Fauvist self portrait attempt #1...
As promised I am showing you the end result of experiment number 1 of my journey into the fauvist self portrait world! My day with Carol was awesome! I learned so much just in those few hours we spent together; me watching and practicing and listening as intently as I could to her suggestions. I found that working a portrait with the typical acrylics is HARD. As Carol talked about they often come out looking more like a paint by number as it is very difficult to get them to blend as quickly as you would like. Yep...that is exactly what I discovered. But, I wanted to try and see...this will help me as I explore other ways to approach portraits.
This whole thing started as I have a problem with portraits. I FREEZE when trying to figure out how to paint skin tones. This was a New Year's resolution I made to myself that I would work on this whether I become a great portrait painter or not! HA. I felt working in the fauvist style (pronounced fovist...long o...I looked it up and you were right Carol!) would be a good way to accomplish my work on fear of skin tones. I discovered that I am most definitely NOT afraid of color as you can see here! HA...HOWEVER...I should perhaps tone down some of it...and I am now on a journey to see what medium I want to work future portrait attempts with.
At first I thought I would get my oils out and go with them...then, after an exhaustive search I couldn't find them, so I decided to experiment with the open acrylics and the retarders for acrylics first to see if they might have a solution for my problem of blending. The investment is much less, and I am familiar with acrylics. It has been YEARS since I worked exclusively in oils. IF I find they aren't condusive to what I am trying to do I will, without fear, return to oils for these types of paintings.
SO, even though I am in no way a Carol Nelson, I did have fun, and I wanted you to see the end result of my day with Carol and my fauvist self portrait #1. and by the way Carol...I am going to play around with the ideas we talked about for my trees...thanks for the collaboration my friend!!
9 comments:
The result of this work is very good. Bravo !!
Thank you masmoulin! It was much fun!! I must practice however!
This is terrific Saundra and oh how lucky you were to spend time with Carol - I think she is a superb portrait artist!
What a beautiful likeness you did, Saundra! I really can't see any way to perfect this first try. For some reason I always thought you had blue eyes; imagine my surprise to see them brown! LOL Carol works in acrylics too?
Thanks Liz...It was so much fun to paint with Carol...and you are right...she is awesome! I have much to learn!
Autumn Leaves! Ha...I'm tickled...but it is just a practice...and the thing about fauvism is the colors...my eyes are actually green, but the dark shadow on them caused me to put darker colors in...In life the painting shows the green, just in shadow...YES, Carol does her abstracts and such in acrylics. It is FUN to be with her!
Well, I must say I am glad to see that my instincts as to your eye color were fairly accurate! (You have such fair coloring and a hint of freckles that just didn't match the brown eyes! LOL Funny what shadows can do to colors, isn't it?)
You are right about that! There is such shadow on them that I had to go darker...:)
Great job on your acrylic portrait! I love seeing artists who use inventive color! Makes the work so much more interesting!!
When I work with acrylic, I try to soften, with my finger, most of the edges of each new color application. This helps give a blended appearance.
I hear you Dean...I've tried to do the softening thing...but I think I may have to try open acrylics or go to oils for these things...It is so great you stopped by!!
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