My first portrait, this painting began probably two years ago and I've put it aside, picked it up and put it aside again. In the manic state of painting these days it seemed appropriate to finish. I have always thought that if you truly observe an image you can paint anything-I think a landscape painter should be able to paint a portrait and a still life painter should be able to paint a landscape because the observation is the same.
I feel the same, although with added thoughts to the process. There are disciplines to each subject matter and there are shortcuts that the expert portrait painter can use in their tool box that the landscape painter may have to take the long route and there is a difference between the mastered portrait and the first portrait. I do believe as artists we are called to capture illusions and capture correctly what we see.
One thing I have learned in the process of painting a portrait is I love detail more than I thought-I love the discipline of tighter brush work, I like the need to really get the individual objects correctly. It has been a great exploration and an added burst of enthusiasm for painting.
I also realize the discipline that the portrait painter must capture or the highly detailed painter must take care with the tiniest details. I will take the things I have learned to my landscapes which fights with the fact that I have lightened up on my details, so how do we get a happy medium between detail and less detail. I am excited about upcoming paintings and the need to be more pains taking about detail and the use of light and shadow. I will definitely paint another portrait and have even more respect for those masters of the portrait. I look forward to do more detail in the eyes, which this squinting image didn't give me the option for. What do you think? Would love any comments-positive or negative. Thanks
for reading.
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