I have a general checklist for my work that let me know when it’s done. I look for: good colour; temperature and light contrast; and interesting marks throughout.
Over the years, interesting marks has been something that changed in my perception. Marks that I used to find exciting (mainly because I couldn’t achieve them), no longer hold my attention. I’ve used them too often, or I’ve seen other painters use the same marks and felt like part of a crowded field.
It’s not always easy to know what types of marks I want in a piece until I evaluate something that’s done and ask myself if it holds my attention. Was it worth painting or is it ordinary? If it’s ordinary, as this portrait was, there’s nothing to be lost by messing it up and trying to find something that I can be proud of.
In this case, the piece started out as a straightforward alla prima painting. It was done entirely with brushes and was ok, but not special. I considered scraping it off to save the panel but I liked the pose and was still committed to making the painting work.
I pulled out this hardware store scraper used for smoothing walls and glided it gently across the surface, creating a smeary, disrupted surface. The painting looked more interesting but not original. I’ve seen that surface a lot, made it a few times myself, and didn’t feel it was the right direction.
My biggest issue with the scraped version was the messiness. I like messy paintings but this seemed messy in a predictable way. Contrived. It was obvious that a single tool made that effect.
Next I pulled out the brayer and silicon scraper. These allowed me to smooth some of the most chaotic areas, taming the mess and creating quieter passages. Both tools softened the aggressive texture and simplified the image. I started to feel much better about the piece.
The last step was to go back with brushes and strengthen areas that had gotten too vague and to emphasize important moments like the neckline, the glasses, and the back of the neck. These little refinements helped me to move the viewer’s eye around the whole work - always my goal.
I like it now! It has complexity, ambiguity, texture and quietness. It works on an image and an object level. The figure is interesting to me and so is the painted surface. Unless the studio gremlins have a go at it tonight, I think it’s done.
Happy painting and Happy New Year!
That painting is anything but ordinary IMHO. Both the Before and After renderings.
I just completed two portraits inspired by/copied of the 1665 Vermeer painting of Girl with a Pearl Earring. These are # 3 and # 4 of my foray into portraiture. I used my darling granddaughters faces instead of Vermeer’s girl.
So are my paintings ordinary? Maybe. What am I missing? I don’t see anywhere to post photos so that you can see what I am talking about.
Cheers,
Verna Korkie
Thanks Verna!
Ordinary is in the eye of the beholder and I think we are the toughest judges of our own work. I just felt that the piece didn’t speak to me at all on my first attempt. I wasn’t engaged by the image and I wouldn’t want to have it on my own walls. That’s always my criteria: I should be happy to have it in my own home.
I’m glad you liked both versions 😊