Project 2: Practical Research
Aim
Remember to aim for clear intention with your work. Think carefully about size, scale, how the painting may be physically (series, triptych, etc.) or an unusual manifestation or setting for the work. Work hard now to try to achieve finished works. Ultimately the number of works you produce is up to you, bear in mind that the submission guidelines require you to submit up to 10 finished paintings for assessment. This means that Parts Four and Five of the course should predominantly be about working towards finished pieces. Progress your learning log and sketchbook in the usual way, taking into account your tutor’s suggestions and feedback.
Hopefully you should now be starting to find your ‘place’ in the long story of painting’s production. You’ve experienced making works using new methods and techniques gleaned from your research. You’ve encountered artists from the past and the present and learned about their studio practices. Now is the time to build on all these achievements and develop some more pieces of work to enhance and progress what you’ve already accomplished.
Method
Continue to make your paintings, perhaps refining something you’re developing or perhaps extending a series – it’s your decision. Remember to reflect upon the strengths and weaknesses of the works you’ve produced and to write about these reflections and feelings. Look ahead to Level 3 by focusing on viewing platforms. Spend some time experimenting with the layout of your collection of paintings. Position and reposition them on a wall or floor and photograph and review the different placements. Through doing this exercise you will begin to see the work differently and begin to make new conjunctions within the work. Write about anything that has surprised you. You’ll come back to the theme of display and exhibiting your work. Later Include these photographic experiments in your learning log. Challenge yourself to think about the presentation from the viewer’s perspective.
Reflection
At this point, there’s no absolute requirement to hold a formal exhibition in a gallery or other dedicated viewing space, but you should try to give your work some element of public exposure, even if it’s simply a matter of exhibiting informally to friends and family in a room in your house or showing your work via social media, because this will give you the opportunity to review your work as a collection and think about how it all comes together and relates to the research you’ve done during the course. (You started thinking about this at the end of Part Four.) You’ll also get some critical reaction other than your tutor’s. Of course, if you want to attempt something more ambitious and show your work to a wider public audience you’re free to do so. Equally, if you cannot, for any reason, display your work in any way other than for your own benefit, create an exhibition ‘for an audience of one’, but make sure you document it photographically for your tutor and the assessors to see.
Remember to aim for clear intention with your work. Think carefully about size, scale, how the painting may be physically (series, triptych, etc.) or an unusual manifestation or setting for the work. Work hard now to try to achieve finished works. Ultimately the number of works you produce is up to you, bear in mind that the submission guidelines require you to submit up to 10 finished paintings for assessment. This means that Parts Four and Five of the course should predominantly be about working towards finished pieces. Progress your learning log and sketchbook in the usual way, taking into account your tutor’s suggestions and feedback.
Hopefully you should now be starting to find your ‘place’ in the long story of painting’s production. You’ve experienced making works using new methods and techniques gleaned from your research. You’ve encountered artists from the past and the present and learned about their studio practices. Now is the time to build on all these achievements and develop some more pieces of work to enhance and progress what you’ve already accomplished.
Method
Continue to make your paintings, perhaps refining something you’re developing or perhaps extending a series – it’s your decision. Remember to reflect upon the strengths and weaknesses of the works you’ve produced and to write about these reflections and feelings. Look ahead to Level 3 by focusing on viewing platforms. Spend some time experimenting with the layout of your collection of paintings. Position and reposition them on a wall or floor and photograph and review the different placements. Through doing this exercise you will begin to see the work differently and begin to make new conjunctions within the work. Write about anything that has surprised you. You’ll come back to the theme of display and exhibiting your work. Later Include these photographic experiments in your learning log. Challenge yourself to think about the presentation from the viewer’s perspective.
Reflection
At this point, there’s no absolute requirement to hold a formal exhibition in a gallery or other dedicated viewing space, but you should try to give your work some element of public exposure, even if it’s simply a matter of exhibiting informally to friends and family in a room in your house or showing your work via social media, because this will give you the opportunity to review your work as a collection and think about how it all comes together and relates to the research you’ve done during the course. (You started thinking about this at the end of Part Four.) You’ll also get some critical reaction other than your tutor’s. Of course, if you want to attempt something more ambitious and show your work to a wider public audience you’re free to do so. Equally, if you cannot, for any reason, display your work in any way other than for your own benefit, create an exhibition ‘for an audience of one’, but make sure you document it photographically for your tutor and the assessors to see.
