'Girl With Braid'
Oil on Canvas Paper
11x14
In the winter of 2022, at the height of a bitter cold winter, I began a short little series of quick, free-hand portraits. My aim was to loosen up my hand and better train my co-ordination to paint what I see, rather than using a grid every time.
Usually my process calls for a grid on the canvas to assist in the pre-sketch and proportions. It's incredibly useful and a must for portraiture study - that is, until you train to free hand. It takes years of study to master the art of free-hand. Many hours must be dedicated to develop that muscle memory and learning to trust your grip on the brush and flow in the wrist.
In my process, it begins with a piece of 14" x 11" canvas paper taped to a wooden framed plank with painters tape. This tape with later create a white border, so it's important that it is somewhat even. Then I brush the whole canvas with either a burnt sienna or a yellow ochre acrylic paint. These layers of acrylic serve as a base layer for building the layers of oil paint. (You can paint oil on acrylic - but not the reverse of acrylic on oil...won't stick well) The colour in the base layer can also show through, and serve as an stylistic element or a hue that will hold the painting together from within.
Then, with an oil colour mixed with Liquin (a fast drying medium) and Linseed oil (an open medium), I begin to sketch out basic shapes an proportions based on the subject. In this case I chose a sweet picture of a girl with a braid I found on the web. Web images are great for practicing because there is no real attachment to the image, you're likely not going to sell it, and there is a great variety available. (I believe this reference was an Alexander Khimushin photo if I remember correctly. His photography is amazing and so inspiring! I want to paint everything he shoots!)
Next is filling in colour and value -lights are light and darks are dark. I embraced a more painterly vibe, and resisted my habit of bringing tiny details to everything. I wanted to work on trust my hand and allowing the movement of the brushstroke to create emphasis and movement.
Usually, the background is something I would paint first, because it is behind the subject and more practical that way. This time, however, I wanted to leave space for some of that beautiful yellow ochre to peek through. There's something to be said for the little imperfections in art. They add to the feel and mood of a painting. It brings the viewer closer to the process. Over production or perfection, in my perspective, changes the viewpoint to a fixed position that feels like it's somehow behind glass and untouchable. Imperfections are tangible to the eyes, and, like brail on fingertips, translates more depth of meaning, presence and the senses.
You can see in the picture to the left the hints of ochre around her head and the edges of the canvas.
The aim of this exercise is used not only to loosen up a free hand and improve coordination, but also to shorten my time at the easel. A time crunch can be very effective in regards to learning to trust your own gestures and vision. There is no space for overthinking, second guessing or obsessing about a piece. All that can be done is to lay the paint and move forward to the next thing. This particular painting was completed in one sitting (approx. 5 hours).
This is an exercise that is similar to those that you would experience in most art classes. With time limits as short as 10 seconds to 2 minutes, the artist must work fast to create the form, movement and composition on their canvas or paper. This requires a loose and confident wrist and an arm that can follow the flow of the gesture. It takes years of practice to cultivate this ability. It's probably one of the most powerful and skill enhancing study an artist can practice. It teaches your hand and eyes to become closer friends; to communicate better and, in turn, create a better composition.
Thank you for checking out my latest study. I have more portraits to share as I have practiced this challenge off and on since 2022, and will share more pieces in the future. It's always wonderful to share my passion with all those that take interest in the arts and creativity as much as I do.
Hugs,
Teresa