Live Oil Portrait
Every week for the past couple months, I have been painting from a live model and seeing where inspiration leads me at the end of two and a half hours.
Painting from life is my true passion and I love to see how far I can push the envelope, challenge my speed, or explore my creativity with each portrait.
For this portrait, I wanted to explore a more neutral color palette and leave the background atmospheric. The mood of a whole painting is determined by color and space so I love painting outside of my usual style to see what emotions are provoked by different color and detail choices.
What do you think of when you see this portrait?
Scroll down to see a little insight into my painting process!
PS Studio is courtesy of my talented painter friend Mattie Rae Neal!
my portrait with the model
SKETCH & SHAPE
I start by sketching in the largest shapes loosely with my brush with a medium value. After I make sure my measurements and proportion are right, I focus on smaller shapes until I have a vague but recognizable feature in place. Slowly I build a lifelike form by observing my model and layering color according to the lighting and skin tone.
DETAILS
This stage involves a closer observation and simplification of the subject’s face. By simplification I mean breaking down the face in to smaller shapes. It’s easier to paint a complex subject when you simplify the parts that make it whole and unique.
The image below is what the portrait looked by the end of my 2.5hr painting session!