Dressed For Success, 84 x 54 cm
Now that I have had a bit more practice in developing a more spontaneous technique with my brushes, I wanted to move to a larger composition. Wright, Shevlino and van der Merwe have all commented on how working on a larger scale has allowed them to incorporate more of their body into the movement of the paint and brush. Honestly, I would have liked to work on double this size, but as I need to be able to mail my work, I have kept it within the limits of my A1 portfolio case.
The choice of subject matter was inspired by my work in Part 3, where I explored themes of masculinity and femininity. The male is dressed in a suit which one may expect from a working adult male, however, he is wearing high heels. Choosing this as my composition not only helps me to continue explore painting the male figure, but also brings awareness to some of the current stereotypes regarding gender expectations. From the previous unit I learned that having a message can be a powerful way of connecting to your work and your audience as it may allow for more thoughtful creation.
- For the background I created a wash of Lamp Black and Mixing white to cover the space.
- Once this had dried, I used a darker more diluted mix of the same colours to block out the figure. Even while blocking out the lines, I already stared working with a more spontaneous hand.
- To block out the areas of light and dark, I created three different tonal mixtures, using Mixing White and Paynes Gray. What was fun when applying this layer, is that I used a larger flat brush to apply the paint. I certainly notice how the use of this larger brush, immediately allowed me to work more freely, as it covers such a large area. This really allowed me not to be overly concerned with details, but just to capture the tonal variations of the composition.
- Once the layer dried I used the same tonal colours, but added lamp black. I now also switched to a smaller flat brush so I would be able to create finer details. I still worked with and energetic stroke, allowing strokes to cross over and remain exaggerated.
- For the shoes I used Rose Pink and Light red, following the same dynamic application technique.
- The final touch was to accentuate areas of highlights. I used white straight from the container and applied it thickly with a small flat brush, allowing the textures of the paint to mimic the textures of the clothing. This is especially evident when looking at the shirt areas.
Reflection
My research into artist that inspire me in Part 4 helped me realize that I want to develop an expressive and emotive voice when painting. This really requires me to be more conscious of how point moves and how various brush applications affect the outcome of the painting. Working with larger brushed on larger spaces has proven to be a more effective way to create dynamic strokes. The choice of palette also add an additional emotive layer a viewer would associate the colour with stereotypical feelings. Looking at Dressed for Success a viewer would be confronted by the monochrome depiction of a man in a suit. The use of black and white could help them understand that business is often boring or mundane. This changes when they spot his red shoes. Now there is an indication that this man has a fun and whimsical side, one that may even have connections in femininity. Every viewer will of course bring their own interpretations to what the stiletto shoes might mean; he secretly dresses as a woman, men are perceived as power figures and the shoes soften him, they could see it as a show of solidarity as women are expected to dress a certain way, etc. The later point reminds me of an article I read recently about females in Japan who are trying to boycott high heeled shoes in the work place, as there is an expectation for all women to wear them, even if they are uncomfortable.
Assessing the quality of the work, I think there is good evidence for being more focused with the subject matter and controlling my strokes. The use of a monochrome palette has helped me be more mindful of my tonal representations and allows for greater contrasts. The strokes and tones remind me of Wright's Gandhi portrait that I shared in Part 4, though in his larger portraits he often represents a figure in space. I have chosen not to show the figure in space but rather to focus on my application and brushwork. I find I still struggle with capturing the form of the face at times and may need to continue practice with carving that out. Wright has also commented on how his figures are not in a discernible space, as this gives them ambiguity and allows the viewer to make their own connections to where they might be.
In my next pieces I will focus into smaller sections and not be overly concerned with the whole figure or the space they are in, as I want my focus to be on application.
Now that I have had a bit more practice in developing a more spontaneous technique with my brushes, I wanted to move to a larger composition. Wright, Shevlino and van der Merwe have all commented on how working on a larger scale has allowed them to incorporate more of their body into the movement of the paint and brush. Honestly, I would have liked to work on double this size, but as I need to be able to mail my work, I have kept it within the limits of my A1 portfolio case.
