My study began on the iPad. I drew two people sunbathing on a beach, both wearing sunglasses. The man sits in a deckchair, looking at nothing in particular, lost in a kind of dream. By cutting into the scene, I found a more intriguing image: Louise’s head cropped out, with only her abundant hair blowing into the scene.

On canvas, I began with a thin underpainting to establish the main colours. I then built up the painting in layers, using transparent zinc white to bring the colour areas together before adding finer details. Each layer can take hours or days to dry. The pauses give me time to look again, reflect and adjust.

As the painting developed, I became absorbed by the red pigment stick I used for Louise’s hair. With each stroke, it grew more abundant, and her presence more vivid. I pay close attention to the clothes. The colours and patterns I invent for them are also, in part, an abstract exercise. Light and shadow give the image its rhythm.

Near the end, I made one small departure from my original study: I adjusted the cloud behind Louise. It now follows the curve of her breasts and the shadow beneath them.

After finishing the main painting, I stepped away from it for a few days. When I returned, I saw it as a film still. It seemed to ask for an extension, which turned it into a diptych. The short video below shows how I extended the scene.

The curtain gives the image a theatrical quality: it opens the scene to the viewer, as if they were stepping into a play already in progress. I will use this principle throughout the Louise series, which is still a work in progress. I drew Tintin in charcoal on the yellow curtain. The video also shows part of this process.

For Louise #1, I used Tayasui Sketches on my iPad for the initial study. I painted with Schmincke Mussini oil colours, sometimes using Liquin as a medium and sometimes none at all. I used Sennelier pigment sticks for Louise’s hair and sealed the charcoal drawing on the curtain with damar resin.