Martin Singer Long Lane Cyclist, acrylic on watercolour paper, 221/2330in (57376cm)
Martin Singer trained at York School of Art, Nottingham Trent University and Bretton Hall College, Wakefield.
The starting point for this painting was a photograph he took in the spring. ‘Nothing beats painting outside for developing and improving observational skills,’ he says, ‘but the convenience of a photograph can be extremely useful in capturing a fleeting moment. Long Lane in North Yorkshire is a quiet B-road between Borrowby and Northallerton. It runs along a straight ridge with marvellous views either side over farmland and woods. I began by stapling the four corners of a sheet of Saunders Waterford 300lb NOT paper to a wooden board, covering the staples and edge with masking tape. I then gave the paper a coat of white gesso to slow down the absorption rate of the acrylics. Once this was dry I used a 2B pencil to sketch in the main structural elements – the horizon line, perspective of the road, shape of the hawthorn tree and position of the cyclist.