The choice of subject matter was inspired by my work in Part 3, where I explored themes of masculinity and femininity. The male is dressed in a suit which one may expect from a working adult male, however, he is wearing high heels. Choosing this as my composition not only helps me to continue explore painting the male figure, but also brings awareness to some of the current stereotypes regarding gender expectations. From the previous unit I learned that having a message can be a powerful way of connecting to your work and your audience as it may allow for more thoughtful creation.
- For the background I created a wash of Lamp Black and Mixing white to cover the space.
- Once this had dried, I used a darker more diluted mix of the same colours to block out the figure. Even while blocking out the lines, I already stared working with a more spontaneous hand.
- To block out the areas of light and dark, I created three different tonal mixtures, using Mixing White and Paynes Gray. What was fun when applying this layer, is that I used a larger flat brush to apply the paint. I certainly notice how the use of this larger brush, immediately allowed me to work more freely, as it covers such a large area. This really allowed me not to be overly concerned with details, but just to capture the tonal variations of the composition.
- Once the layer dried I used the same tonal colours, but added lamp black. I now also switched to a smaller flat brush so I would be able to create finer details. I still worked with and energetic stroke, allowing strokes to cross over and remain exaggerated.
- For the shoes I used Rose Pink and Light red, following the same dynamic application technique.
- The final touch was to accentuate areas of highlights. I used white straight from the container and applied it thickly with a small flat brush, allowing the textures of the paint to mimic the textures of the clothing. This is especially evident when looking at the shirt areas.
Reflection
My research into artist that inspire me in Part 4 helped me realize that I want to develop an expressive and emotive voice when painting. This really requires me to be more conscious of how point moves and how various brush applications affect the outcome of the painting. Working with larger brushed on larger spaces has proven to be a more effective way to create dynamic strokes. The choice of palette also add an additional emotive layer a viewer would associate the colour with stereotypical feelings. Looking at Dressed for Success a viewer would be confronted by the monochrome depiction of a man in a suit. The use of black and white could help them understand that business is often boring or mundane. This changes when they spot his red shoes. Now there is an indication that this man has a fun and whimsical side, one that may even have connections in femininity. Every viewer will of course bring their own interpretations to what the stiletto shoes might mean; he secretly dresses as a woman, men are perceived as power figures and the shoes soften him, they could see it as a show of solidarity as women are expected to dress a certain way, etc. The later point reminds me of an article I read recently about females in Japan who are trying to boycott high heeled shoes in the work place, as there is an expectation for all women to wear them, even if they are uncomfortable.
Assessing the quality of the work, I think there is good evidence for being more focused with the subject matter and controlling my strokes. The use of a monochrome palette has helped me be more mindful of my tonal representations and allows for greater contrasts. The strokes and tones remind me of Wright's Gandhi portrait that I shared in Part 4, though in his larger portraits he often represents a figure in space. I have chosen not to show the figure in space but rather to focus on my application and brushwork. I find I still struggle with capturing the form of the face at times and may need to continue practice with carving that out. Wright has also commented on how his figures are not in a discernible space, as this gives them ambiguity and allows the viewer to make their own connections to where they might be.
In my next pieces I will focus into smaller sections and not be overly concerned with the whole figure or the space they are in, as I want my focus to be on application.
Male Glam 3
After completing Dressed for Success, I noticed how the use of colour on one area can have a great symbolic impact. In this case the red stiletto juxtaposed the everyday expectation of men at work. I wanted to experiment more with this idea in other ways to see if it will have a similar impact. I chose to work on my Male Glam composition, using a monochrome palette with the addition of a bright lip, which would represent lipstick.
Male Glam 3, Oil on Canvas, 21 x 30 cm
I completed this composition in one sitting, as I wanted the experience of working ony wet in wet, so I can use a more impasto and spontaneous techniques.
- For the mono chromed palette I used payne's grey, white, light grey and black to mix various tonal combinations.
- I first applied the mid tonal ranges
- Then I used darker shades for areas of contrast
- And finally the lightest areas.
- The last part was the lips, for which I used rose red
My brush applications were spontaneous. for larger areas I used a large flat brush and continuously pulled areas of paint from one area into another.
