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Canadian caricaturist David Boudreau has worked for the big studios such as Disney, Warner Bros., Meatball Animation and Dreamworks. He is currently freelancing and adding to his portrait portfolio.
Clockwise from upper left: Norman Rockwell, Jean Giraud (Moebius), Andy Serkis (Gollum), and—hey, that's me.
In quality caricatures such as Boudreau's, notice how quickly you recognize the subject. I find it helpful to do a few quick caricature sketches or at least visualize them in my mind, before doing a conventional portrait drawing or painting. This focus me on the features that define the person.
Excellent point, Robert Michael Walsh. Related to that, I find that when I'm stuck on a portraint or figure rendering, exagerating a feature that strikes me as important is frequently the key to unlocking a likeness.
I did a couple quick sketches for my class of David Tennant Thursday evening.
Here are some scans. He has an interesting head and hair shape well suited for toon form...
I was initially drawing Helen Mirren, but no one seemed to know who she was. My luck that I picked the only British actress not in a Harry Potter film...
Ink and Brush
Additional pencil studies including Tennant as a rooster...
2 Comments on Portrait Studies: David Tennant, last added: 2/13/2013
Thanks for posting this great link. I have been a huge fan of James Ransome since Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt back in the 90's. This video provides plenty of inspiration for watercolor illustrators.
James (Ransome) is an awesome instructor at SU. Unless you're a sophomore.... he is so not kidding when he says his class is the hardest in the Illustration program!
But he's letting me paint vampires and Scarlet Witch, so I have no personal complaints!
Yo! Jimi G.! Yesterday my sweet Valentine gifted me w a copy of ‘Light in the Darkness!’ She saw it on the New York Times’ Black history month’s suggested reading list.
The story is well told and based on Lisa Cline-Ransom’s research on Frederick Douglass, and tells the story of ‘pit schools’ where slaves taught each other how to read. The illustrations are beautiful water-colors of very sensitive and expressive portraits of African-Americans. Almost all of the paintings are of night scenes, w moonlight and/or lantern-light as light sources. Hats off to the Ransomes for a job well done! -RQ
(Video link) With a portrait of an important public figure such as Kate, Duchess of Cambridge, there's yourself, the sitter, the Royal Family, the public, the pundits, and your fellow painters. That's a lot of people to think about. And which face do you try to capture, the "natural self" or the "official self"? Artist Paul Emsley says that "after initially feeling that it was going to be an unsmiling portrait, I think actually that it was the right choice in the end to have her smiling, because that's really who she is, I think." After two sessions, he worked from a photo that he and Kate both approved.
In the portrait, Kate has a complex expression called a "stifled smile." The smile is restrained by the action of the orbicularis oris, mentalis, and triangularis muscles. Those muscles act together to oppose the normal smiling action of the zygomaticus major.
Try to match the expression yourself, and you can feel the conflicting tensions.
In his book about facial expressions, Gary Faigin says that in the stifled smile, "the lips are frozen in a middle position and surrounded by a complex muscular landscape."
The stifled smile can appear either shy, endearing, smirking, impish, conflicted, scheming, self-conscious, or self-satisfied. Faigin says it's often used in advertising, but rarely in art.
The videos have swayed me completely; seeing the poor images online I thought Emsley had made a bit of a hash of it, but in the vids it's looks a very good piece of portrait painting, top marks from me! I think all the 'art spiel' given over to it (not by the artist himself mind you) is a bit much 'the use of the two eyes..'.. really? I'd never though of using that technique :). It's a very good painting, and a great royal portrait, but there's no shame in saying 'I took loads of shots, picked the ones we thought looked good, and painted that... bish, bash, bosh'. The question it does raise for me is whether taking individual close-ups of a sitter and working from those images is wise, as it may be what's led to a sliiiiggghht disjointed and unfamiliar look to her features. Better than my work, so I take my hat off to the bloke, well done!
I like the portrait. It reminds me of one of my favorite stifled smiles in art. I suspect we will soon be seeing knockoff versions of the stifled smile flitting about the lips of celebrities and cosmetics models.
Katherine's mention that "Emsley does not do teeth" brought to mind my thoughts - probably not original - about including teeth, especially with an open-mouth, in portrait painting. Photo reference seems to increase the possibility of using the open-mouth (with or without teeth included) pose for a painted portrait. Yet, somehow to me, teeth seem oddly out of place in a painted portrait. Is this due to the fact that historically painted portraits had only the sitter as reference, and hence - on some level - teeth/open mouth in a painted portrait seems out of place?
I think the NBC spot framed the discussion well when they showed the picture of the Rhino and Nelson Mandela that the artist did. Painting being a visual language, words never seem to suffice. But putting Kate's pictures up next to other portraits that the artist did along with portraits from other artists that have stood the test of time might be a useful exercise.
The portrait to me is shocking in the lack of regard for her wonderful spirit that shines through her eyes. Her eyes appear watery, perturbed, and tired. I'm puzzled why anyone thinks it is a good representation of the Duchess.
Tom, regarding showing teeth, have a look at the post I did called "Smiling Presidents," looking at how the toothy smile became accepted and now the norm, both in photographic and painted official portraits: http://gurneyjourney.blogspot.com/2010/06/smiling-presidents.html
As to doing portraits with teeth: Frans Hals used to do them;-)
There's the British "Stiff Upper Lip" - here we have the Stifled Smile:-) nice expression. Although I don't know if using that extent of photographic reference is permissible in a royal portrait; can't get rid of the impression that it somehow shows.
