Masterclass: Capturing busy street scenes
For this month’s step-by-step demonstration, acrylic master Hashim Akib shows how fully-loaded brushes and contrasting colours can add life to a bustling urban landscap e
W
hen I fi rst saw this scene at London’s famous Camden market, the two elements that fi rst grabbed me were
the colour and the movement. Urban market scenes always contain both in abundance and I’ll be showing you a good way of capturing them in this month’s masterclass. I saw the scene on a lovely spring day and the
sun had defi nitely drawn out the crowds. Whenever I take photographs of scenes I’m going to paint, I try to fi nd an unusual angle – sometimes literally. In this instance, I tilted the camera to mimic moving through crowds and by holding the camera above my head I was able to create an interesting and dramatic composition from a high vantage point.
62 Artists & Illustrators Once I decide on a scene to paint and the
emotional tug is in place, it is time to think about the mechanics of the painting. Whatever scene you choose, try to bear in mind what medium you intend to use and adapt to it. The key to a scene like this is to refrain from including too much detail – give just enough but avoid overkill, as there is already a lot going on. I also made the conscious decision to change
the t-shirt of the man in the left corner from white to blue so the colour contrast was greater. I did consider making it green but I wanted to use that on one of the central fi gures instead to maximize the contrast with her red hair. Hashim’s new book, Vibrant Acrylics, is published by Search Press, RRP £14.99.
www.hashimakib.com
• PAINTS Lemon Yellow,
Cadmium Yellow (Hue), Yellow Ochre, Cadmium Red
(Hue), Burnt Sienna, Coeruleum Blue, Cobalt Blue (Hue), Pale Olive Green, Sap Green, Process Cyan, Deep Violet, Process Magenta, Phthalo Green and Titanium White, all Daler-Rowney System 3 heavy body acrylics
• BRUSHES 1 1/2” and 2” System 3 Sky Flow and
1”, 3/4”, and 1/2” System 3 Long Flat brushes
• SUPPORT 61x76cm canvas
• PALETTE KNIFE • KITCHEN TOWEL
trade Tools of the
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