News: bringing winter to life

Demo held: Monday, 05 January, 2026

Nigel’s demonstration showed how a winter scene can emerge from bold beginnings, starting with a loose dark‑orange sketch on an orange ground and building atmosphere through free, impressionistic brushwork and a limited primary palette. 

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 a sense of 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.

The Artist

Nigel's work primarily begins with looking and drawing. Everything builds from this. starting point. For him, drawing is an investigation, a method of recording an experience and expressing ideas and emotions. 

The subject matter, whether it be a woodland view, a coastal scene or the dynamic movement of a figure, helps suggest his approach and influences his choice of materials. At all times, he seeks to extend his visual vocabulary to communicate something about the world we live in.

Visit Nigel's website here.