Drawing and likeness issues aside, it's too soft and overly blended for my tastes. Most modern realism pedagogy insists that hard edges are artificial and amateurish, but in my opinion overly blended edges are even more artificial and amateurish.
I may be projecting a bit of myself onto Kate in this instace but I make this face when I'm trying to be polite and suppress a chuckle that is usually the result of a funny thought that would be rude to share. I imagine someone in Kate's position often finds herself in similar situations. In fact I find this picture has an almost Mona Lisa quality to it because of the expression.
I would have to agree with Phil Moss's comment and Maywyn's comment. Something seems slightly off about it, probably as a result of blending photo references. And she appears tired, or like she has a headache (or morning sickness?), which is never how I see her in photos. However, I do appreciate the artist's skill, as they do surpass mine by a long shot. Portraits are difficult.
maybe it's me James, but I felt the somewhat odd contraction of muscles (as described in a stifling smile), made Lady Katherine look older than she typically appears in photos and on TV. That more than the expression gave me cause to debate whether I liked it.
This picture is really a missed opportunity on various levels. As Marvin Mattelson says in the video, the purpose of a portrait is to make you feel that you are in the presence of a real person. The frozen smile and the giant size of this portrait make that impossible. I'd imagine myself feeling like I was, instead, in the presence of an advertizing poster. In the end, Kate Middleton simply chose the wrong artist. Just imagine what Nelson Shanks or Aaron Shikler would have done!
I disagree Greg. This painting will make waves. Just look at how many people have commented on this post of you doubt it. Thousands if not millions will not only see the peice, but thanks to the controversial choices of the expression and the quality of their depiction this peice will be talked about by many people for some time to come. Love it or hate it everyone will want to give their opinion, and for an artist that kind of exposure is golden. The painting isn't meant to be flattering as much as it is meant to capture an essence, and send a message I think. And I think it is intriguing.
When I see a huge portrait such as this, that also is front on and flattened, 'smoothed', a little unflattering, and painted from a photograph, I think that perhaps the purpose was not so much to create a feeling that you were in the presence a real person (surely then you'd make the painting normal human sized), but you are seeing a representation of that strange mix that is part real person (the smile), part royalty (we know), part media star... ie, exactly, Craig: an advertising poster/ print. Think what Warhol was saying about Monroe, mass production and media.
Whatever, I agree with Keith - I love that it's got us all talking and thinking!
Keith Parker mentioned Mona Lisa in his comment above. Her smile was my first thought about this portrait, although Leonardo softened Mona's stifled smile.
I'm guessing our modern high definition visual influences make this portrait fit the taste of many.
Well, no question this portrait will be talked about, and maybe more so because many people just don't like it. I was only yesterday looking at a selection of recent portraits of Elizabeth II. I was amazed how really fine some of them are, but none of them will ever be as famous as the "ugly" portrait by Lucian Freud.
James - I have an explanation for the mouth. It may well seem odd to American eyes - particularly ones which are used to smiling Presidents - but there's a very simple reason.
In the entire collection of some 11,000 portraits in the National Portrait Gallery (which go back to Tudor times), there isn't a single smiling head.
Not one.
It's the practice to paint a portrait without a smile and certainly with no teeth.
Given the Duchess is particularly well known for her fabulous smile this would have created a huge challenge for any artist. On the other hand the challenge may well have slightly easier to tackle by an artist who equally does not do smiles or teeth! I think the comments about the compromise being arrived at via a closed mouth smile explains an awful lot!
I've spoken to a number of artists who have painted members of the Royal Family, most recently Daphne Todd, who is the ex President of the Royal Society of Portrait Painters.
The very real constraint that any portrait painter has to live with is that typically they only get two, maybe three short sittings for these commissions. The explanation for this being the Royals' very crowded engagement diaries and time needed for the travelling involved in attending various functions around the UK. Plus the fact that the Queen would have nothing to do all day but sit for royal portraits if painters could have all the sittings they could wish for!
I believe an exception was granted to Lucien Freud - probably on the basis of both status (Britain's greatest living artist - when he was still alive) and his advanced age. He painted the Queen in 2001 but even he had to compromise and paint on a small canvas so he could get it finished within the constraints of his own exacting approach to painting portraits
Hmmm. Katherine, the portraits of the queen I was mentioning a few comments back were featured on Matthew Innes's "Underpaintings" blog. If it's true that all royal portraitists must deal with the strictures you describe, it seems to me that several of these painters navigated these potential roadblocks much better than Freud. I would be curious to now if you agree.
The common complaint that the portrait has aged her is spot on. It's also made her face too wide, it seems to me, and given her the air of carrying cares and resentments. I think he's gone too far trying to get hyper realism of surface detail at the expense of capturing the personality and vivacity of the person depicted, too. Also, I dislike over-lifesized portraits, they give me the creeps. Only dictators and pharaohs should be shown like this.
Craig - given it was Freud's habit to keep people turning up for sittings on a weekly (or more often) basis for a year or more, I think you'll understand that even with the relaxation of the normal protocol, he was under a severe constraint so far as his normal modus operandi was concerned!
I think people just need to accept that royal commissions just don't work quite like any other sort of portrait commission.
They also suit some painters (eg ones who work in fast and in a more painterly way) better than others.
My ex drawing tutor, who painted the Queen, told me that the Palace allowed him access to the room in which the portrait was set and access to the dress used for the portrait which was then suitably stuffed to enable him to do the painting. Most of the royal portrait painters seem to use the sittings to start and finish the head only - and make this relatively small within the entirety of the painting. This enables them to use the limited time they have to best effect.
