. To get the perspective correct and to mark the important points of the sketch he rigged a slide projector on a jig so that it pointed vertically downwards. Once focussed he'd then work out the salient points and mark them (dot or short line). Then it was back to his memory and rough draft to organise the rest (shading and other details).

My mother-in-law had a life long friend - they died within a month of each other - who was a very good water colour painter. I have one of her field sketch books in my possession. In that she drew the basics of the idea from 'real life' and annotated it with notes as to colour and other matters of importance. She'd then take the book from the field back to her studio and, in due course, produce an end product.

[Lost Leopard Spot]

Methods:

My father used to sketch in pen and ink as a hobby. His sketches he framed and displayed for sale at various places around the city. He sold many of his pieces but I don't know that he made any money from them - framing is expensive.

As best I can gather he'd do a rough sketch and take a photograph of the subject as well. The photographs were on 'slide' film. To get the perspective correct and to mark the important points of the sketch he rigged a slide projector on a jig so that it pointed vertically downwards. Once focussed he'd then work out the salient points and mark them (dot or short line). Then it was back to his memory and rough draft to organise the rest (shading and other details).

My mother-in-law had a life long friend - they died within a month of each other - who was a very good water colour painter. I have one of her field sketch books in my possession. In that she drew the basics of the idea from 'real life' and annotated it with notes as to colour and other matters of importance. She'd then take the book from the field back to her studio and, in due course, produce an end product.

I think I'd tend towards your mother's friend's approach. I don't think I could be messing about setting up photos and computers and everything. Besides, if I was taking the camera out I'd be mainly concentrating on getting a good photo. It's a bit like the seaweed photos I took on holiday last week: the initial idea was to take some snaps to garner ideas for a painting, but then the photo project took over completely and I don't see any point in trying to reproduce the photo I've taken through a painting I've done. Yep, I think I'll stick to just painting from life, or at least painting from sketches from life.

[Bruce Rioja]

Civilisation ended above the Lord Raglan and the Mop (Weavers) upwards and the New Inn downwards.

Here's one for you, Tango. Why's The Weavers called the Mop? That said, we used to call the whole dip/bit between the bottom of Raglan Street and Astley Bridge Cemetery as 'nipping through the Mop'.

[TANGODANCER]

Civilisation ended above the Lord Raglan and the Mop (Weavers) upwards and the New Inn downwards.

Here's one for you, Tango. Why's The Weavers called the Mop? That said, we used to call the whole dip/bit between the bottom of Raglan Street and Astley Bridge Cemetery as 'nipping through the Mop'.

Do you know Bruce, despite living not too far away from it for years, I haven't the faintest idea. It was just an area as you say, the Raglan, the Mop Brook, Raglan Street, Burtons football pitch, Weavers etc, were just "The Mop". If you know why please tell?

[Bruce Rioja]

Civilisation ended above the Lord Raglan and the Mop (Weavers) upwards and the New Inn downwards.

Here's one for you, Tango. Why's The Weavers called the Mop? That said, we used to call the whole dip/bit between the bottom of Raglan Street and Astley Bridge Cemetery as 'nipping through the Mop'.

Do you know Bruce, despite living not too far away from it for years, I haven't the faintest idea. It was just an area as you say, the Raglan, the Mop Brook, Raglan Street, Burtons football pitch, Weavers etc, were just "The Mop". If you know why please tell?

I've no idea, fella. I was hoping you might. It came up in conversation the other day. I wonder if that sherbert factory's still down there?

[TANGODANCER]

Methods:

My father used to sketch in pen and ink as a hobby. His sketches he framed and displayed for sale at various places around the city. He sold many of his pieces but I don't know that he made any money from them - framing is expensive.

As best I can gather he'd do a rough sketch and take a photograph of the subject as well. The photographs were on 'slide' film. To get the perspective correct and to mark the important points of the sketch he rigged a slide projector on a jig so that it pointed vertically downwards. Once focussed he'd then work out the salient points and mark them (dot or short line). Then it was back to his memory and rough draft to organise the rest (shading and other details).

My mother-in-law had a life long friend - they died within a month of each other - who was a very good water colour painter. I have one of her field sketch books in my possession. In that she drew the basics of the idea from 'real life' and annotated it with notes as to colour and other matters of importance. She'd then take the book from the field back to her studio and, in due course, produce an end product.

I think I'd tend towards your mother's friend's approach. I don't think I could be messing about setting up photos and computers and everything. Besides, if I was taking the camera out I'd be mainly concentrating on getting a good photo. It's a bit like the seaweed photos I took on holiday last week: the initial idea was to take some snaps to garner ideas for a painting, but then the photo project took over completely and I don't see any point in trying to reproduce the photo I've taken through a painting I've done. Yep, I think I'll stick to just painting from life, or at least painting from sketches from life.

