Mike Skidmore: 1st March 2004

Still Life in Oils

On the evening of 1st March 2024, we were treated to a marvellous demonstration in oils by professional artist Mike Skidmore, a self-taught realist painter whose unique style has an incredible 3D effect, with often a wry sense of humour within the image or title.

As with any painting demonstration, 2 hours is never long enough to paint a complete work from start to finish (perhaps except for watercolours), so Mike arrived with a pre-prepared board underpainted with flat outlines and shapes using acrylics. This was done to enable him to concentrate on the detail that could change as the painting progressed. Using a photograph for guidance re colours only, Mike prefers not to copy a photo per se, not wanting his work to be an exact copy, or to look like the photograph.

Using a filbert brush, he proceeded to add shadows to the vase using raw umber mixed with his own medium (a mixture of a branded one and linseed oil) as a glaze, then blended in using a fan brush. Wiping out the highlights he wanted to show through with a rag, these were then blended in using cotton buds on the ridge of the vase. Mixing raw umber with yellow ochre and a tiny amount of white to create two tones, he added further highlights, each time blending in as he worked in layers. Shadows were added to the side, and base of the vase and to the plum – his own inclusion. On some highlights, he used a cotton bud to create a “halo” effect around bright spots, which made the vase appear more natural.

As he worked, Mike told us he likes to experiment a lot, never uses pure white in his paintings as it is too bright, and always works with a limited palette, ie only ultramarine and/or cobolt blue, sap green, cadmium red, and Paynes grey. He added there was nothing wrong in cheating, if you do something wrong, simply wipe it off, cover it up and stop worrying, emphasising to never get hung-up on trying to copy a photograph accurately. Paint what works for you. People are interested in what you have painted, not in the photograph you have used. Make the painting your own by adding or leaving out what you want; make it up. Whilst painting, take your time, stand back frequently and look at it, spend ⅔ of your time painting, and ⅓ standing back and observing. All valid comments we hear constantly, yet many of us still fail to follow, and slave and angst as we diligently copy colours and images only to be unhappy with our efforts, instead of using our own imaginations and experimenting.

Within half-an-hour, the vase already had a shiny, 3D effect which stood out, looking so real you could almost reach out and pick it up.

Moving on to the lavender stems he had added in the underpainting using a dark purple, he proceeded to add highlights to the flowers using a mid-tone purple mixed with white. Using a separate photograph of fruit for guidance, the plum was painted using alizarin crimson mixed with a little blue and yellow ochre, stating that because alizarin crimson is a very strong colour, to use a lot less than you think you need. In most paintings he would prefer to use cadmium red (which on this occasion he did not have). The colour was added in several layers until he was happy with the result, before adding a touch of blue mixed with white for the “bloom” on the fruit. Using a light, peachy colour, blending in each time, slowly, stage by stage, the fruit came to life. Highlights were added using a more reddish colour than blue, and alizarin crimson with a little white to give the fruit a natural shine.

Shadows to the plum and vase on the background using Paynes grey, blue and raw umber were added, but Mike was not happy with the result so wiped it off.

At the end of the session, the painting was not completed to his satisfaction although all of us agreed it was perfect as it was, an incredible lifelike painting many of us would be proud to have hanging on our walls at home. Mike offered to finish it at home before kindly donating it to the Group for our forthcoming exhibition raffle. We look forward to seeing the final painting.

Mike is certainly an expert painter, entertaining to watch and listen to, especially his amusing anecdotes, and has encouraged and inspired many of us to give oils a try. We sincerely hope Mike will return in the future for another demonstration.

As well as a painter, Mike is also a novelist and a musician, a man of much talent indeed.

Link to his website.