For an artist to make virtually all the painting about the head is most unusual. It creates a much bigger challenge than usual - and this particular aspect appears to have gone unremarked by most of the commentators. Whether this was a wise move could be debated - but this is how this artist typically works and I guess is what he would be most comfortable doing.
I'd love to know who suggested that maybe the "no smile" rule might be relaxed so we got the dimples at either side of her mouth.
I'd also be grateful if people could explain in what particular way the painter has aged her.
Katherine- I asked mainly because you called Freud Great Britain's greatest living (now deceased) painter. Actually, the limitations imposed upon royal portraitists these days are not all that different from the challenges many portrait artists face these days. Just now I'm doing a portrait of three 19th Century German military musicians. Not only the likenesses, but all details of their uniforms and instruments must be accurate, yet if the finished painting looks like nothing more than a colored sepia-tone photo, it will not be a success. Luckily for me, I read "Gurney Journey," so I have some idea how to do this!
Thanks everybody for these thoughtful comments and fascinating links. I think everybody has articulated my own various reactions better than I could.
I don't think there's anything wrong in principle with a portrait done from photos. Rockwell's portraits of Eisenhower and Kennedy are immensely satisfying, both in the original and reproduction.
Of course in this case, I haven't seen the original painting or met the subject. But from what I've seen of the reproductions of this painting, the ambivalence of the expression says something not just about the artist and the model, but also about the expectations we all bring to oil-painted portraiture. Kate comes across in candid photos with a beautiful radiant smile, but no one is ready to see that full-on toothy smile enshrined in a painting. So Kate is caught somewhere between the big smile and the calm neutral expression of the rest of the portrait gallery's subjects. And for me, that "caught between" quality, which is in itself a momentary phenomenon, impossible to hold for more than a second, is both the success and the failure of the piece.
I feel, like some others have said, that the painting comes out better in the photographs of the artist; the light is better and perhaps the viewing angle (the side-to-side compression?).
Still, this is a beautiful painting, and the model too. I won't let my personal preference for lighter backgrounds, etc., interfere with my enjoyment of Mr. Emsley's great work.
I personally do not feel it captured her in the best manner possible. I think the painting makes her look much older than she is and though the chubbiness may be from baby weight, he cheeks do feel a bit bloated. I also think that the painting is very stiff and does not flow well or portray any "life". Might just be me though.
Personally I say more power to Emsley. He works with integrity. I think it's wonderful that the portrait is stimulating conversation (and not just on art blogs), and bringing painted portraiture into public consciousness in a way that hasn't happened in years. As to the portrait, personally I have issues with it - things I don't particularly care for. But I respect it and Emsley's process.
I think the aging effect comes from the edgework (its hard to get edge info from a photo). The artist has really softened the hair (almost looks like airbrush or digital). So the soft hair edges, relative to the harder nasolabial folds, chin, and prominent eye wrinkles makes the signs of age the second strongest statement after the smile.
But I'm viewing this small, and on a computer screen -- these oversized portraits are meant to be viewed in person.I'm sure its a very different experience.
I guess I am just an old painter when it comes to portraits. Even if the likeness is spot on and a certain personality is captured if the painting itself is lacking then it's lacking overall. I have not seen this on the wall but have seen enough work in reproduction to get an idea. Even if it does work as likeness and captures personality, which still seems suspect, it doesn't seem to have some of the basic tenets of a good painting. More flame for the fire I guess.
P.S. The color palette, at least in the JPEG reproductions (I haven't seen the painting), makes it look like a painting on black velvet. Plus, the image manipulation (soft focus face and hair, super-sharp eyes) is a standard hackneyed Photoshop gambit.
Having watched the videos Ms. Tyrrell has referenced I see now that my first impression is correct. It looks just like the photos and probably just like the Duchess when she sat for the artist. But is it possible to enter the "uncanny valley" in a painting? I feel like it is technically a superb painting but there is just something that is a bit off-putting that doesn't truly capture Kate's "Kate-ness" (for lack of a better word).
Thanks for the link to the source photo, Lane. My (totally personal and insignificant in the greater scheme of things) vote lands in the "horrid" camp.
1. I know he was going for a glowing effect, but instead, we get a portrait of the undead. Was this the intended effect?: http://www.clevvertv.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/The-Twilight-Saga-Breaking-Dawn-Part-2-2012-Movie-Poster1-e1358189196215-300x300.jpg In fairness, sometimes photos of paintings can be deceiving in this area...
2. Some bizarre decisions regarding the depiction of the features. For instance, the shrunken width of the nostrils (Have nostrils become unfashionable?). When people smile, the nostrils flare, sometimes a lot. You can see it in the photo. Nostrils also have a big impact on how the distance between the eyes and the nose is perceived, and thus, the size of the nose. And the eyes- Getting the extra sharp sparkle treatment while the rest of the face is a little soft focus creates a weird disconnect. As noted before, a cheesy Photoshop trick that gets used a lot in high school yearbooks. The eyebrows are a missed opportunity- The glamour of the raised and angled right eyebrow lost. And the left eyebrow has been thinned down, adding to the effect of aging. The cheekbones, very glam in the photo, are played down.- Basically, everything seems to be genericized to detrimental effect.
