Local Sheffield Fine Artist

Brian Smith is a local Sheffield artist who constructs precise sketches and paintings of locations around the world, from landscapes to architecture.

Locations he has drawn includes Nottingham, Chesterfield, Wimborne, Mevagissey Harbour in Cornwall, Meadowhall in Sheffield and India.

I asked Brian what the key element he aims to have in every piece is, he says, reality. "There are actually two sides to this, depending on whether it's a drawing or a painting". He explains that his work is almost entirely figurative, so when he is making what others might suffice as a simple sketch, he has an eye on reality and its constituents. "That's why so much of my sketching from life goes beyond the line drawing and into tone, because describing subjects with tone adds so much more information and understanding". Furthermore, he mentions he always looks for archetypal clues; this including shapes, shadows, reflections, contrasts, and especially in paintings, light, as a descriptor of what is going on. He finishes by saying, "There's room for more interpretation in a painting, which is chosen on the same credentials as a sketch but capturing classic symptoms is a big deal for me.”

Brian has a wide variety of art from different places, but the sketches and paintings based on UK locations does appear frequently throughout his catalogue of work. I asked him if there is a particular character Sheffield offers more than other locations. "Not particularly. My work actually involves a cross section of activities and material. The commissions I do could be anything - I'm seeing a client tomorrow to discuss a painting of his rather splendid house and a couple of weeks ago I sold something of St Mark's Square, Venice". He also goes on to say the rest of his work is taken from what he sees in front of him and that the law of averages means that Sheffield and his region will figure quite largely, though he tends to have sketching and painting materials available wherever he goes.

He also informs me that "orthodox fine art" e.g. – traditional art such as his sells mainly on familiarity of subject, rather than quality, but it makes sense commercially to him that some scenes are local, if that is where his work is to be seen.

As mentioned previously, I noticed a lot of Brian’s work was based on Sheffield, so I questioned him on whether there is a particular character Sheffield offers more than other locations.

Not particularly. My work actually involves a cross section of activities and material. Commissions could be anything - I'm seeing a client tomorrow to discuss a painting of his rather splendid house and a couple of weeks ago I sold something of St Mark's Square, Venice. Most of the rest of my work is taken from what I see in front of me and the law of averages means that Sheffield and my region will figure quite largely, though I tend to have sketching and painting materials available wherever I go, just in case.

One particular thing Brian said about the appeal and finance of art really sunk deep with me, that being “It's sad but true that with rare exceptions "orthodox" Fine Art such as mine sells mainly on familiarity of subject rather than quality of painting, so it also makes commercial sense that some scenes are local if that's where my work is seen".

Almost everyone has a different process and way they start, finish and create there art, do you work in such a way where you plan your art out before starting, or do you go along with the creative process and see what happens, or both?

Again, my work is quite literal; I improvise very little and capture the essence of something with my version of accuracy. Because I often work en plein air and I am particularly attracted by buildings and what goes on in the spaces around them, planning often involves just walking around with my eyes open and my head in gear.

In a drawing they are, to me at least, simple but integral procedures - cropping an image in my head for best composition; imagining the drawing on the page of my sketch book so the scale and location of the first marks is correct; prowling around a while before making a start, to check out changes in the way shapes and information interact so as to get the best of what attracted me in the first place; choosing an aspect which is likely to hold up for the duration without suffering major changes in shadow patterns; even looking for a viable perch, and so on. I consider lots of issues before making a mark. The line and wash of Amalfi (see last picture) was done over lunch, from a sea-front restaurant chosen as much on the grounds of location as menu and done with an ink sketch and quick washes for speed between courses (my wife is very tolerant).

He says when he paints he uses watercolour, and states it’s the world’s most temperamental medium. He also adds that having a good working knowledge of its behaviour and planning on various levels are both paramount for him, if he is to boss the material and create what he wants. He elaborates by saying it is not about slavishly copying a subject, firmly adding “I’m no pedant”. “Planning and handling behaviour happen in an instant, recurring throughout the process, so I can suggest rather than record in detail what I’m seeing.

I wonder a lot, when looking at other people’s art, what runs through their head while they are creating. Maybe a faint picture or idea is guiding them through the process, maybe it’s a technique that leads to the next step. A lot of the time, it’s also a reference to another artist or one of their pieces of work, if there is a search for inspiration or guidance when struggling for ideas, which is what I asked Brian.

Again, because my source material is the world around me, I certainly don't struggle for inspiration as far as subject choice is concerned. And by and large, unless I've made a duff choice, which is very rare, once the adrenaline kicks in and I'm working on something which appealed inherently to me when I spotted it, there's no stopping me. Guidance for ideas isn't a factor; I use practiced observation skills to see a subject I know will work, and a bunch of techniques to capture it.

He explains the painting of Mevagissey Harbour (see 2^nd to last picture) is a case in his point; I painted it from the bedroom of the apartment we rented, painted at my easel while my wife slept. As well as instant appeal for me in the early morning light, it had lots of ingredients which I knew would convert well into a worthwhile piece. I do use the work of other artists as a teaching aid though, to show good (or bad) practice; it's a quick and easy expedient.

Finally, I asked an essential question that a lot of artists don’t consider before they start creating a piece of art. This being is there a particular medium that brings out the best when doing art based on a location.

When I draw, I experiment with lots of different media and I encourage all my students to do the same to widen their skill sets and increase their enjoyment. If it's to be a fast track painting then waterproof ink line and watercolour wash. This tends to give a slightly graphic outcome, so for something more considered with a lower key line I would draw in pencil first. Given the amount of fieldwork I do I'm fortunate to know my way around watercolour; it's quick to apply, fast drying, requires very little kit (a sketchers box of carefully chosen colours, a block of paper, a pencil, a brush and a bottle of water), and atmospheric.

Below are some of the media’s listed used to create particular pieces displayed.

All of these are done in cartridge sketchbooks from zebra stores, www.stores.co.

Nottingham; Staedtler Mars permanent fine-liner.