This year we have to create a self portrait with at least one hand included and also a portrait of another member of the group who we selected by a draw out of a hat.
I got Cliff. It took me a little while to decide how I would portray him in a portrait.
I went out and took photos of him.He is a volunteer member of the Lake Macquarie marine rescue so I thought that would work well.I got some photos of him in his uniform which would have given a good portrait . I also took photos of him painting and decided that this angle would allow me to show his personality , the side I know , better..
The group can be quite a fun group with several members joking around. Cliff and Kevin often have running jokes and try and outdo each other.
The photo I chose showed this side of Cliff and I new I could enhance this in the portrait.
Finished portrait
The joker
30 x 40cms
Framed oil
Early blue stage
I started with a more finished acrylic blue version than usual as I wanted to make sure I got a good likeness and the expression before I started on the oil colour. Even though I spent longer getting it pretty accurate at this stage I still made a lot of changes as the portrait progressed refining the likeness and expression.
The 'finished' blue acrylic paint stage
I approached this portrait differently than usual . Instead of painting the whole painting at once I went straight in and did his face first then his hands and the rest. Not the best way to paint as you play catch up trying to get the whole portrait to hang together.I just wanted to get the expression etc plus it was the fun part!
Now I had to paint the rest of him and tie it all together..I made his head a bit shorter and rounder.You can see the final version in the first photo - the finished version
Now to create my self portrait. Now that will take a while. I have me and Zeuss to paint and it's larger.
I better get into it as I only have 4 weeks until they have to go in!
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