3. The paintwork- smoothed out, unremarkable. To see large scale heads with expression and expressionistic paint, check out Colin Davidson from Belfast: http://colindavidson.com/
On a positive note, I did check out Paul Emsley's website, and some of the work is beautiful like this one of a tree: http://paulemsley.com/works/?nggpage=4&pid=177
Much as I take my hat off to any good portrait painter, I'm afraid that I find that the portrait of Kate Middleton resembles a very bad, air-brushed photograph that was lit by a flashbulb. Perhaps that was the artist's intention, but it makes for a boring painting. Her smile doesn't resemble the Mona Lisa's at all (the Gioconda's smile is a pun on her name, by the way—Leonardo loved visual puns—giocondo, in Italian, means happy or playful).
Fond regards, John.
Michael John Angel Director of Studies Angel Academy of Art, Florence
P.S. The majority of the comments are great, by the way. Bravi, everybody!! And I agree: the original photo looks better, but at least the painting is bringing more public awareness to portrait painting.
Michael John Angel Director of Studies Angel Academy of Art, Florence
Here's a portrait in watercolor drawn entirely during a thrilling performance of Beethoven's Mass in C at Bard College. Jeanette was singing in the alto section.
I used two watercolor pencils (reddish brown and black) and three water brushes (clear water, black ink, and blue ink) in a 5x8 inch watercolor notebook. I chose these tools carefully before the concert started. Since there was no intermission, I knew I couldn't fish around in the sketch bag, and I had to hold the unused tools very quietly in my left hand. Conductor James Bagwell delivered the tempi at a fast clip, so the running length was about 50 minutes.
I was wondering how much time you devote to sketching, specially outside of your studio, and how much time you spend directly on pieces for your books etc.? Maybe in an average workweek? If there is such a thing as an average work week! I am new at this, and simply curious.
Lovely. I know it's basic, but I was pleased with myself to notice the dark upper b'ground which serves to contrast and therefore draw the eye to the lovely white hair, and then the eye runs along the bridge to the hand and the twiddly bit.
Katarina, I always bring my sketchbook when I leave the house, so I end up doing a sketch almost every day, and for sure if I'm at a meeting or waiting for something. I'm working on fantasy and science illustration and writing during the day. There's no average work week, but typically I work 9-5 during the day in the studio and I read in the evenings.
Good eye, Katherine. At first I wasn't going to drop in the dark BG, but I needed to in order to make his hair appear light.
This is very helpful and inspiring. I bring my sketchbook, water brushes and tiny watercolor kit with me, but have always found it too awkward and conspicuous to paint in very public places. The water color pencils are a great idea. One question about the water brushes -- do you actually fill them with ink or diluted watercolor?
L Benson, yes, I fill the water brushes with a water soluble (fountain pen) ink, such as "Higgins Eternal" for the black and "Schaefer Scrip" ink for the blue. I use a hypodermic or an eyedropper to get it in the handle of the water brush.
En B, thanks! No, in this case I didn't water down the ink, but you could. Since I have a third water brush with water, I can mix the full strength ink with the regular water to get a gradation.
I was wondering: were you sitting in the audience or behind the stage? It's extremely unusual seeing a violinist from that angle. They usually sit at the left of the director, thus showing the audience the side with "f" holes, where the sound comes from.
Thanks, Tom. Yes, I've got lots of sketchbooks! I only used a small bit of the blue brush, and the blue is very grayed down, so it's really a cool gray.
By the way, those who doubt the computer's ability to think creatively might want to have a look this study: http://lateralaction.com/articles/computers-creativity/
or the NY Times piece, now 10 years old: http://www.nytimes.com/1999/09/07/science/route-to-creativity-following-bliss-or-dots.html
Did you have to let each color layer dry before moving on to the next color? It seems to me that if you are trying to make quick sketches, wet media could slow you down and you might lose sight of your subject, as you wait for layers to dry.
Do you have any videos of you doing quick sketches like these, so I can just watch that and you won't have to answer my silly questions. :)
Merry Christmas to you James. Thank you for the wonderful blog and the tons of helpful information you've been presenting to us. I wish you and your family all the best in the New 2013 Year.
The drawing of Christmas card is great. I love such drawings so much.
I read your blog religiously though only comment occasionally. Thank you for the unselfish sharing of your gift, observations, and tips. And for naming your son after me. :) Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you and your family! Your blog is a true inspiration. I wish you lots of inspiring moments and success in future works in the upcoming year. Thank you very much!
Christmas Blessings to you and those you love! I must join the others in saying how much I appreciate your blog, and all you share on it. I look forward to it every day.
Have a wonderful 2013!
Loretta
Anonymous said, on 12/25/2012 1:57:00 PM
Merry Christmas from another daily reader. Always a pleasure.
Anonymous said, on 12/25/2012 1:57:00 PM
Merry Christmas from another daily reader. Always a pleasure.
According to the legend, her body was pulled from the Seine river in Paris in the late 1800s. When they brought her to the public display at the morgue, no one could recognize her. There were no signs of violence or struggle, so they suspected suicide.
People called her "L’Inconnue de la Seine (or “the unknown woman of the Seine”).
Why did she look so serene? Her strange smile captivated everyone. Some compared her expression to the Mona Lisa. Some estimated that she was only 16 years old.
A pathologist at the morgue was so impressed by her beauty that he made a plaster mould of her face. Copies of the cast circulated around Paris, and soon became a decoration in artists' studios. In America she became known as "La Belle Italienne" In Germany, girls modeled their looks after her.
An art student, Edouard Cucuel, described how it was the favorite cast decorating his roommate's wall. "It occupied the place of honor over his couch," he said, "where he could see it the first thing in the morning, when the dawn, stealing through the skylight, brought out those strange and subtle features which he swore inspired him from day to day." ------ Bohemian Paris of Todayby Eduoard Cucuel
You forgot the best part of the story! She was used as the model for "Resusci Anne," the CPR practice dummy, so so became at once the most famous drowned woman in history and the most rescued woman in history.