The whole idea of drawing and painting, for me at least, is something that makes you want to create. Whether it be copying from life, sketches, photos, your auntie Alice or bowls of fruit on a table, it's the desire to re-create it on paper/canvas etc that drives you.. Photographs (as in my current phase) remind you of a past you can no longer access because it's gone. I'm just as happy drawing or painting from imagination (as the Pride and Prejudice characters)
or a couple of seascapes. Like I've said, there are no rules for the perfect artist. Do what you're happy with.

[TANGODANCER]

Here's one for you, Tango. Why's The Weavers called the Mop? That said, we used to call the whole dip/bit between the bottom of Raglan Street and Astley Bridge Cemetery as 'nipping through the Mop'.

Do you know Bruce, despite living not too far away from it for years, I haven't the faintest idea. It was just an area as you say, the Raglan, the Mop Brook, Raglan Street, Burtons football pitch, Weavers etc, were just "The Mop". If you know why please tell?[/quote]

I've no idea, fella. I was hoping you might. It came up in conversation the other day. I wonder if that sherbert factory's still down there?[/quote]

No one seems to know why "The Mop" and don't know about the sherbet as it's years since I was that way. I've often wondered if Roocrofts toffee factory still exists. A couple of things I did find out, Boundary Street, literally less that a hundred yards from where I lived, was so called because it marked the Parish boundary, and what we always called "Brookfields" motor bike place, again, almost on our doorstep, was actually the old toll house on Halliwell Road.

[Lost Leopard Spot]

Methods:

My father used to sketch in pen and ink as a hobby. His sketches he framed and displayed for sale at various places around the city. He sold many of his pieces but I don't know that he made any money from them - framing is expensive.

As best I can gather he'd do a rough sketch and take a photograph of the subject as well. The photographs were on 'slide' film. To get the perspective correct and to mark the important points of the sketch he rigged a slide projector on a jig so that it pointed vertically downwards. Once focussed he'd then work out the salient points and mark them (dot or short line). Then it was back to his memory and rough draft to organise the rest (shading and other details).

My mother-in-law had a life long friend - they died within a month of each other - who was a very good water colour painter. I have one of her field sketch books in my possession. In that she drew the basics of the idea from 'real life' and annotated it with notes as to colour and other matters of importance. She'd then take the book from the field back to her studio and, in due course, produce an end product.

I think I'd tend towards your mother's friend's approach. I don't think I could be messing about setting up photos and computers and everything. Besides, if I was taking the camera out I'd be mainly concentrating on getting a good photo. It's a bit like the seaweed photos I took on holiday last week: the initial idea was to take some snaps to garner ideas for a painting, but then the photo project took over completely and I don't see any point in trying to reproduce the photo I've taken through a painting I've done. Yep, I think I'll stick to just painting from life, or at least painting from sketches from life.

The whole idea of drawing and painting, for me at least, is something that makes you want to create. Whether it be copying from life, sketches, photos, your auntie Alice or bowls of fruit on a table, it's the desire to re-create it on paper/canvas etc that drives you.. Photographs (as in my current phase) remind you of a past you can no longer access because it's gone. I'm just as happy drawing or painting from imagination (as the Pride and Prejudice characters)
or a couple of seascapes. Like I've said, there are no rules for the perfect artist. Do what you're happy with.

Absolutely Tango. I was infering no criticism of what you've done. I meant only to mean that the space I have available to draw/paint on doesn't really allow me room to set up a computer and all that that entails with leads, power points etc. I could if I reorganised my house but... that's all I meant regarding messing about with computers. As you say it's what works for the individual, and if you've got space to set up a computer and your painting pad and brushes etc then by all means I'm for it.
And equally I'm not ruling out painting from photographs, it's just highly unlikely I'd do them from my own. And not just because of the available space situation either but because of the reasons I outlined above, but equally as important I'm not condemning others, yourself included, for using that method. So keep up the good work.

[Prufrock]

I always enjoyed giving directions from our way to up Rivi that involved directing people 'through Major Bottoms'. No idea why it's called that.

[TANGODANCER]

Here's the fully finished item. I added just a touch of colour to throw up the snow. I'm happy enough with it now. Off to think of the next project.

[boltonboris]

Was that your first car, Tango?

[TANGODANCER]

I don't want Spotski turning up on here Monday saying he hadn't time to paint the dog cos he was in the Chess World Cup. I can see it coming.....

[thebish]

he's painted this instead...

[TANGODANCER]

A quick practise impressionist sketch based on a pic I took of our road when the snow was down two winters ago. A bright sunny day. Glad I took it, since then the council cut have the trees down.

[TANGODANCER]

This is a totally original snow scene impression painting. No photos, just imagination. No details, just suggestion.

[thebish]

ok - errr.. let me guess... a snowy Poland as the Germans roll in - 3 or 4 tanks and some troops near a trench?