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Studio Art
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A person's face is indicative to the personality of the person. Some people have a face that spills out the goings on in the deepest depths of their soul without needing to speak a word. Others have an appearance that can be very hard to judge at first glance, but eventually becomes an integral part of their personality. Being that every person is visually unique creates an extraordinarily concept on which to ponder, and is a significant reason why painting portraits is such a popular genre of art. Oil painting, in particular, lends itself well to expressing a personality through portraiture. The effects that can be achieved through oil painting are diversified, and as such can be manipulated to create a large array of different painting styles. The fluidity of the paint and the way it reacts with mixing mediums or solvents allows for either the simplicity of paper sketches, or the complexity of mult-layered glazed paintings on canvas or wood. Brushtrokes can be smooth or expressionistically textured. Moreover, colour can either be blended through the painting process, or on a palette. Limitless combinations of these possibilities can help emulate more accurately the personality of the person sitting for the portrait. Paint Sketches
Paint sketches are usually on paper or unprimed canvas. The rawness of
the sketch done in oils can communicate through gestures, rather than
completed formal paintings. Sketches are also useful for portrait studies
in order to gain a good feel for the essence of the final product. The
paper sketch illustrated here is a study for a painting that I am currently
working on of my Many times I like to paint sketches in order to convey certain feelings with line only, and not color. Similar to a pencil sketch, monochromatic paint sketches can communicate through line and shading. A good monotone color scheme to use for portraiture is that of burnt sienna or raw umber on paper previously washed with a light wash or coating of the same color. This will set the tone as a warm subtle one, eliminating harsh dividing lines that may occur with darker colors on white paper. Also, cool colors should be used in a monochromatic scheme only when trying to portray a melancholy mood, since blues tend to represent coldness and death, whereas reds, yellows, browns, and oranges are much warmer and naturally instinctive of humans. Impressionist Portraits
Sometimes a certain moment or environment calls for an Impressionistic
approach to a portrait. Brushstrokes can be somewhat gestured in order
to hint at the feeling of the moment, but a Expressionist Portraits
Another of my favorite ways to paint portraits is through an expressionistic
style. Expressionist portraits tend to be comprised of broad directional
brushstrokes with most of the color blending on the canvas, similar to
the gestured strokes of painting sketches. The feeling of the painting
comes Realistic Portraits
Variations TodayYou will find contemporary artists painting portraits in many different styles including the ones I identified above and variations of them. As times change, moods change, and as we pass down our evolving styles throughout history, new ones are formed almost everyday. Sources:Artarchive
Copyright Susan Wenz-Denise, 2001. Please do not
copy in any manner, print or electronic, without permission from the author.
Reprinted with kind permission of the author.
About the Author: Susan
Wenz-Denise is a fine artist with a BFA degree in Studio Art, and a minor
concentration in Art History. She attended the College of New Rochelle
in New Rochelle. NY for Studio Art where her painting skills were refined
and her conceptual sensitivities matured. Since graduating she has exhibited
a series of her work in two NYC galleries and is now working on a new
series of oil paintings. She plans to begin exhibiting again by Autumn
2001. She is also a contributing editor at Suite
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husband. The final painting will be a lot unlike this
sketch, but the basic feel for the appearance of my subject will be similar.
lightened palette with an
emphasis on color will truly set the mood. French Impressionists in the
late 19th century used this style while painting scenes of leisure and
landscapes. People were shown set in leisure or nightlife surroundings
in order to emphasize the importance of social activity at the time, instead
of in a traditional seated portrait. Moreover, colors were manipulated
in order to reinforce the relaxed, intoxicating, or seductive moods of
the time. In Edouard Manet's "A Bar at the Folies-Bergeres", 1882, you
can see how the portrait shows more than just the woman subject, but also
the scenes of the bar through the mirror behind her, and the palette used
mimics the ambiance of the evening.
from the impromptu expression and the artist's interaction with
the painting and subject throughout the process. Often the mood is reflective
of the moment, and not necessarily that of the person's overall personality.
The person may be angry, sad or happy at the time of the portrait, the
spirit of which will be obviously displayed in the finished product. German
artists around the time of World War II are famous for painting Expressionist
portraits full of emotion because of the angst of living in Germany at
the time. Ernst Ludwig Kirchner is among my favorite painters of that
time period. In "Self-portrait as a Drunkard", 1914, you can see how Kirchner
portrays the feeling of the drunken moment through the painting of this
self-portrait.
Of course, a traditional portrait is painted realistically with the subject
seated formally. For this type of portrait, colors are usually blended
to mimic the reality. Time and patience is required to create the painstaking
layers and glazes throughout the process. The result are visually tactile
skin and fabrics, and other realistic effects. Rembrandt van Rijn is the
one of the most famous portrait painters of the Renaissance. He was often
commissioned throughout his life to paint formal portraits of noble families,
royalty, and the clergy. Pictured here is "Portrait of Nicolaes Ruts,
1631".