I'm wondering how girls could model their looks after a cast of a woman's face. You can't see skin color or any kind of hair style. The "drown" look was really in?
Now, that's a very fascinating story. She is also on a plate in Charles Bargue's drawing course. Some years ago I made a painting, based on that plate - but I didn't know the full story until now!
me too! I have the Bargue drawing of this burned into my brain I'm sure for the rest of my life after staring at it for so many hours. But like Christoffer I never knew the story of this cast- thanks so much for the full story James!
It's an interesting tale, whichever version might be true. Her young features do seem typically German.
Perhaps she simply was asleep, dreaming of something very pleasant, and fell into the water. But I don't suppose she would stay asleep underwater unless she was drugged.
Or, if the suicide version is the correct story, maybe she is a modern Ophelia.
When you purchase an item from MY STORE, 10% of your purchase price will be donated to my favorite animal charities;Last Chance Animal Rescue and Horses Haven, both in lower MI. Which charity the donation goes to, will depend on the item purchased and I will love you forever from the bottom of my little black heart. ...and even if you don't purchase anything from me, you can go to their site and make a donation! They deserve a chance too!
Have a seat by the pool with a cocktail and tablet and browse through the pages of my website
(Video link) The model for the demo was Mr. Fernando Freitas, co-founder of the Academy. Since I only had 25 minutes to do the drawing, I used the same technique that I like to use for sketching people "in the wild" in restaurants, subways, or concert halls.
Thanks to Fernando, and to everyone who came to the talk at the Academy of Realist Art in Toronto, especially the folks who came all the way from Ottawa. And thanks, Lenny Dass, for shooting the video.
I love your work and your videos man. They're so relaxingly informative! Thanks again!
Anonymous said, on 8/2/2012 11:12:00 AM
Have you ever considered holding a workshop at your studio, or somewhere near by, where you demo this tech and then help students with their sketches? If not, please do.
Russian portraitist Valentin Serov (1865-1911) once said: “Any human face is so complex and so unique that you can always find in it various traits that are worth portraying, be they good or bad.”
“For my part,” he continued, “each time I appraise a person’s face, I am inspired—you might even say carried away—not by his or her outer aspect, which is often trivial, but by the characterization it can be given on canvas.
"That is why I am accused sometimes of having my portraits look like caricatures.”
By the way, you may already know this, but I came across your name reading King John by Shakespeare the other day (the joys of Kindle) - there is a quite interesting blog post about the name - which includes possible derivations for the name.
In early March, 1881, Ilya Repin painted a portrait of his friend, the composer Modest Mussorgsky.
Mussorgsky was 42 years old. He had already written his immortal compositions, such as Night on Bald Mountain and Pictures at an Exhibition. But now his creative work was over.
He had been drinking heavily and was subject to fits of madness. Hanging out all day in a tavern with other composers and writers, he eventually he lost his government job. He told his friends "there was nothing left but begging."
He found a comfortable room in a military hospital. Despite several seizures, he seemed to be rallying.
That was where Repin found him. The portrait took four sessions. There was a soft light from the tall hospital windows, but the room was cramped, and the artist was forced to balance the painting on a small table. Repin captured his tousled hair, his red nose, and his bleary eyes. But even in the deep decline, the eyes are full of fire.
There was one more sitting scheduled two weeks later. When Repin came to the hospital one last time at the appointed hour, Mussorgsky was not among the living. Despite strict orders, an attendant had obtained for him a bottle of forbidden cognac.
The patron Tretyakov bought the painting sight unseen. Repin didn't want the the money, and donated it to help pay for a memorial to his friend.
The portrait is a masterwork of simplicity, vigor, compassion, and honesty. Repin's fellow portrait painter Kramskoy pulled up a chair and stared at the painting for hours, awestruck with its power. He described it as a combination of Rembrandt and Velazquez.
I have to agree with Kramskoy, this painting is caprivating -both in it's execution and it's honesty
Anonymous said, on 8/12/2012 6:18:00 AM
I don't know why this version is not in print anymore: http://www.amazon.com/Ilya-Repin-Grigori-Sternine/dp/1844849163/ref=cm_cr-mr-title Ilya Repin [Hardcover] Grigori Sternine
but when i got it it was only 19.95 and had great reproductions!
Reading this blog is like being back in art school...without the crushing tuition bills. This painting is gorgeous. I, too, could spend hours looking at it.
There is a Repin in the Met of a writer, Vsevolod Mikhailovich Garshin; a Russian author of short stories, that killed himself 2 days after Repin painted him as well.
Despite early literary success, he had periodical bouts of mental illness. At the age of 33, Garshin committed suicide by jumping from the fifth floor of his apartment building and died five days later at a Red Cross hospital.
It's easily one of my favorite Repin's, and that's quite a hard thing to do - I love pretty much every portrait of his that I come across.
John said, on 8/12/2012 3:07:00 PM
With 'Color and Light' a close companion, I must also remember not to forget to tune in to this blog... I agree, the simplicity but power of this portrait is wonderful... thanks, Jim
Anonymous said, on 8/12/2012 3:15:00 PM
@nystudios - yeah that Repin (at the met) is amazing. one of my favorite paintings in the Met.
