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| Dinara / oil on cardboard / approx 13 x 13 |
Unhappy with my portrait at the life session this week, I need to remind myself that painting well is not easy and I will certainly have many more failures than successes. Coming away frustrated I found myself doubting my abilities but am determined not to let this setback undermine my confidence. The model was a young Russian beauty and, try as I might, I just could not capture her exquisite soft beauty. Her skin was flawless and her pose sensitive and compelling. But my brushstrokes and color choices were too rough and I was sorry I had not brought a linen or canvas panel with me for a more refined surface to paint on. If there is one redeeming point about this piece it is that at the least, I do have a good likeness.
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| Portrait Practice / oil on canvas 12 x 16 |
More experimenting at home with a limited but interesting pallet.
Hello My Dear Art Buddy Susan!
ReplyDeleteSo sorry I missed commenting on your last posts! Love your pirate!
I so love these last two portraits. I also love what you wrote. You are so right about portraiture and other "difficult" art works. I am currently working on a few paintings for some friends. Representational ones and I know they have to be just right. I guess that is why they call art pieces "works" of art. So keep on making great art. Love all you do! Friday I start my portrait painting class. Thanks for your support! Your portrait attempting art buddy!
Michael
I know you will love the portrait class - I will so enjoy seeing your works from the class, Michael. And I also look forward to those representational works you are doing. Moving forward, never accepting anything less than what we are trying to achieve, a lifetime of trying and learning - that is what being an artist is all about!
DeleteIk vind deze portretten echt prachtig Susan !
ReplyDeletenog een fijn weekend,
groetjes,
Simonne
You are so kind and generous, Simmone, and I do appreciate it!
DeleteSusan, wonderful portraits. All the best.
ReplyDeleteVic.
Thank you, Vic - I am just happy that I can learn from them
DeleteWe are the most strict judges for ourselves, and usually we forget to praise ourselves, at least sometimes. (it is so easy to see in friends' garden, not in my own).
ReplyDeleteYou did great job, please believe me. Each portrait has its own advantages.
Yes, I must be strict and set the highest standards as I strive to paint better each and every day. Painting from life lets me realize my own preferences and limitations as well. I have always felt comfortable in my studio, alone, and painting only with Beethoven and Mozart as my companions. Painting in open studios means putting myself and my work in the public eye and on display during the creative process in a way that I am not yet comfortable with. I am slowly getting more accustomed to it but I am glad to be able to challenge myself in this way.
DeleteThat portrait isn't a failure. It has your "handwriting" all over it and you have excellent paintmenship. Your style is yours and highly recognizable. I love it. Her flawless skin would have had lots of artists doing lots of brushstrokeless blending. Your painting has your energy. The crimson in her hair is great.
ReplyDeleteI like your homework too. The more I chart, the more I think I need less colors on the palette. What colors were on this limited one? What white do you use?
I love the word - paintmanship - and assume that you have coined it! It completely sums up the originality of style and personal signature of brushwork and paint application. Good job, Linda! I am not one for blending - I have always felt that in order to paint well, I should love each stroke so I shy away from fiddling with the paint once I have put it down - for better or for worse.
DeleteTo answer your questions, I have preferred Titanium White for some time now - it has a weight on my brush and texture in the stroke that I like and I prefer the opacity of its tinting strength. I have put a link in my comment (on your last post with the yellow ochre color chart) to Robert Gamblin's site where he discusses white at length. Here it is again and for anyone else who is curious about this incredible color http://www.gamblincolors.com/newsletters/getting-the-white-right.html. Let me try to remember the palette for this quick high key portrait sketch - I had just bought some new colors so my palette was quite unique as I wanted to try them out. Here they are to the best of my memory - Sennelier Titanium Buff, Warm Grey and Cool Grey, Winton Vermillion Hue, Winsor & Newton cadmium red light and Cad Orange, Raw Sienna, Burnt Umber (with a dash of dioxazine purple to darken it in areas) and Titanium White.
Bonsoir ma chère Susan,
ReplyDeleteNous autres artistes, nous vivons avec nos éternels doutes... Nous sommes des critiques rigoureux et impitoyables avec nous-mêmes... Ce sont toutefois eux qui nous permettent d'avancer et de progresser. Toute notre vie nous serons des élèves. Mais crois-moi, tu fais partie des très bonnes élèves ! Tu peux t'autoriser des erreurs. Et ton non contentement va t'apporter beaucoup de bien.
Tes deux portraits sont loin d'être mauvais !! Je les aime beaucoup.
Je dirais même que tu as fait un bon travail.
Je te fais de gros bisous
You are so right - we have doubts eternal - and the need to be brutally honest with ourselves. I used to feel so defeated when wiping off a bad painting, and occasionally I still do, but I am stronger now that I am further along this journey and realize that the bad paintings are all part of the process. I have realized that if I become content with what I do, my progress will end - only in striving for something more, something elusive, do we risk failure. Without failure, there can be no growth.
DeleteHere is an interesting quote I came upon recently:
"There are no mistakes. The events we bring upon ourselves, no matter how unpleasant, are necessary in order to learn what we need to learn; whatever steps we take, they're necessary to reach the places we've chosen to go."
Richard Bach
Thank you for your kind and support words, Martine - and for being my art friend along the way!
I'm sure there is not an Artist that has ever lived who creates only masterpieces! That said, I see only good in this, so I must be missing something...?
ReplyDeleteI love the beautiful tones and colours in her skin. This is in both portraits. Beautiful!! :0)
Oh, how I would love to paint a masterpiece! If only! In the meantime, I try to paint what I envision and am happy if I come close, sad if I don't! But the quest continues - so glad you like these!
DeleteYou are being REALLY hard on yourself, I think your portraits are so good and painted in your very special and personal style ...totally recognizable .
ReplyDelete