|
|
Portrait Demonstration
by Al Gury
To achieve the warm light mass and the cool shadow mass in this composition, I lit the model's head and upper body with a strong directional spotlight. The ambient light in the studio came from a northern skylight, supplying cool, diffuse light that filtered into the shadow mass, making it closer to middle tone and tinting the shadow colors with blues, grays, and lavenders.
Oil on Panel
|
|
In setting up for a portrait, several factors are important. One is the position of the sitter relative to yourself in height: Looking down on the model creates a very distinct psychological effect, being level with the model follows traditioinal Renaissance posing, and looking up at the model creates an unusual perspective. Also consider the angle of the sitter's head relative to you: Having the model face you directly, turn in a three-quarter view, or sit in profile all have |
interesting effects on the painting both structurally and psychologically. And yet another important factor is lighting, both its type and direction: Incandescent light creates strong differences in temperature between light and shadow areas. Daylight results in strong form as well but presents a very different range of colors. Fluorescent light tends to flatten forms and create very unusual colors. Sidelight (or diagonal lighting) from above strengthens form and cast shadows.
|
The easel should be placed at a slight diagonal to the model. The distance to the model depends on the type of portrait and amount of detail desired. The more focused on the head, the closer the easel should be to the model. Placing the easel farther away allows more opportunities for half-length portraits, as well as for the inclusion of the surrounding environment. An important point is to be able to see your whole composition in one glance.
|
|
|
|
Painting a portrait that can be considered a likeness demands that you understand the bone structures and proportions of the human head. To that end, studying anatomical models is very helpful.
|
|
|
|
To lay out my palette, I place the darks used for my initial drawing to the left and the first colors for establishing my lights to the right. Each person's complexion has an overall |
"flavor:" this model's general complexion is pinkish. This simple analysis provides the key for all the color mixing. What I'm using in this case are white, cadmium orange, and permanent rose.
|
|
 |
 |
 |
1. To establish the structure of the portrait, first I analyze the shapes and proportions of my model so that I can assemble a likeness and, at the same time, try to capture something of his personality. I begin by drawing with raw umber on a middletone gray ground to establish the relationships of the tilts, angles, curves, and spaces of his face. |
2. I continue adding detail, creating, in essence, an oil drawing. |
3. Shadow mass and angles are defined. |
|
|
|
4. Here, I've described the shadow mass by scumbling into the drawing with raw umber to complete the placement. |
After completing the underpainting, I will be establishing the skin tones, so I begin mixing them in earnest on the palette. |
 |
 |
 |
5. At this point, I start to lay down the first light-mass (non-shadow-area) colors I used to build the "planes" of the face following the angles indicated in the underpainting. |
6. I continue establishing the light areas, leaving the shadow areas untouched. |
7. Now I establish the first shadow-mass colors of the face and neck (these are the areas where the form is in shadow). As mentioned prior, the ambient studio light comes from north windows, and the model's pinkish complexion is cooled by this light. Colors used here including white, are raw umber, permanent rose, and ivory black. |
|
|
|
|
8. At this point, I move to the shirt and background. I've chosen the background color to set off the model's color and values. |
9. The white shirt reflects the color of the light source, a pinkish yellow. Colors used at this point are white, cadmium yellow, permanent rose, raw umber, and, in the background, white, ivory black, and yellow ochre. |
10. Middle-tone colors are laid in hollows and transitional areas. Neutral versions of the shadow colors are used to describe variations in the anatomy, for example in the hollow of the cheek and around the edges of the jaw, and lighter middle tones describe variations in the anatomy of the light masses. Darker middle tones vary the contours and anatomy of the shadow masses. |
|
|
|
|
|
11. Note that reflected lights in the shadow masses are not so much lighter as they are brighter in color. Remember that too much white destroys the value of the shadow mass.
|
12. Final highlights and darkest darks and details are placed. Highlights are lighter yellow-pink tints. They are placed on the topmost planes. The darks, placed in the hair and eyes, are deep umbers and black. These final additions reaffirm the drawing and structure, and they add texture and reality to the model's face. A small amount of linseed oil has been added to these final mixtures, following the "lean to fat" model of paint layering. Colors used at this and the last stage (below) include white, cadmium orange, camium yellow, permanent rose, burnt sienna, and ivory black. |
FINISH
Portrait Demonstration in Oil
by Al Gury
Visit Al Gury's Website
See full listing of Al Gury's book
on Amazon
Artwork and Text Copyright 2012 by Al Gury. All Rights Reserved.
This tutorial-demonstration is from the book, "Alla Prima: A Contemporary Guide to Traditional Direct Painting" by Al Gury, published by Watson-Guptill Publications an imprint of Crown Publishing Group a division of Random House. Reprinted with permission of the publisher. All steps and text included.
|
|
|