@nystudios: Thanks. I didn't know that story about that painting. But I'm familiar with the painting! It stopped me in my tracks after two hours of looking at the surface of other paintings. The eyes in that portrait grabbed me as if to chastise me and say: "Painting is not just about technique. It's also about humanity."
those eyes- such character and realism that seamlessly blends into the gestures of the fabric. This makes artists screetch like teenage girls, its so well done
This portrait is so powerful, in a different way than other famed portraits are. So many others have a dark drama, and stern majesty. But this one has a lovely lightness to it, almost a feminine quality. Besides the virtuosity of Repin, why is that? Can you break it down technically for schlepps like me trying to learn? I guess it's high-key, lovely colors, a softness of brushwork. It's amazing how concrete details all add up to give an elusive quality in total.
I have a nephew with Down Syndrome, and I once sat beside him and drew pictures.
I don't get to see him too often, but the last time I spent a few days with him, I showed him how to draw a building with windows and doors. He understood the idea right away.
Drawing unlocked something in him. Each morning, even before he had his breakfast or listened to his favorite music, he needed to draw a tall building and fill it up with windows.
I'm not sure exactly what drawing buildings meant to him because he couldn't verbalize it. But he reminded me of what a powerful experience it is to create a world on a piece of paper.
11 Comments on Drawing with My Nephew, last added: 9/8/2012
James, this is a very touching and insightful post. In addition to enjoying the experience of, as you say, creating a world on paper, I'd think that your nephew might feel the same sort of calming effect that I feel when I draw or paint. Not to put too fine a point on it, but I really do think that mind state is something akin to meditation.
Your Story made me think of the song St. Judy's Comet by Paul Simon "'Cause if I can't sing my boy to sleep Well it makes your famous daddy look so dumb look so dumb."
Windows...they keep you safe from the elements yet allow you to see the world outside. They let in the light...makes perfect sense why he had to fill his buildings with windows.
Thanks for sharing these two very sweet portraits of your nephew...
I think that buildings might be attractive as a drawing subject for two reasons. 1.) There is a set process for drawing them. First the outline, then the inner details. 2.) Buildings are organized. Windows are arranged in rows and columns.
Are you intrigued by realistic portrait paintings and drawings? Aside from the beauty, you must appreciate the craftsmanship of the work. The level of skill it takes to execute this type of artwork is mind bending. Remember the work of artists Dirk Dzimirsky and Carmin Ortiz?
These works of art are the creations of artist, Janina Brandão. You can commission Janina to create a pencil portrait for you or someone close to you - what a beautiful gift to give someone - or to give to yourself. Wouldn't you agree?
Pier Francesco Mola (Italian, 1612-1666) drew this page of pen and ink sketches of clerics and priests. These must have been drawn to amuse his friends.
This unguarded satirical humor has a special edge, since Mola owed much of his success to important portrait commissions from members of the Church, including the pope.
3 Comments on Satire on the side, last added: 9/25/2012
Those are some kick-ass caricatures. They somehow seem so modern that they could have been featured on Urban sketchers or some similar site. Even the old time guys weren't above a bit of satirical fun with a pen... Thanks for sharing!
As an aside, if you click on that link to the exhibit, the page has an interesting Sargent watercolor sketch. It's interesting (to me, anyway) in the loose depiction of the figure, in contrast to the slightly tighter rendering of the achitectural elaments - the reverse of what one might expect.
Tom, you're right, that's a nice Sargent sketch. He was moving fast on the figure, and did the head as an amorphous blob. He gave it to his model and wrote "with apologies."
(Video link) In this video produced by the National Portrait Gallery, artist John Kascht shares the thinking behind his caricature of Conan O' Brien.
"I don't think about caricature as distortion. It's magnification. There's a big difference. It's precisely because I am going to amplify someone's features that I do care about clarity."
Thanks, Peaceartist.
6 Comments on Caricaturing Conan, last added: 9/25/2012
What a great, inspiring video - thanks for posting! I love seeing the amount of research that goes into the creation of a single image, and hearing the thought process behind the work. Also love this line: "The notion of 'capturing a likeness' implies a hunt, and that's exactly what it's like. Initial sketches are bushwhacks... sometimes I'm hot on the trail, sometimes it goes cold, but at this stage, nothing is a mistake, it all gets me closer."
Science Daily reports on a monkey previously unknown to science. It's the second African monkey to be "discovered" in 28 years.
Conservation biologist John Hart heard that a schoolmaster's daughter at the edge of a forest in the Democratic Republic of the Congo had an unusual pet monkey known locally as a "lesula." Hart tracked its growth for 19 months, and then observed individuals in the wild. The lesula spends most of its time on the ground foraging in small groups.
The Guardian describes the face as sensitive and intelligent, "like it is sitting for its portrait by Rembrandt. It reveals a staggeringly insightful, wise, and melancholy face. Like Rembrandt's son Titus in the portrait of him by his father that hangs in London's Wallace Collection, the lesula looks right back at its beholder, calm and pensive, examining you as you examine it. Its eyes have the depth and frankness of those seen in moving portraits on Roman-era mummies from the Fayoum, or in Antonello da Messina's haunting portrait of a man gazing back out of a glassy oil panel."
12 Comments on New African Monkey, last added: 10/4/2012
I think the most fasinating aspect of this story is that we are still discovering the world around us. You expect to hear new bug or fungi discovered but a monkey?!! That's really cool.
Makes you wonder about some cryptozoological animals. Up until the end of the 19th century Pandas were considered semi-mythical animals (called a zouyu, or "righteous" animal, thought only to exist during the reigns of benevolent monarches). Gorillas, as a scientific animal species, were not categorized until 1867, and mountain gorillas were not discovered until 1902. Makes you wonder what else is out there.
