Doors & Windows

John Lovett discusses his techniques for painting one of the most ubiquitous pieces of architecture

- John Lovett

Architectural subjects always fascinate me. Whether it's a collection of buildings or close focused detail, the formal geometry and abstract relationship of shapes always make interesting subjects. In this article we are going to pay particular attention to doors and windows. They are the features most closely related to humans. We look through them, walk through them, are protected by them, and they are the source of fresh air, privacy and security.

As well as the abstract nature of the composition, the character and function of the opening should be taken into account when we make a painting. Let's look at some examples and discuss the techniques and approach to painting them:

I love this small outstation shed on a cattle station in Central Australia. Everything is purely functional except for the crazy green paint on the door. That may have been functional too, but I prefer to see it as a nod to decoration. The warm, dirty yellows and pinks make a great contrast to the small patches of phthalo green. The door was first washed in with phthalo green, then some of the planks were adjusted with phthalo blue to give it more interest. Detail was added with a pen and burnt sienna pigment ink and a few charcoal pencil lines. For the sign on the fence and some little pieces of scattered junk, I used white gouache tinted with phthalo green. To get that shimmering effect, I kept the tinted gouache as close in tone to the background as I could.