Nigel Downing: ‘Painting a Winter Scene in Acrylics.’

The painting process began with a loose, dark orange sketch on an orange canvas, creating a vibrant base enhanced with darker acrylic accents. A limited palette of primary colours was used, allowing for the mixing of all necessary tones.

Initial brushstrokes were applied freely to establish a soft-focus, impressionistic effect. Cooler blues were warmed by blending with red, yellow, and white, while distant areas were softened for depth and visual balance. The snow was rendered with increasingly lighter tones towards the foreground, and shadows were achieved using blue and lilac hues.

Tree browns were enriched with red, and stonework was created by mixing blue, white, and red. In the final stages, details were refined, light effects were introduced, and gaps were filled. The ‘Tip Dab Treatment’ was applied to the foreground hedges, layering subtle colours side by side to create highlights and unity across the composition.

This is where Nigel had to leave it…

… the final work below was done at home and shows the way final touches bring a painting to life.