Image 1 Fast oil sketches on paper For me, working expressively and intuitively means working fast, in fact not just fast but as fast as I can. That way I cut out all the analysis and doubt and just get on with putting paint down as I’m not really thinking or judging. Louise is a master at this and often mentions the need to work quickly. However, working fast doesn’t come naturally so I have to practice. Louise has mentioned in the past the value of doing quick oil sketches on paper and this is the way I now practice. It provides me with three main benefits: working expressively in right brain mode; testing out a palette that I’ve just mixed to see how the colours sit with each other and whether I need to mix any other colours before I start a large painting on canvas, and thirdly, avoiding being precious about my work as it’s just a piece of paper and some paint. Here are 3 oil sketches on paper 42 x 56 mm, each one painted in about 5 minutes. I reviewed them using a card mount to frame the image as straight edges help me see the painting more clearly. I then spent maybe a further minute adding one or two more touches before finishing and photographing.