I’ve worked on portraits, both human and animal, for many years, but portraits of children are always ones that pose big challenges for me. Soft curves and often poor lighting in references that are presented are a problem for all portraiture, but more so in children.
I struggled with this child’s portrait for a week or more in oils, and with a deadline looming, switched over the watercolour to ensure that at least it would be dry in time, then I can go back and tackle the oil again at a later date.
I switch back and forth between mediums as it gives a good break and allows me to refresh the skills for that particular medium. For studies, watercolour is perfect, fresh, loose and quick drying and it insists that I put my drawing into use as the framework. I have a couple of project ideas in my head and will be working out some ideas for them in watercolour studies. One involves marbles and I played around with a small study – without drawing I should add, that’s why its wonky!
Today I’ll be working on more studies, video, photographing compositions, etc. For art to work, often there is a lot of preparation behind the final image that people never see or think about. From initial idea, thumbnails, drawing, composition, studies, etc. it can take days, if not weeks before a final piece is even sitting on an easel as a blank canvas.
This is where costs come from in art. Its not a simplistic formula of material and artist painting time. It is the cost of all of the above. You pay for a vision and the process to reach that vision is complex.
