For this assignment I want to build on the portrait I undertook in the exercise on completing a biographical portrait. In that previous exercise I depicted my friend suffering from depression. What I want to try to achieve in this assignment is changes in her mood and her expressions. My very first portrait and depiction of her was in very sad despair. The medium I have chosen is charcoal. I’m trying to explore this further with a view to how it will help with future work. Capturing different expressions and likeness would be ideal but I realise I may not achieve this well. I must however see how far I can push this. I have only completed in paint about six portraits, and these have been quite successful. Three were of animals, a Gold Cup winning horse, two dogs plus three people. All were in paint, and I managed the likeness quite well.
My aim in the two portraits is to capture two other and different expressions using my friends changing face as the examples.
For the support I use a tinted background which gives a bright beige colour. I’m hoping that the colour helps reflect a happy expression.
As I begin the first portrait, I capture the shape of the face and try to capture the smile. The charcoal is quite messy so I can’t stop for photos. My process is to consider the dark and light planes of the face. I’ve taken another photo for reference. I want to use the background again making it dark on the right side of the picture and I try to get the hair to blend in. I keep working at the picture and decide to add white chalk but against this background it doesn’t work so well. I also make another error as I try to put in some colour around the eyes. I keep working at the picture and I try to erase the red. I have visions of my friend looking a bit like the devil! I do get most of the red out but there is still a trace. I work at the portrait some more varying the line and sometimes trying to use a broken line.
I include a small photo as my friend is sensitive about photos.
My completed portrait is below.
I do think my marks have captured a smile, but I’ve found the likeness quite difficult. Some of the features are in the right place on the face but I’m not really connecting with the materials and I’m not sure why. I begin to realise that this is quite an ambitious task.
Not happy with this I take time out and come back to it the next day. I shall work on both pictures. I manage to erase more of the red colour, and I persevere with the light and dark shapes and the smile. The final piece is below. This image isn’t a very good likeness, but she is smiling. I adjusted the hairline, eyes and the shape of the face. It is a little better.
My next portrait is about a fearful look. It’s not a good day and she still feels a bit low. Her photo is below.
I rework this portrait. The hairline needs to be higher and the shape of the face isn’t right. I really need to see if I can also adjust the eyes.
It is so important to really observe well when undertaking a portrait. This second image is much better but I’m still not sure I’ve conveyed the expression very well but the likeness is a little better with most of the shapes of the face in the right position. Leaving work and coming back to it usually really helps to look at things through fresh eyes. This exercise has been quite difficult and challenging not just for me but my friend, Barbara. It’s about her challenges in life over time and even to take a photo of her smile was difficult for her. Reportage and capturing the truth, the moment and the sensitivity of the situation, landscape or the person is a privilege, and I am compelled to work towards doing my subjects justice. My sincere thanks to Barbara and I wish her better health and well-being.
The drawings I completed for this assignment I didn’t feel were to a good enough or satisfactory standard and didn’t have much likeness. My tutor agreed when I suggested I would revise them. I was unable to revise the first one where there is a smile as the colour underneath is difficult to erase. I have however tried to revise the other drawing where she looks more forlorn and worried. I am now pleased to have revised this and created more of a likeness. The revised drawing is below.
Drawing 2 Interpreting the environment 