Monday, July 26, 2010

1 hour alla prima


oil on paper
5 X 7

Found this portrait picture in a National Geographic magazine and though I'd do a one hour painting again. The likeness isn't really there, but maybe with practice it'll improve...

5 comments:

kris fulk said...

Pete, you know I love your work, right :) Sketches, finished works, you name it. I think specially these kinds of sketch studies because the brushwork is so freely expressed.

I think what strikes me as different between your painting and the photograph is the change in expression. You lost the hauteur that makes this man's portrait so powerful by widening his eyes and making his lips open and slightly upturned in the corners.

Are you planning on refining these or are they strictly only for 1 hr studies?

pete said...

Thanks, Kris. You're spot on about the differences between the photo and my interpretation. I see those and other errors (most of which were doomed from the beginning - when I worked on structure). I won't be refining this one...just keeping it to 1 hour and moving on my merry way.

I am planning on doing a new portrait (next, in my schedule of paintings - followed by landscapes, master's copies, etc) where I'll be adhering more strictly to form.

I'm trying to stick to a pretty rigorous goal of sketching and painting DAILY from life/photos. I look forward to seeing if my accuracy improves over time on these shorter works.

Thanks again for the input and kind words.

Unknown said...

That's awesome Pete! I dig hearing about such dedication - I'm about to go on a 7 week haitus myself and will try my hardest to be dedicated to drawing and painting (I might break out the watercolors, but mostly I'll be doing photoshop work).

Anyhow - all of that practice will totally pay off if you keep at it! You're really dam good right now, and it'll just keep getting better.

And it's great you're able to get such a likeness out of just an hour - with oils no less!

pete said...

Thanks, Isaac. I'm already feeling the pull to create something on my own, but I'm going to resist and keep copying!

Make sure you post yours, too!

Christy/Tiddly Inks Digitals said...

I like it just in and of itself...it did lose the haughtiness, but it is still a lovely composition and I like the gradation changes you added and how you lightened it.
You are so good at this and I can't believe you are doing one day...you go Pete. :)