Recreating Jack Vettriano

Beach Dancing in Development

Learning to recreate an established work of art in any medium is not easy but in many cases helps to develop your skills as an artist. Some people have a born talent to be able to religiously copy; others have to work at it. In all cases, I believe you can learn and develop by setting yourself a goal of painting in the style of an artist and perhaps adding your own twist. I am always confused by the negativity that scorns people who copy great works. For those who, like myself, just want to enjoy the challenge of improving our skills in this way, we are then left with a dilemma. Is the art we create wrong or considered cheating, even a breach of copyright?

I, for one, believe you can learn so much, and as long as you recognize the original artist and add your own creativity, there can be little against it. To be clear though, while copying for personal use or practice might be acceptable, selling a copy without permission is a definite no-no.

Jack Vettriano taught himself to paint by copying others' work and, over time, developed his own unique style, which became his trademark. Even "Banksy" decided to have a go recently and produced a version of "The Singing Butler," which sold for four times the original £800,000 that Vettriano's original sold for. Didn't Banksy infringe copyright by selling his version? Banksy's "Crude Oil (Vettriano)" isn't simply a copy of Vettriano's work; it's a reimagining that introduces new themes and imagery, such as the oil drum and hazard-clothed figures. This transformative aspect might be considered fair use or parody, which can limit copyright protection. Plus, who is he? How can you sue someone who remains anonymous and probably has enough money to defend his actions anyway?

The Singing Butler Jack Vettriano

So I decided to have a go. What's good for Jack and Banksy is good enough for me. What can I learn, and what will I do that makes my work transformative but maintains the essence of the Vettriano style? I am not going to sell the finished work; it is, in effect, a development piece, so I still intend to end up close to the original but with my own twists.

I never liked Vettriano's sky. I know what he was trying to do by making it almost nondescript, putting the focus very much on the foreground figures, but looking out of my window when considering the type of sky I wanted to use, the picture below gave me inspiration. Skies are difficult, especially when you are trying to create depth and link to a focal point. So that was challenge number one. I wanted a great sky.

A great sky giving inspiration

Below is Stage 1. You can still see the initial sketch, and I apologize for the shadow from the easel picture holder above. I chose to work in acrylic, and as you can probably tell, there are elements that don't quite work. I left it unfinished in the studio and took this quick photo so I could study it over a glass of wine and figure out what needed to change. As I've mentioned in previous blogs, having the patience to take my time and review is something I still have to consciously make myself do; it doesn't come naturally to me.

Beach Dance Stage 1 - Developing the Sky ( Transformative)

Upon review, the sky appeared too dominant, lacking depth and nearly overshadowing the figures in the foreground. By making subtle adjustments in tone, applying washes, and repositioning certain clouds, the depth was restored. Observe how I have shaped the clouds using shading and texture to establish a vanishing point behind the central figures.

The umbrellas have been detailed in rough, and the butler is starting to take shape, which also confirmed that, as the figures were painted in, the perspective and depth would help to balance my more dramatic sky. The butler now appears to be ahead of the other figures.

Beach Dance Stage 2 Adding Depth.

Before leaving the studio, I took another quick photo for further review, accompanied by yet another glass of wine. I'm now satisfied with the changes made to the sky. The next step is to create the figures in a Vettriano style while incorporating some of my own touches. I prefer a bit more detail in my figures, and although I know the saying "less is more," I can't help myself. Observing Banksy's approach and his alterations, I notice his sky is even less prominent than Vettriano's. Like me, he removed the white cloth held behind the butler's back, and the lady's red dress is much more vibrant than the original. Adding a message about sea pollution is... well, different! I appreciate the subtle changes in the figures, but it no longer aligns with what I wanted to achieve—sorry, Banksy. Perhaps Banksy needed to be more transformative with a sale in mind? Hazmat is not something I want to explore, and the fact that one of the recovery team members has his suit tucked into his boots tells me Banksy has never worn such a suit in a real situation. That detail would bother me every time I looked at the finished work, having trained responders in Hazmat for many years.

Crude Oil (Vettriano) by Banksy

What are the next steps? Initially, I needed to finish the figures before proceeding to the beach and pools. I always felt Vettriano didn't do the maid justice, as he blurred details. Since it's evidently windy, she should be holding her hat. Thus, Stage 3 required more attention to detail on various elements of the figures. We're currently on Day 3, with approximately 12 hours of work completed.

Beach Dance Stage 3 - Figure detailing and beach development

On Day 4, we're approaching the final stretch of this creative endeavor. The remaining tasks involve several key components that are crucial to bringing the entire scene to life. Specifically, focusing on the beach itself, which has proven to be a challenging aspect of the work, as well as the maid's bag and apron. It's often said that the devil is in the details, and I have come to appreciate just how true this adage is throughout the course of this project. The beach scene, in particular, presented its own set of challenges that required a significant amount of rework. Achieving the right texture and color to mimic the natural beauty of sand and surf was no small feat. I experimented with various techniques and materials, trying to capture the essence of a sun-kissed beach where the waves gently lap at the shore. After much trial and error, I am pleased to say that I finally achieved a result I am satisfied with, and one that evokes the feeling created by Vettriano Each character has a story to tell, and I wanted to ensure that their expressions, poses, and clothing were crafted to convey their individual personalities. This attention to detail is what truly brings the entire composition to life, allowing viewers to feel a connection to the scene and the characters within it. Once complete, this piece will be proudly displayed in my home bar for a while,serving not only as a conversation starter for guests but also a personal reminder of the work and the lessons learned.

Thanks for reading and I hope this post inspires you to have a go at your own skill development project. The final work is shown below.

Kind regards

Marco

Art- Marco Beach Dancing after Jack Vettriano’s The Singing Butler

Here it is installed in the bar.

Beach Dancing after Vettriano's The Singing Butler in situ