Nothing fascinates me more as an artist than painting from a live model. There is an unspoken dialogue that happens between model and artist, the model expressing emotion, the artist trying to capture and translate that emotion on paper or canvas.

Painting from life is much different than painting from a reference photo. People are not static like photographs. Over the course of a model session, the model may shift slightly, the lighting may change, and at the end of the session, the reference has gone home. Working from life, however, affords an artist a richness of detail and emotion that is difficult to capture from photographs, so while it is a great challenge, it is worth the effort and time.

"36 Heads" is a project I hope to complete in one year- painting 36 portraits from life.

Many artists show only their best art to the public. This blog is an attempt to offer a glimpse into the artistic process itself. Some portraits will be successful, many will not. I do not touch up the art after the model session is over- the artwork is taken home and photographed without adding finishing touches.

So many things come into play as to why some sessions are a success, others not. The atmosphere of the session, my energy level that day, even the mood of the model, these things and many more affect the final painting. Sometimes I experiment with different materials, which leads to different results.

The project began on July 26, 2011. On to the heads...



Sunday, September 4, 2011

"36 Heads", portrait #1

      July 26, 2011, Heidi
      Soft Pastel on Canson Mi-Teintes
      12"x16"

 
First portrait session in the "36 Heads" project.  Heidi posed for us in the sun and the lighting changed over the 3 hour session.  There were breaks every 20 minutes for the model and artists, total painting time just over 2 hours. This was the first time I've painted a posed model outdoors, and the changing light made for an interesting painting experience.   I am returning to soft pastels after a 2 year break- and realized how much I have missed them.  This is also my first clothed model session in a couple of years, and quite a change after spending the past 3 1/2 years on and off focusing on the human form and attending nude model sessions.   I worked in Rembrandt soft pastels on the smooth side of Canson Mi-Teintes Sky Blue for this portrait.  Realizing I need to invest in some softer pastels, although Rembrandts are good for Canson, a softer pastel would have been easier for me over the 2 hour period.  Think I painted a good likeness, but got home and realized the values are off.  Need to work on hair, clothing and neck, those were the hardest for me in this portrait.
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