Refelction
Looking at the application of paint, there is great areas of impasto application and energetic movement, however as a whole composition it does not necessarily work as well as Dressed for Success. Firstly I believe it is due to the size of the composition, as noted before this technique works better if you can use larger brushes and more gestural movements. Working fast with wet in wet, also meant that my interpretation of the face is not as refined as it could be, the face ended up looking quite young and innocent, compared to the manly body (though there may be some symbolism in that). The Rose red does not pop in the same way is the dark red did, and using the slightly messy technique here, almost just makes it look like it is smudged. The smudged lipstick is an image I used in my video, which I quite liked, but I am not sure that it transfers to this technique of painting. It was an interesting experiment though, and helps me think about the fact that it may work better the pop of colour is an object, rather than a body part. Some additional experiments may be needed.
I completed this composition in one sitting, as I wanted the experience of working ony wet in wet, so I can use a more impasto and spontaneous techniques.
- For the mono chromed palette I used payne's grey, white, light grey and black to mix various tonal combinations.
- I first applied the mid tonal ranges
- Then I used darker shades for areas of contrast
- And finally the lightest areas.
- The last part was the lips, for which I used rose red
My brush applications were spontaneous. for larger areas I used a large flat brush and continuously pulled areas of paint from one area into another.
Refelction
Looking at the application of paint, there is great areas of impasto application and energetic movement, however as a whole composition it does not necessarily work as well as Dressed for Success. Firstly I believe it is due to the size of the composition, as noted before this technique works better if you can use larger brushes and more gestural movements. Working fast with wet in wet, also meant that my interpretation of the face is not as refined as it could be, the face ended up looking quite young and innocent, compared to the manly body (though there may be some symbolism in that). The Rose red does not pop in the same way is the dark red did, and using the slightly messy technique here, almost just makes it look like it is smudged. The smudged lipstick is an image I used in my video, which I quite liked, but I am not sure that it transfers to this technique of painting. It was an interesting experiment though, and helps me think about the fact that it may work better the pop of colour is an object, rather than a body part. Some additional experiments may be needed.
Male Glam 1
My tutor noted in the feedback of Part 4 that it may be useful for me to complete charcoal sketches of the figures I will paint, as this will allow me to become more familiar with the shape, form and tone. So before starting my painting, I printed out the image and work it over with oil pastels, which I believe will have a similar effect. The pastels are also more useful and helping me establish a suitable colour palette. (The tonal colour sketch can be seen in the slideshow below). I first blocked out flesh tones with a combination of peach, pink, ocre, red and orange. I then used olive green, blue and red to create additional interest areas of mid and dark tones. I allowed my hand to move freely, following the shapes and curves of the figure, but also not just keeping withing the lines.
Male Glam 1, Oil on Canvas, 40 x 58 cm
Having established a colour palette and tonal study, I will continue to work in an expressive manner in order to capture the energy of the subject.
- I followed similar steps to my tonal study, first blocking out the flesh tones with burnt sienna, yellow ocre, white and cadmium orange. I pre mixed lighter and darker versions of these flesh tones for the first layers and worked with a large thick flat brush, applying strokes almost erratically, but in keeping with the form of the body and face.
- Next I mixed phthalo and prussian blue and payne's grey with my skin tone base to block out the background as well as more discerning areas of shadow.
- I also included additional mid tones shades using burnt sienna and yellow ocre.
- The yellow ocre created a sense of warmth and alluded to a light source. As such I incorporated it into a glaze for the background as it was looking too dark. This created a better sense of connection in the composition.
- I further used light red and beige mixed with linseed oil to create another glaze for the background. This made it softer and provided a stronger contrast.
Reflection
In the piece there is clear evidence of directional and dynamic brush strokes which is one of the skills I am continually practicing. There is evidence of my inspiration from Wright, but the interpretation of the subject is still personal. Like the Fauvists, I am not afraid of exploring colour and making using of hard lines which to remind the viewer that they are in fact looking at a piece of art. The second element I am continually trying to communicate in my work is emotion. Though this will be subjective from viewer to viewer, I believe that the composition would evoke a type of emotive response. It is more likely to come from the viewer's response to colour, especially as the tones used to convey mid tones and dark tones are unconventional.
Reviewing my methodology, what I struggled with is that fact that I did not have enough time to complete the piece in on sitting. This type of dynamic method is reliant on working wet in wet. In order for the paint to spread more easily, I have to combine medium which means that it dries faster, taking away it's ability to blend. This is especially important during the first few layers. I am sure that the highly contrasting colours and prominent use of blue to create shadow would not be everyone's cup of tea, so I would likely attempt more subtle tones in future experiments.
