I'm calling this portrait finished. At least I'm letting it sit on the easel for a few days and then see if there's anything else to add.
This started as a 12 x 16 watercolour which evolved into a mixed media piece. I created a value map on the face with ink and finally completed the hair with pastels. The three mediums seem to work well with each other in moderation. I want each to perform in its own right and not overshadow its partners.
Now I just need to do something similar again with this girl's brother. The pair are lively children and this loose style seems to suit their personalities. Its a far cry from a lot of the stuff I usually do and even I don't really know where it came from. Its one of those times where the painting tells you what to do and you just follow along and see where it leads you.
7 comments:
It sure is different. Not sure what my reaction to it is. I like when people see other colors in faces but I can't do it. I guess my artistic soul doesn't lead me. Looks like she got into her birthday cake. You can see how imaginative my mind runs (not). I'm glad you are getting some time to experiment. Have a fun long weekend.
Wow! I love it! Great job, Jeanette!
Different it was supposed to be. Its good that different things attract different people and what one person sees, another doesn't.
Its more about values than colours. You can use any colour you want if you get the values correct.
Thanks Sue.
Interesting to see this interpretation - I think it does portray an active, lively - quite wild! - personality. I like the hair especially.
Yes, very interesting results! I'm no portrait painter but I've read that color temperature is also key to a successful portrait. Is that true? That hair is incredible! Outlining the passages of color on her face makes her look a little bit patchwork but this is most definitely unique! Keep up the experimentation.:)
Very expressive - nice visual tension between flat pattern and illusion of portraiture. (That's not mentioning your facility with the media - superb!)
Cathy, it seemed to evolve from the initial concept. And yes, the child has that personality in many ways.
I'm still on the fence about the ink outlines Billie, but can't do much about them at this point! I guess I haven't thought a lot about technicality in terms of colour temperatures but they do play a role in whether a piece 'works' or not.
The hair was a some watercolour with a pastel overlay as I was fed up trying to get the wc to do what I wanted it to do!
It was an interesting experiment Gary and works fairly well. Its just 'different'. I like to push interpretations of portraits and make them a unique. I also love traditional work and realism. Perhaps I have a split personality! :)
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