Portrait Oil Painting Vanessa

Cari Amici (Dear Friends),

I recently got the opportunity to try my hand at portrait painting again.  I hired Vanessa, the sister of the gal who modeled for my “Tuscan Mural” last year, Anna Rosa.   This time I tried to do my version of Sight-Size (which means more drawing and less leaning) and with natural light.  The window in my studio which has the north light is at my back.  I was sharing the model with my studio-mate Roberto Castellini.  He painted with his canvas on the other side of the model.  I was on her right.

I got a bad start, as you can see on this first image (left side).  I was not too fussed, really.  I know that I tend to draw short fat faces, like my own.  We all tend to draw ourselves or our families’ forms since those are what we have seen the most and maybe there is a deeper connection as well.  I was also trying to emulate my favorite painter, Eugene Carriere.    So, I was constantly using a fan brush to keep everything soft and ghosty looking. 

Once I got something on the canvas, I then started to refine the shapes.  Note that I was painting monochromatically.  I wanted to get my shapes closer to good before attempting some subtle colors.  But halfway Day 2, I started adding some skin tones, still leaning towards monochromatic vs. very colorful designs.

I struggled with the glare from this northern light onto the oil.  The photography task was not much easier than seeing my painting as I worked.

I missed plenty of model time since my lavatrice (washing machine) broke and thus, I had several meetings with the landlords as they came to check it out and then meet the technician for the installation the next week.  However, Roberto decided Thursday evening that he wanted to start the next morning on a drawing, putting his painted portrait aside.  Since I was not enjoying the glare situation, I suggested that we move the position of the model on her stand to a diagonal place that he and I had discussed before.  That meant, however, that the model’s face would be more in shadow.  Still, I would rather change partway through than continue painting in a reflective situation.

You may notice in the fourth image that I have a tendency to try to fatten the face despite my earlier corrections!  Sometimes one must fight one’s natural tendencies.

I had one more 3-hour session with the model Vanessa after this last image was taken.  I tried to refine the lips and also work in the shadows a bit more.  I was hoping to be satisfied with my efforts.  While they were not bad, this work is no masterpiece.  And thus, I should keep at it…

Gesso Portrait Cast Study Drawing Florence Italy

Cari Amici,

Here are some images of the man I will be thinking about most of this summer. I miss him already, but had to stop working on him so that the painting workshop with Martinho Correia could begin. My man is the (oh-so-) late banker for the famous Medici family and my mission (which I have chosen to accept) is to create a drawing of the gesso (plaster) copy of the portrait sculpture by Donatello. The original sculpture is a terra cotta with colored glazes in the Bargello, Florence, Italy’s beloved sculpture museum (and I understand a former prison). I have always been drawn to this work, but barely recognized it all in white gesso.

Here you can see my set up with my drawing next to the plaster cast. Shadows are created by hanging stuff between the light source and the art in a manner that gives desired or at least interesting results. I am using the sight-size method, which means, among other things, that I will be getting plenty of exercise. I stand away from my drawing at some specific point, usually around three times the depth of the original. I decide upon a “click-in” spot to help me view my work and the original from the same angle each time. From this vantagepoint, I look and study. I make relationships. Then I advance to make a mark on the paper. Retreating, I realign my stance and check this mark. A lot of pacing, but the results are great training for the eye.



This particular project seems sexier to me than my other charcoal drawings. This time I am using a grey Roma paper with not only black charcoals, but also white pastels. The image above shows the grey paper with only the black added. The image below shows the beginning of the addition of white. I am using a Rembrandt white pastel, since it is the whitest I have found thus far. This technique gives me a better tonal range possible in the drawing. Mmm mmm mmmmmm



The idea of using the grey paper is to incorporate more of the paper into the design. White and black should never meet. There should always be some grey between, no matter how little. Otherwise, I will get mud. Thus far, I am in love and I intend to feed that love until I can get back to him in September.

In the meantime, I am designing some sculptures. Stay tuned . . . same bat channel.