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The Portrait
I was commissioned to paint this unusual double portrait of two brothers. The main source material was a beautiful photograph of them playing, accompanied by several more detailed pictures of the boys on their own. I always try to convey a sense of personality in a portrait, so it helps to have lots of reference material, to get a feel for that. My aim is to capture the essence of someone, rather than to produce a photographic reproduction (although, of course, getting a likeness is also important). The pictures below show the stages I go through in creating a finished portrait.
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Preparation
Before I start, I do some preparation work to ensure that the sizing and proportions will be right, and then I might do some preliminary sketches. Once I am happy with my drawing, I transfer it to the painting surface and start to add the first pastel.
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Working with Pastel
Broadly speaking, I work from top left to bottom right. This is because I am right handed and it lessens the liklihood that I will lean on a completed area while working on the next section. Smudging pastel before the painting is finished is an ever-present risk...
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Finishing the first section
I continue to work on the first boy's face, using a close up photograph. I try to get it as close to finished as possible, before I move onto other areas. Clothes are in some senses much quicker (and easier) than faces, so the T shirt doesn't take too long.
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Starting the second section
Once I am reasonably happy with the first boy, I start on the second one, ignoring the lower left hand side of the painting for now. This is a risk, because I will have to lean over the right hand section when I come to work on it, but I don't want to start on the jeans before I'm sure of the positioning of the second boy. If they are painted completely separately, they can end up looking "stitched together".
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Finishing off
I work a little more on the clothes and then check the faces one more time. I will often leave a painting overnight at this stage and return to it in the morning to get a fresh perspective. Or I might view it in a mirror.
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The final result
Once I'm happy with the faces I finish off the clothing and add a little grass to "ground" the boys in the painting. They don't want to be floating about.
I'm very happy with the finished result, and so is the customer.
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To enquire about a commission or to discuss ideas please click here.
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