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A flag or a cutter is a piece of opaque black cloth or board held in position to block a source of light.
Here are some modern flags, held in position by a C-stand. These allow a director of photography in a photo lab or a movie shoot to control exactly which surfaces the light touches or to keep a light from shining into the lens.
Here's a photo of John Singer Sargent painting Mrs. Fiske Warren (Gretchen Osgood) and her daughter Rachel at the Fenway Court in Boston (now the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum), where Sargent had set up a temporary studio.
Sargent placed a chair behind the sitters, with poles strapped to the back of the chair. Across those poles he draped a piece of cloth as a cutter to reduce the backlighting and the glare into his eyes. The soft key light comes from a window unseen to the right. ------ More about that Sargent painting. Sargent photo from "Representational Painting" Facebook page Photo of modern cutter from Enchanting Kerala.org
4 Comments on Flags and Cutters, last added: 10/5/2012
Hello! Keep it up! This is a good read. You have such an interesting and informative page. You also have a very good choice of colors and a very good taste in art. I will be looking forward to visit your page again and for your other posts as well. Thank you for sharing your thoughts about decorative arts. I am glad to stop by your site and know more about decorative arts. Modern understanding of the art of many cultures tends to be distorted by the modern privileging of fine art media over others, as well as the very different survival rates of works in different media. Works in metal, above all in precious metals, are liable to be "recycled" as soon as they fall from fashion, and were often used by owners as repositories of wealth, to be melted down when extra money was needed. Illuminated manuscripts have a much higher survival rate, especially in the hands of the church, as there was little value in the materials and they were easy to store. With our proximity to Salem, Newburyport, MA, and Portsmouth, NH, and our unique position as the only full service auction house on the North Shore of Boston, we have seen many noteworthy historical, and museum-quality pieces of American furniture sell over the years, achieving excellent prices for both buyer and seller.
On Sunday in East Durham, New York, I attended a tribute concert for Irish whistle and flute player Mike McHale.
At the end of the concert, Mike played his whistle and told how he got started in the music. The son of a schoolmaster in Tulsk, County Roscommon, he was given a toy whistle at age six. He rode his bicycle many miles to hear the great musicians of his day playing in sessions. But he wasn't allowed to join in, even though he had learned many of the tunes. The whistle wasn't considered a worthy instrument at the time.
After listening to a session, Mike would ride home along dark streets on rainy nights, trying to keep the tunes in his head. Sometimes an elusive melody would pop into his head in the middle of the night, and he'd go downstairs into the kitchen in the dark, take out the whistle and play the tune when the rest of the house was asleep. It was then his mother knew he would be a musician. "Now I know all musicians are mad," she said.
His big breakthrough came when he was sitting in the shadows behind the older players. One day they couldn't remember how a certain tune sounded. He reached in his pocket, pulled out the whistle, and played it out from memory. That was his ticket into the royal circle. Someone gave him a flute and he was on his way at age 11. He went on to win the All-Ireland competition on the whistle, which is now an honored instrument in the Irish tradition, and Mike one of its greatest masters.
Inspiring personal story. How many have had penny whistles as kids and never realized the potential...or even a pencil, for that matter. - mp
Anonymous said, on 10/9/2012 6:40:00 AM
Sorry for that mangled sentence! It's 6:30 am here and I'm off caffeine. I wish there was an editing feature to this comments section. Not everyone is going to bother to take the simplest of objects accessible to the fullest realization of the finest glory. There are other paths. It's wonderful to hear of someone who has found something at such a young age and stuck with it, developing and honing the skill and art of it forever, to become a true master. Beautiful portrait! - mp
Fine story of obsession leading to great results. Love your 'on the spot' portraits James. I have several of them printed off from your blog pinned to my notice board. They set the standard
How do you deal with gouache for on-site work like this? Do you squeeze out the paint from tubes onto a small pallette, or does gouache also come in cake form? (Showing my gouache ignorance here...) It seems like that medium wouldn't lend itself to the hyper compact gear you usually use for field sketching. But the results sure are great!
Thanks, everybody. Tom, I was sitting off to the side at a little table where the musicians set their drinks. I had enough room to spread out: pencil box, tubes of paint, a little plastic lid for a palette, paint rag, two water cups, and brushes. The light wasn't too great, though, so it was hard to see what I was doing.
I'm in Ireland as I read this post so it's a perfect fit. We'll be listening to musicians and storytellers tonight as several of us gather in the living room with friends on the Beara peninsula, County Cork.
Great story, especially at the beginning of a week. How do you pick which medium to sketch with? Just filt like mixing it up this time? How many colors did you use for this, I'm thinking four?
Also, I don't know if you are suppose to but I do dry out my gouache. However, I only have white and gray. I'm new to this medium.
Steve--Have fun there! We love the Beara Peninsula. We stayed in Bantry County Cork and painted the wedge tombs thereabouts.
Greathouse, I used blue, red, yellow, black and white, squeezed out on a damp paper towel on a big yogurt lid. I started this sketch in colored pencil, but wanted to experiment with gouache. I've painted quite a bit of landscapes and cityscapes in it, but not many portraits, so I'm experimenting.
To me, your gouache brushwork seems very different from your transparent watercolor and oil painting brushwork -- it appears to be more calligraphic and design-y. (in the hi-lites especially)
Anonymous said, on 10/10/2012 8:58:00 AM
I think the fuzz on top of his head is the piece de resistance. - mp
Great portrait! I'm experimenting with gouache as well for the matte finish and the quick drying times. If you could share more about your experiences with gouache, I for one would appreciate it!
