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Monday, April 4, 2016

I Love Figures

Friends, this post shows a whole process from a black and white to the finished work, in all four and a colour chart. I like Helen Chamberlin's soft and gentle mood in her eyes -- that's what I wanted to show. 
"Every portrait that is painted with feeling is a portrait of the artist, not of the sitter... It is not he who is revealed by the painter; it is rather the painter who, on the coloured canvas, reveals himself." ― Oscar Wilde 

I played with colours in a background. But the background is a simply, a background. Only a sub actor in the work (A3). 
At the second stage of colour, I darkened eyes and enhanced a value. I wondered which background would be better, coloured or nearly blank. I decided to add a warm colour background and her shadow. 
This is the start of colour. It was a doodle. In my mind, bright colours came up for a background, but I was not sure how to organise it. 
This is a black and white. I felt a mistake in the drawing though, I always correct them in colour. So, I did not mind it and moved on.   
Colour layering is fun. "See through a bottom colour" is another beauty and trick of transparent watercolour. (I hope it does make sense to you!). I'll enjoy that technique more than ever. I look up my own colour chart on the wall. The chart shows transparency and opacity of 16 colours I have. 
Btw, how many colours do you have and use? Once, lecturers, Donna Rawlins and Wayne Harris said, "You do not use many colours," when they looked at my paint box. Although I have these colours in the box, I usually use limited colours only. I might as well use more colours?!   
I'm partially satisfied with the work and partially unsatisfied. It means I will try it again. I'm wondering what about changing a composition of colours or loosening up a subject and background etc, etc. Above all, I'm enjoying/learning how to handle a bigger paper for portraits.  
I repeat a same model or a same subject. It helps to study about people. Figures will never bore me. I hope I will enjoy figures more in watercolour painting. Wise Oscar Wild knew the subjectivity and the objectivity of portraiture. I just wonder what sort of Sadami revealed in the work. 
Friends, Happy Painting and Enjoy Portraits! 


  

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12 comments:

  1. Love seeing your progression on this. I think it's a very successful portrait!

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    1. Thank you, sweet Rhonda! Best wishes, Sadami

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    1. Merci, Olivier! Vous faites un si beau travail! Meilleurs voeux, Sadami
      Thanks, Olivier! You make a so beautiful work! Best wishes, Sadami

      >>>Olivier said...
      Superb !!
      Congratulations Sadami.

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  3. Sadami, me gusta mucho cómo pintas los retratos y siguiendo así, paso a paso, es una delicia ver cómo lo haces. Yo, aparte de que no soy especialista en retratos soy mucho menos ortodoxo. Pinto más por intuición que siguiendo normas. Soy bastante anárquico en mi forma de pintar.
    Te felicito porque consigues dibujos y pinturas muy bien estructuradas y magníficamente pintados. La expresión de esta señora a través de sus ojos es muy buena.
    Hablando de colores, utilizo azul ultramar, prusia o kobalto; siena o sombra tostada, ocre amarillo y cadmio, verde vejiga (muy poco), rojo anaranjado y carmesí. Alguna vez el sepia, el amarillo limón, rojo Venecia y alguno más que llevo en mi paleta (paleta con unos nueve colores). Cuando hago una pintura, con 5 o 6 colores tengo suficiente.
    Tampoco pinto en papeles de gran tamaño. Suelo pintar en directo a "plein air" y uso lo más sencillo. Procuro llevar pocos utensilios.
    Un fuerte abrazo.

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    1. Muchas gracias, Joshemari! Me gustan los ojos del modelo, también. No hay reglas en los retratos. Corresponde a un artista. Un artista puede dibujar como a ella le gusta. Por lo tanto, no es necesario pensar que eres ortodoxo o no. Muy las habilidades básicas de dibujo son cruciales y de importancia crítica. Trabajamos en él. Pero aparte de las habilidades de los dibujos, un artista tiene la libertad de expresión. Es divertido para explorar cómo describir nuestro mundo interior.
      Los colores son realmente alegría. Me encanta jugar con ellos como un niño pequeño. El uso del color es muy viva y colorida. El contraste es excepcional en la obra de Joshemari. Me encanta. Sigan con sus pinturas maravillosas! Felicitaciones a usted, también !!
      Los mejores deseos, Sadami

      Thank you very much, Joshemari! I like the model's eyes, too. There aren't rules in portraits. It is up to an artist. An Artist can draw it as she likes. So, you do not need to think you're orthodox or not. Very the basic drawing skills are crucial and critically important. We work on it. But apart from the drawings skills, an artist has freedom in expression. It is fun to explore how to depict our inner world.
      Colours are really joy. I love to play with them like a little child. Your colour use is very vivid and colourful. Contrast is outstanding in Joshemari's work. I love it. Keep up your wonderful paintings! Congratulations to you, too!!
      Best wishes, Sadami

      >>>> Joshemari said...
      Sadami, I really like how to paint portraits and so on, step by step, is a delight to see how you do. I, except that I am not a specialist in portraits am much less orthodox. Pinto more by intuition than following rules. I am quite anarchic in my way of painting.
      I congratulate you because you get drawings and very well structured and beautifully painted paintings. The expression of this lady through her eyes is very good.
      Speaking of colors, use ultramarine blue, Prussian or Kobalto; sienna or umber, yellow ocher and cadmium, green bladder (very little), orange and crimson red. Ever the cuttlefish, lemon yellow, red Venice and some more that I carry in my palette (palette with some nine colors). When I do a painting, with 5 or 6 colors I have enough.
      Nor do I paint on paper sizes. I usually live painting "plein air" and use the simplest. I try to take a few utensils.
      A hug.

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  4. The portrait is very beautiful. And those thoughtful eyes! Congratulations.

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    1. Thank you so much, Agnieszka! Yes, publisher and editor Helen Chamberlin is a wise lady and a walking dictionary. Best wishes, Sadami

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  5. I love your portraits, Sadami, really nice to see the process.

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    1. Thank you, Judy! I love your watercolour work, too! Best wishes, Sadami

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  6. Good idea to show us your work in progress.

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    1. Thank you very much, Nicolas! Best wishes, Sadami

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