I seldom paint in the 19th century European academic style but this time I believe the subject is worth it. The fine thread canvas (30″ x 24″) has been properly stretched and primed. Instead of oils, I will employ acrylic paints, using methods learned from the old masters.

The figure is drawn to scale using a grid system, first with a red pencil and then more accurately with black pencil.

With alizarin crimson, I begin to delineate the figure and create shape. At this early stage, the direction of light is firmly established. Since I’m working from a photograph, I need to correct optical errors generated by the camera lens. The brain tends to work tricks on how we see, so I place the canvas in front of the mirror to get a fresh perspective and to ascertain that the drawing is essentially correct.

Italian Renaissance artists, including the Great Michelangelo painted flesh tones over an underpainting of terre verte (green earth). Upon this cool base, a warm color can be applied to produce a subtle modeling in two complementary tones, which makes the subject look alive and healthy. I’m using cobalt green with a tinge of titanium white, the first time I used white pigment in this work. Since cobalt green is not entirely opaque, I won’t lose the drawing underneath. In fact, it will assist me in modeling the shadows in the next step. I will let the green underpainting dry for a couple of hours and proceed with the modeling. If you’re making a picture of your girlfriend, don’t show it to her at this stage. From now on, I shall embark in the most difficult part of this project, transforming a figure painting into a portrait.

I had to work over the entire canvas rather fast, because I needed to keep the paint wet at all times. The flesh is modeled with burnt sienna and titanium white, thicker on the highlights and translucent in the shadow areas. The dark areas are done by an application of cobalt green, reinforced with Payne’s gray over the alizarin crimson imprimatura. Green and crimson are complimentary and thus neutralize each other. At this stage the tonal range of the painting is established. Notice that all the edges have been softened, the colors blended into each other. This is intended to create the illusion of depth on a two dimensional plane. In 3D, the brain instruct the eyes to focus on the objects of interest. In a painting, the artist sharpens the focal points and slightly blurs the rest. Ingres was the absolute master of this technique, and so was Bouguereau.

Ever so slowly, the portrait emerges. Eyes begin to see, the nostrils to breathe and the mouth shows the promise of a smile. The alabaster like skin is becoming vibrant flesh and blood. Thin glazes of alizarin crimson and cadmium red light add warmth to the expression. A glaze of bright aqua green reflects the light that bounces back from the shaded areas. A tinge of this same color, mixed with titanium white and scumbled (opaque or semiopaque color applied by rubbing) across the lighter areas of the face softens the colors and enhances the complexion’s natural radiance. It’s time to make the hair look lustrous and full bodied too.

The painting is now on its way to completion. Everything that requires detail is further refined while the rest is simplified, including the background. I have not used yellow pigment until now, in the rendering the earring. The necklace is finally getting the color that gives the painting its title, literally. My Egyptological friends know the symbolic meaning.

 

The finished portrait: Lady of Turquoise  30″ x 24″ Acrylic on Canvas