Stephen Sebastian – Painting

As a painter I choose to work in oil on a slightly textured surface that I prepare myself when I prime and gesso the linen canvas or panel using stiff brushes. By downplaying the significance of subject matter and simplifying the composition I create the “big vision” by layering drybrush and washes which connect all the components parts of a painting into a single broad harmony.

I begin each painting with a fairly detailed drawing done in pencil and oil wash. From there I build the color and composition with heavier layers of paint eventually moving to more energetic strokes.