‘SPORTS ILLUSTRATED’ A SERIES OF COMMISSIONS CENTERED AROUND SPORTS

‘SPORTS ILLUSTRATED’

A SERIES OF COMMISSIONS CENTERED AROUND SPORTS

Brief

The client contacted me regarding 4 large paintings to fill a large wall space. She stated the room had become a sports room, decorated with a pool table, a golf practice mat etc. She stated she wanted to try and cover the sports where there is a family interest, for example, the client and her husband support the football team Plymouth Argyle and wanted something to reflect their love of this team. She asked for something potentially involving the football ground and the team playing in their distinctive green kit.

The second idea was cricket, simply because the client's husband was a good cricketer in his time and therefore it was appropriate. Similarly with the third idea, the client’s husband currently enjoys golf and therefore asked for a golf related piece.

The idea for the final piece was between tennis and pheasant shooting. As she had many pictures of her husband pheasant shooting it seemed like the better option as I would have many reference pictures to work from. She also informed me they have a spaniel who retrieves and therefore could perhaps feature the dog in the painting as to make it all the more related to the family.

The client was open to ideas about the style of the pieces as long as they were consistent and ‘quirky’. She stated the house and room they’d be displayed in is quite modern and ‘Scandinavian feel’. I felt that paintings that were reminiscent of vintage posters could stand out in the space and therefore began my research.

Research

I began researching vintage poster designs and noticed they mostly had similar block colours in particular shades that were associated with aged surfaces. For example a red may become more burgundy over time due to weathering, dust and sunbleach. Another constant throughout this style is the use of text. I made the decision to not use text in these pieces as they changed the aesthetic from simple, modern design to a cartoony, comic book style.

Sketches

Once I was confident with the amount of research and I had my colour scheme and subject matter, I began sketching ideas on my ipad. I wanted to create some dynamism within the pieces, displaying the sportsman mid-action. In a plain white room on a large wall it is important to add some excitement to the space. I knew the paintings would be on a large scale, displaying the figures as nearly life-sized, making the viewer relate to them. The movement in the pieces would allow the viewer to feel as if they were taking part in the sports as well, which seemed appropriate as the space was a sports room.

Below are the final sketches sent to the client that she approved before I began the paintings.

Final Pieces

In order to allow the paintings to flow, it is important to have all paintings on the go at once so the colour scheme and my style remains consistent. The juxtaposition of geometric shapes and the organic shapes of the figures creates an exciting composition. The intentional use of complementary colours creates a bold yet harmonious surface within the paintings.

I framed the paintings in white floating frames to allow them to fit with the modern space they were intended to be displayed.

Below are the finished paintings after completion and again once displayed, framed, in their space.