Mark Payne
Mark studied technical and scientific illustration for four years, and after graduatioin became a member of the Society of Illustrator, Artists and Designers. Since then, he has produced work for numerous national and international publishers, advertising agencies and galleries. He is also the founder of the CGI company, Mission 3D. He lives and works in Cambridge.
Mark works with oils in a variation of the early technique known as ‘Grisaille’, a practice used by many of the old masters. This usually begins with a monochrome under-painting, often in shades of grey and ochre, on a white surface. Once this background is fully dry, it is then painted over with successive layers of transparent colours known as ‘glazes.’ Each new glaze changes the optical qualities of the layers beneath, resulting in a richness and a purity of colour that is unique to this method.
This process takes time, with each glaze having to dry completely before applying the next. Between each glaze, the painting is lightly sanded to give the finished painting a beautifully smooth, glossy surface- a technique that is different from the traditional method.