Ok, so maybe there are more than a few extra brushstrokes added here. I played on several thin layers of colours and then changed them with additional layers on top of them... I even came back to the earlier tones in some places. There are some paces that feel a lot less sculptural than in … Continue reading Portrait Project – Inspired by David Park #3 – A few extra brushstrokes makes a big difference “SOLD”
Portrait Project – Inspired by David Park #3 – I need to sleep on it…
I gave this one a big burst of work all at once and needed to take a little break. When I woke up in the morning I was struck with a dilemma. I like it as it is, so is it finished? What does finished mean? I didn't really know how to answer, so I … Continue reading Portrait Project – Inspired by David Park #3 – I need to sleep on it…
Portrait Project – Inspired by David Park #2
I'm really, really loving this style of painting. My brushes are thick with paint and I'm smearing it all over the canvas. It's loose and free; it's messy and cathartic! Where I usually paint one layer at a time, let it dry, and then struggle to add loads of thin build-up layers, this is working … Continue reading Portrait Project – Inspired by David Park #2
Portrait Project – Inspired by David Park
Let me be clear, I'm only using the terminology "Inspired by..." because it's my version of his painting... essentially my copy of it. It's part of my ongoing explorations of styles and techniques. Again, I used a recycled canvas (overpainted) from some long neglected project (The People of the Land) in which the painting technique … Continue reading Portrait Project – Inspired by David Park
Self-Portrait Project – Loosely Inspired by Frank Auerbach “SOLD”
The challenge given was to create a self-portrait in the style of a specific artist, in this case Frank Auerbach, or to recreate a portrait done by the artist in my own style. I think I sort of got it half way between the two options. Starting with a heavily textured canvas, recycled for this … Continue reading Self-Portrait Project – Loosely Inspired by Frank Auerbach “SOLD”
Self-portrait project – Inspired by Anastasiya Kimchenko
In preparation for an upcoming challenge to paint a self-portrait as "the artist"... yes, that's the entire description of the challenge... to paint myself as "the artists". We were given no other direct hints, but we were given an introductory challenge: paint a self-portrait in the style of a specific artist, or paint a favourite … Continue reading Self-portrait project – Inspired by Anastasiya Kimchenko
Self-portrait project Seventeen (Part d) – Me, By Contrast
I needed to step away from the other ways of painting so far and I felt I hadn't yet explored dabbing the paint onto the canvas, nor had I dived into a monochrome portrait. The former, because I didn't want to destroy my brushes, which is what tends to happen when one grinds the bristles … Continue reading Self-portrait project Seventeen (Part d) – Me, By Contrast
Self-portrait Project Seventeen (Part c) – Getting The Eyes Just Right
I was still dabbing on the paint here. You can see the impact of the stiff bristles on the canvas. I used mostly a matte Titanium white to pull up the emphasis on the features I wanted to... well, emphasize. At this point, I can feel how the matte paint is standing out over the … Continue reading Self-portrait Project Seventeen (Part c) – Getting The Eyes Just Right
Self-portrait Project Seventeen (Part b) – Laying Down Some Contrasts
First, the Part a would look like a plain black canvas, so I'm sharing a photo. Suffice it to say that I painted white gesso over the old painting then used a palette knife to load on some shiny Carbon Black. When that was dry, I first painted down the shape off the face by … Continue reading Self-portrait Project Seventeen (Part b) – Laying Down Some Contrasts
Self-portrait Project – Starting Something(s) New from this Old Model
As mentioned in recent posts, I've tired of the full frontal portrait and want to see what I can do with this profile. I feel there will be more possibility to observe the details of my own face this way. I've been successful in the past using black and white photos to work from, so … Continue reading Self-portrait Project – Starting Something(s) New from this Old Model
The New Renaissance Mindset 