I also set out to explore the sensual aspects of the male figure, and I believe there is evidence of this. Despite the hard colours, there is a softness in the positioning and the facial expression.
Having established a colour palette and tonal study, I will continue to work in an expressive manner in order to capture the energy of the subject.
- I followed similar steps to my tonal study, first blocking out the flesh tones with burnt sienna, yellow ocre, white and cadmium orange. I pre mixed lighter and darker versions of these flesh tones for the first layers and worked with a large thick flat brush, applying strokes almost erratically, but in keeping with the form of the body and face.
- Next I mixed phthalo and prussian blue and payne's grey with my skin tone base to block out the background as well as more discerning areas of shadow.
- I also included additional mid tones shades using burnt sienna and yellow ocre.
- The yellow ocre created a sense of warmth and alluded to a light source. As such I incorporated it into a glaze for the background as it was looking too dark. This created a better sense of connection in the composition.
- I further used light red and beige mixed with linseed oil to create another glaze for the background. This made it softer and provided a stronger contrast.
Reflection
In the piece there is clear evidence of directional and dynamic brush strokes which is one of the skills I am continually practicing. There is evidence of my inspiration from Wright, but the interpretation of the subject is still personal. Like the Fauvists, I am not afraid of exploring colour and making using of hard lines which to remind the viewer that they are in fact looking at a piece of art. The second element I am continually trying to communicate in my work is emotion. Though this will be subjective from viewer to viewer, I believe that the composition would evoke a type of emotive response. It is more likely to come from the viewer's response to colour, especially as the tones used to convey mid tones and dark tones are unconventional.
Reviewing my methodology, what I struggled with is that fact that I did not have enough time to complete the piece in on sitting. This type of dynamic method is reliant on working wet in wet. In order for the paint to spread more easily, I have to combine medium which means that it dries faster, taking away it's ability to blend. This is especially important during the first few layers. I am sure that the highly contrasting colours and prominent use of blue to create shadow would not be everyone's cup of tea, so I would likely attempt more subtle tones in future experiments.
I also set out to explore the sensual aspects of the male figure, and I believe there is evidence of this. Despite the hard colours, there is a softness in the positioning and the facial expression.
Test 1: Female Glam watercolour (280mg)
I really enjoyed experimenting with Miguel Palacios' fragmented style of female portraits in Part 4 and wanted to give it another try. As I knew I wanted to work on a larger canvas, it was important to make sure that I had a clear colour palette and plan. As the final product here would be more fluid in texture, creating a rough pastel sketch would not have the same effect as with the previous painting. I instead chose to create watercolour versions of the face playing with different colours. The would allow me to see how the colours behave together and give me sense of which composition may work best. As the watercolour is also able to achieve the dripping quality I am looking for, this made more sense.
I sketched the outline of the beauty shot I was using and first blotted out the skin colour, using vibrant red, yellow ocre and burnt sienna. I mounted the canvas upright and used a lot of water so the paint could run down. I used a 280mg pressed sheet, which it turns out, does run as well, but does bleed more interestingly. I then used combinations of dark brown, sap green and vibrant red to create more detail, again allowing paint to run freely. As mentioned before, this 280mg allows for better bleeding with colours and therefore created quite a harmonious blend of tones which reminds my of the Wright's Double Self Portrait (n.d.) which I shared in Part 4.
Test 2: Female Glam: Watercolour (200mg)
After blocking out the face, I again used the same skin tone mix as the previous portrait. It is notable how the 200mg paper allows the paint to run better. For this composition I wanted chosen colour to be less natural and more emotive. I chose to work with phthalo blue and ultramarine. I first started with a lighter mixture and with each layer added a bit more black to create a stronger contrast in shadowed areas. I chose to add hair in this composition, which I think adds another layer of expressiveness compared to the previous portrait. I think the blue really does it's part in helping the viewer connect to an emotion and as though they are part of an intimate moment.
