All Posts

The 5 Essential Tools and Materials You Actually Need to Start Oil Painting

If you’re thinking about starting oil painting, you’ve probably already had a look in an art shop or online supply list — and felt...

James Otto Allen

2 min read

Drawing the Female Figure – A Time-Lapse Study with Anatomy Insights

One of the most important—and challenging—skills in representational art is figure drawing. In this post, I’m sharing a recent drawing I...

James Otto Allen

2 min read

Charcoal Figure Drawing from the Back – Timelapse Study

This week, I posted a new charcoal figure drawing timelapse on my YouTube channel . It’s a study of the male back , drawn entirely from...

James Otto Allen

2 min read

Throwback to this oil portrait commission from 2012 — a rewarding challenge in harmonising the many greens and capturing the subtle folds of the kimono. A true lesson in patience and colour control. 🌿🎨

#oilpainting #portraitpainting #throwbackart #kimonoart #traditionalpainting #greenpalette #oilportrait #artcommission #artistsoninstagram #paintingdetails #figurativeart #classicalrealism #fineartpainting #portraitcommission

Some early concepts and sketches of a character I'm working on, along with some drawing notes taken from the great @aaronblaiseart 's fantastic character design course.

#characterdesign #aaronblaise #2danimation #captainconcept #clockpunk #sketchbook #artistsoninstagram #visualdevelopment #expressivedrawing #headstudies #characterexploration #procreateart #ipadart #arteducation #drawingpractice

Throwback to a board game illustration I did back in 2016!

This piece was created for the top of a small card, so clarity and instant readability were key. I tried to focus on strong silhouettes and clear storytelling to make the image pop at a glance—simple concepts but very challenging in my opinion to pull off.
⁠
#boardgameart #illustrationthrowback #cardgameart #gameillustration #tabletopart #visualstorytelling #artistsoninstagram #illustratorsonfacebook #artforgames #freelanceillustrator

My small tribute to one of my favourite seascape painters finds a new home!

This is my A3-sized oil copy of J.M.W. Turner's 'Dutch Boats in a Gale' painted on canvas like the original, but scaled down and simplified due to size. I painted this in Italy during the 2019 lockdown. I did a lot of master copies during that time, which helped a lot in focusing my mind and not getting swept mentally away in those uncertain times.

Swipe to see the painting details - the first photo is courtesy of the lovely collector.

Even in miniature, I learnt so much from studying this picture for it's colour palette, composition and paint application techniques.

#originalartwork #artforsale #oilpaintingforsale #artcollector #artcollectors #affordableart #artcommission #artbuyers #interiorart #artdecor #collectart #buyartonline #fineartcollector #artlovers #timelessart #investmentart #artthatmovesyou

Throwback to a landscape sketch from 2014, painted after traveling to Habana, Cuba.
⠀
I remember trying to use the natural weave and linen colour of the clear-primed canvas to capture the texture and feel of that cool, heavy stone under the blazing Habana sun.
⠀
This was also one of my first real attempts at designing a composition rather than just copying a photo. I moved trees and clouds, simplified the stonework, and pushed the warm cream tones on the left.
⠀
Looking back, it's a small piece but a big moment in how I started thinking differently about painting.

#pleinairpainting #landscapepainting #oilsketch #artistsoninstagram #habana #cubanlandscape #traditionalpainting #artjourney #fromlife #compositionstudy #linencanvas #travelpainting #throwbackart #artthrowback #artprocess #artgrowth

Master copy study of a Norman Rockwell portrait. Rockwell remains a constant source of inspiration for me because of his characterisation of his models, his colour sense and how he often breaks patches of a colour surface into slight variations of hue. In short, I love how he changes what he sees from his photo and life references.

#NormanRockwell #MasterCopy #PortraitStudy #TraditionalArt #OilPainting #FineArt #ArtPractice #OldMasters #FigurativeArt #Realism #ClassicalArt #ArtStudy #PortraitPainting #LearnFromTheMasters #DailyArt

.pro-gallery-wix-wrapper {display: block !important;} .pro-gallery-wix-wrapper .gallery-item-container {opacity: 1 !important; display: block !important;}

Follow me on Instagram

@jamesottoallen

All Posts

The 5 Essential Tools and Materials You Actually Need to Start Oil Painting

Drawing the Female Figure – A Time-Lapse Study with Anatomy Insights

Charcoal Figure Drawing from the Back – Timelapse Study

​

Follow me on Instagram