For a couple of months now I have been working on a realistic portrait of my son. This hasn't been for any real reason other than I really wanted big, modern portraits in my upstairs hallway, and I also wanted to just focus in on something so I could think about where I wanted to go next with my work. (Ok and also to prove to myself that I could do it). I also really overly loved the original photograph it came from and really wanted a gigantic version of it!
One thing was clear, I had never really painted a realistic portrait of anyone in oil paints in order for it to actually look like that person! Sure, I can say that I mastered graphite portraits at a young age, but my oil paint adventures have been very self taught and never as rigid as I tended to be while drawing. I clearly have never been taught any actual oil techniques. How to use the paint correctly, well, that's more of a trial and error situation with me.
As I was painting him I kept saying to myself, "I wish I actually knew how to do this"! But more realistically I probably do not want to know the actual "rules" of oils or it will take all of the fun out of using them ever again!
So, now that I am nearly finished, I can see both the draw to painting realistic portraits and the utter lack of desire to be so literal. I think one of the satisfying aspects it that the portrait is so accessible to it's viewers. My husband comes home and he knows what he is looking at. He can comment and critique! For people who have not emerged themselves in viewing art it is obviously the most simple to understand. And I get that. I like people to be able to honestly give an opinion.
I do think it would be great fun to do commissioned portraits as an avenue to help pay and support the actually direction I'd like to be going. So, I may offer it as a service on etsy and see if anyone would be interested. Unfortunately the price point, of a large painting like this, would have to be higher since it takes me a great deal of time and paint to create a finished project. But I am thinking I could offer different sizes.
There are so many amazing Realistic painters alive right now! My favorites: Richter (although he inspires me constantly with his many styles), Close, Katz, I mean I could keep going. Lucien Freud who just passed... I'm certainly not saying that artists should not continue to paint portraits! To each's own.
Anyway, yes, I get pretty frustrated with my work. I really live my life in an enclosed art world. And what I mean by that is that no one ever actually views my work. Other than my husband, my son (who draws with me) no one regularly sees (in person) what I'm doing. I do post it all over the internet which doesn't seem to produce any actual results. To know that I can reach people somehow. I haven't fully reached where I want in order to express myself without inhibition (which may of course never happen).
So, in the end, this portrait remains a work in progress. I've exhausted it for now and need to put it aside and think about any/if I want to make changes and I'd love to carry on making new work but first I have some Halloween costumes to finish!
One thing was clear, I had never really painted a realistic portrait of anyone in oil paints in order for it to actually look like that person! Sure, I can say that I mastered graphite portraits at a young age, but my oil paint adventures have been very self taught and never as rigid as I tended to be while drawing. I clearly have never been taught any actual oil techniques. How to use the paint correctly, well, that's more of a trial and error situation with me.
As I was painting him I kept saying to myself, "I wish I actually knew how to do this"! But more realistically I probably do not want to know the actual "rules" of oils or it will take all of the fun out of using them ever again!
So, now that I am nearly finished, I can see both the draw to painting realistic portraits and the utter lack of desire to be so literal. I think one of the satisfying aspects it that the portrait is so accessible to it's viewers. My husband comes home and he knows what he is looking at. He can comment and critique! For people who have not emerged themselves in viewing art it is obviously the most simple to understand. And I get that. I like people to be able to honestly give an opinion.I do think it would be great fun to do commissioned portraits as an avenue to help pay and support the actually direction I'd like to be going. So, I may offer it as a service on etsy and see if anyone would be interested. Unfortunately the price point, of a large painting like this, would have to be higher since it takes me a great deal of time and paint to create a finished project. But I am thinking I could offer different sizes.
There are so many amazing Realistic painters alive right now! My favorites: Richter (although he inspires me constantly with his many styles), Close, Katz, I mean I could keep going. Lucien Freud who just passed... I'm certainly not saying that artists should not continue to paint portraits! To each's own.
Anyway, yes, I get pretty frustrated with my work. I really live my life in an enclosed art world. And what I mean by that is that no one ever actually views my work. Other than my husband, my son (who draws with me) no one regularly sees (in person) what I'm doing. I do post it all over the internet which doesn't seem to produce any actual results. To know that I can reach people somehow. I haven't fully reached where I want in order to express myself without inhibition (which may of course never happen).
So, in the end, this portrait remains a work in progress. I've exhausted it for now and need to put it aside and think about any/if I want to make changes and I'd love to carry on making new work but first I have some Halloween costumes to finish!
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