Viewing both portraits side by side, I could find a great appeal in both. The blue gave me a deeper connection with the subject, while the natural earthy tones that are blended in Test 1, provides a sense of warmth. In my opinion, these two pieces stand on their own as final pieces and do well in capturing the emotive and expressive mannerism I am aiming for. That being said, I still want to develop in being able to transfer this style to oil. For the oil version I thought that combining the warm and cool tones with the canvas fragments and pumice gel would make for a more exciting contrast and combine the best of both watercolours.
Viewing both portraits side by side, I could find a great appeal in both. The blue gave me a deeper connection with the subject, while the natural earthy tones that are blended in Test 1, provides a sense of warmth. In my opinion, these two pieces stand on their own as final pieces and do well in capturing the emotive and expressive mannerism I am aiming for. That being said, I still want to develop in being able to transfer this style to oil. For the oil version I thought that combining the warm and cool tones with the canvas fragments and pumice gel would make for a more exciting contrast and combine the best of both watercolours.
Male Face (Watercolour)
After the success of my female faces above I wanted to see how the technique would fare with a male portrait.
Male Face, Watercolour, 58 x 80 cm
I chose to work with darker colours to crate a more emotive and atmospheric response, though the stark black areas may be overwhelming the figure. I worked with combinations of black, burnt sienna and sap green.
Reflection
Compared to the female representations, this composition is not as successful, I believe it is because I worked on a much larger sheet of paper, and as it had a higher density, which meant that the paint did not blend and bleed as well. It was still good to get continued practice in representing form and it also helped me realize that when working in watercolours, this technique is better suited to a smaller composition.
I chose to work with darker colours to crate a more emotive and atmospheric response, though the stark black areas may be overwhelming the figure. I worked with combinations of black, burnt sienna and sap green.
Reflection
Compared to the female representations, this composition is not as successful, I believe it is because I worked on a much larger sheet of paper, and as it had a higher density, which meant that the paint did not blend and bleed as well. It was still good to get continued practice in representing form and it also helped me realize that when working in watercolours, this technique is better suited to a smaller composition.
Female Glam: oil
Female Glam, Oil on Canvas, 40 x 58 cm
- After creating the outlines of the face used glue and cut-off canvas pieces to block out areas that represented the darker tones on the face.
- I then used a palette knife to create additional areas of textural interest with pumice gel.
- Using a round brush, I first blocked out the skin tone using white, Cadmium orange, and burnt sienna with a mixed with a half-half mixture of linseed oil and turps.
- In order to get the oils to drip, large amounts of the thinning mixture is required.
- The canvas is placed upright in order for the paint to run.
- Once this layer dried, I combined prussian blue and phthalo blue with my thinning mixture. This was place in areas of shadow. When the blue goes over areas of skin coulour, it creates this wonderful texture as it pulls apart (unlike watercolour that bleeds)
- Once this layer dried, I needed to bring in some warmth, I blended deep red and dark brown with the thinning mixture which I applied next for additional tone. Using a small brush I also added additional details in some parts of the face to give a more natural look.
- For the final touches I used brown and burnt sienna with little medium, so I could make certain details stand out more, like the eyes, hair and mouth.
Reflection
Working with oils in a similar way to watercolours is very engaging for me. The method is still new to me, but even with my second try, it is clear that there is already progress. It is certainly worth noting that keeping to a simple palette when working in this style is well suited, as there is already a lot happening with texture and paint reaction. The most exciting paint reactions for me, is when a new layer is applied on an previous one, the paint pulls apart and creates beautiful fragments.
Considering my goals of creating more expressive and emotive pieces, I believe there is good evidence for that in this piece. The contrast of warm and cool in this instance provides and emotional response on it's own. The behavior of the paint, combined with the textural element speaks to the human condition and is likely to evoke feelings of empathy or sympathy from the viewer.
- After creating the outlines of the face used glue and cut-off canvas pieces to block out areas that represented the darker tones on the face.
- I then used a palette knife to create additional areas of textural interest with pumice gel.
- Using a round brush, I first blocked out the skin tone using white, Cadmium orange, and burnt sienna with a mixed with a half-half mixture of linseed oil and turps.
- In order to get the oils to drip, large amounts of the thinning mixture is required.
- The canvas is placed upright in order for the paint to run.
- Once this layer dried, I combined prussian blue and phthalo blue with my thinning mixture. This was place in areas of shadow. When the blue goes over areas of skin coulour, it creates this wonderful texture as it pulls apart (unlike watercolour that bleeds)
- Once this layer dried, I needed to bring in some warmth, I blended deep red and dark brown with the thinning mixture which I applied next for additional tone. Using a small brush I also added additional details in some parts of the face to give a more natural look.