Interesting to note how most older musicians seem to 'fit' their instruments. Their faces take on a shape that accommodates their instrument, or at least has been altered by years of playing.
John and Ada said, on 10/10/2012 6:46:00 PM
Thank you James for sharing your portrait and relating the story. It brings back many fond memories of the Rhinecliff hotel with Mike, Father Charlie, your son Danny and a cast of hundreds over the years. Besides the great music & stories that were told, we always enjoyed watching you sketch during the concerts. Thanks again, John & Ada
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Cartoonist Gabrielle Bell is doing watercolor portraits over Skype. They’re tiny and amazing, and $35 I think. This might be the best possible use for Skype, although the scientific research isn’t in yet.
More from Gabrielle at her site, and her new book The Voyeurs is available from Uncivilized Books, as well as all good bookstores.
0 Comments on Cartoonist Gabrielle Bell is doing watercolor portraits over... as of 12/7/2012 12:59:00 PM
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Both this and the chihuahua have nice deep blacks in them. Do you do any adjustments in Photoshop? I'm curious because I have a devil of a time getting graphite to scan or photograph well. It's always got some glare to it.
Anonymous said, on 12/18/2012 9:05:00 AM
Do you have any advice for drawing folks "out in the wilderness"? It feels like a whole different beast compared to figure drawing sessions, where you have plenty of time to make careful measurements and observations.
Rich said, on 12/18/2012 11:53:00 AM
The Video Guy is very vividly portrayed. Another enjoyable entry.
Joshua, I shoot all my work outdoors with a digital SLR camera (or a pocket camera if that's all I've got). I usually adjust Levels or Curves or the automatic "Adjust Levels" to correct white balance and bring out the range of tones. Sometimes I edit the whites to pure white to give the feeling of a vignette on white paper. Thanks, mp and Rich.
Anon 1: Yes, in "the wild" I can't do the length or slope measurements that I might do in a model session. And of course my subject will surely move and depart after a while. I love the sense of urgency that gives my drawings.
People dealing with technology, especially cell phones or laptops in cafes, are great subjects because they hold poses for a long time.
One tip: wear a pleasant expression rather than the grim Concentration Face in case they happen to look over. And if they do look over, hold up your book with the page toward them and smile or walk over if you can and explain what you're doing.
Anonymous said, on 12/18/2012 4:02:00 PM
Two questions: 1) Did the "Video Guy" film the "Sketcher Guy" and, 2) What kind of camera is he using?
Anonymous: 1. No, the V.G. didn't notice that the S.G. was looking at him. 2. Don't know the kind of camera. The sketch was from almost 10 years ago, so digital cameras have come a long way since then.
Qitsune, It was a big tent with open sides, and the rules were a little looser about smoking back then, so I don't think anyone complained.
I know some video folks. To get the full picture, so to speak, you have to be around for the tech build, where they are setting up the control area, laying the cables that will provide the feeds, siting the cameras that will shoot the action, and later doing the all important tech rehearsal where they do a run through with those who will be filmed to get the schedules down and the cues set so that everyone is on the same page about what will happen when. It's live, and you don't get to do a retake if there's a flub. It has to be right the first time.
And since it's not just video, the sound folks are in the mix as well, placing mikes and adjusting levels at the mixing board so people will be heard as well as seen, and the lighting folks are doing hang and focus and setting up the light plots in their controllers, putting in the cues that will let them change lighting with the touch of a button at the appropriate moment. (The staging folks have already built the risers and the framework from which lights will be hung.)
It's Putting On A Show, and I know a lot of folks who do other things for a living, but do stuff like this because it's fun. (And do it, often, better than those who do it for a living.)
But it's not man vs tech unless there's a glitch. Usually it's man and tech, and the tech is an extension of the people using it.
Great sketch, though: the video guy is totally focused on getting the shot, and it will be right.
It would be the same for me if I were confronted by a brush and oils. It's not my tech, and hasn't become an extension of me.
Your challenge is to get the image right in your head. Once you know what you _want_ to paint, you won't have an issue actually doing it, because you've mastered your craft.
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By: James Gurney,
on 2/14/2013
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By: Christina Wald,
on 2/8/2013
, written by his wife Lesa Cline-Ransome.
, Gary Faigin says that in the stifled smile, "the lips are frozen in a middle position and surrounded by a complex muscular landscape."
(reddish brown and black) and three water brushes
(clear water, black ink, and blue ink) in a 5x8 inch watercolor notebook. I chose these tools carefully before the concert started. Since there was no intermission, I knew I couldn't fish around in the sketch bag, and I had to hold the unused tools very quietly in my left hand. 
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By: Donna Pellegata ,
on 7/31/2012
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By: Lou Simeone,
on 9/18/2012
watercolor pencils, in a
, using large flat watercolor brushes
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By: Roberta Baird,
on 11/7/2012
By: John,
on 12/7/2012
Nice that he used everyone's color palette and technique. But only one of the victims is gurning.
In quality caricatures such as Boudreau's, notice how quickly you recognize the subject. I find it helpful to do a few quick caricature sketches or at least visualize them in my mind, before doing a conventional portrait drawing or painting. This focus me on the features that define the person.
Excellent point, Robert Michael Walsh. Related to that, I find that when I'm stuck on a portraint or figure rendering, exagerating a feature that strikes me as important is frequently the key to unlocking a likeness.
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This artist is a frequent contributor (and winner) to a FB caricature contest called Caricaturama Showdown 300o. HIs work is definitely top-notch.