- For the final touches I used brown and burnt sienna with little medium, so I could make certain details stand out more, like the eyes, hair and mouth.
Reflection
Working with oils in a similar way to watercolours is very engaging for me. The method is still new to me, but even with my second try, it is clear that there is already progress. It is certainly worth noting that keeping to a simple palette when working in this style is well suited, as there is already a lot happening with texture and paint reaction. The most exciting paint reactions for me, is when a new layer is applied on an previous one, the paint pulls apart and creates beautiful fragments.
Considering my goals of creating more expressive and emotive pieces, I believe there is good evidence for that in this piece. The contrast of warm and cool in this instance provides and emotional response on it's own. The behavior of the paint, combined with the textural element speaks to the human condition and is likely to evoke feelings of empathy or sympathy from the viewer.
male glam 2
I liked the final composition of Female Glam in oils so much, I wanted to see what kind of impact it would have when painting a male figure. As I am still exploring the male form and its ability to appear sensual and 'feminine', it seemed like this technique would suit that well.
Male Glam 2, Oil on Canvas, 40 x 58 cm
- I first began by sketching out the figure with simple lines.
- Then I glued fragments of canvas. This time I chose to have the back of the canvas facing forward. As the back is more brown, it has created a starker contrast and served well as a means of creating shadows.
- Once this dried I applied the pumice gel.
- My first layer of paint was the skin, a mixture of white, burnt sienna and yellow ocre, diluted with a gracious amount of turps and linseed oil (half/ half). This time I tried not to cover to much of the area, as I wanted the composition to have a lighter feel.
- Next I combined a bit of my skin mixture with sap green which made the next layer. As I used blue for the female composition, I wanted to see how green would effect the overall atmosphere.
- The final colour I used to add some definition and additional tonal variation war burnt umber.
Reflection
There is a great lightness to this composition which I am really drawn to. It is also a better representation of how Palacios depicts his females. This atmospheric and ethereal depiction of the male form also serves well in my exploration of the sensuality of the male form. The softness of the figure and the idealistic depiction of his form is reminiscent of Michelangelo Classical sculpture of David. The use of canvas shards and pumice gel provides areas of textural interest as well as questioning the societal expectations of perfection. The use of green also gives the composition a more earthy feeling, as though he is character in some type of fairy tale. It also feels less somber than the blue.
- I first began by sketching out the figure with simple lines.
- Then I glued fragments of canvas. This time I chose to have the back of the canvas facing forward. As the back is more brown, it has created a starker contrast and served well as a means of creating shadows.
- Once this dried I applied the pumice gel.
- My first layer of paint was the skin, a mixture of white, burnt sienna and yellow ocre, diluted with a gracious amount of turps and linseed oil (half/ half). This time I tried not to cover to much of the area, as I wanted the composition to have a lighter feel.
- Next I combined a bit of my skin mixture with sap green which made the next layer. As I used blue for the female composition, I wanted to see how green would effect the overall atmosphere.
- The final colour I used to add some definition and additional tonal variation war burnt umber.
Reflection
There is a great lightness to this composition which I am really drawn to. It is also a better representation of how Palacios depicts his females. This atmospheric and ethereal depiction of the male form also serves well in my exploration of the sensuality of the male form. The softness of the figure and the idealistic depiction of his form is reminiscent of Michelangelo Classical sculpture of David. The use of canvas shards and pumice gel provides areas of textural interest as well as questioning the societal expectations of perfection. The use of green also gives the composition a more earthy feeling, as though he is character in some type of fairy tale. It also feels less somber than the blue.
Exhibition Proposal
For the proposal below I am considering a real space that I would actually be able to get and hold an exhibition. I am using the Drama studio at my school for the proposal.
Of course, Hong Kong has many gallery-type spaces available that you can exhibit your work, but that may mean that I won't have as much control over they way I display the work.
The below proposal reflects a more interactive approach with the works.
Of course, Hong Kong has many gallery-type spaces available that you can exhibit your work, but that may mean that I won't have as much control over they way I display the work.
The below proposal reflects a more interactive approach with the works.