Process and BrainstormingBefore starting my piece I wrote down some of the initial ideas I had. With this piece I knew I wanted to take a Fauvist/Surrealist approach. Once I knew the art movements I wanted to use, I choose two artists that would fit into this art movement. Therefore, the work of Karl Jahnke and Andre Derain would be great artists to use as inspiration. These artists have a couple of things in common which I would have to consider to apply in my piece; such as the application of vibrant colors and unrealistic textures. Since the work I was looking into for this piece were portraits I planned to make a self portrait piece as well.
ExperimentationThese experimentation drawings are all self-portraits that were done with different images and mediums. Before beginning this piece I was unsure of which medium to use, but once I noticed that the color pencil produced the best texture and form I decided to begin my piece with the use of color pencils. When experimenting with medium and color I noticed how the color pencil was not producing darker tones which was the only negative aspect to this medium. The images in this pieces where also not good because they lacked the serious look I wanted to portray in my piece. Otherwise, I felt the outcome of each piece was successful for the type of medium I used. However, since my inspirations used intense colors throughout their piece, the use of color pencil would be the medium I would have to use for this piece.
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SketchesThese sketches were made in order to expand on my technique with creating form and value. I decided to make this sketches portraits because my piece will also be a portrait, therefore, these sketches serve to experiment with the creation of facial features.
ProcessI began this piece with using an image and sketching an outline onto a regular sized paper. After creating an outline I began with the eyes. In order to get the eyes to be the darkest feature I used ink in order to get them to stand out. After finishing the eyes I began to use the purple color pencil to create form around the chin and neck. Then I used the blue to color to create the mouth and the yellow to surround the mouth and chin. After finishing with the yellow I proceeded by using the red color to finish off the face. When working with the facial features I often payed close detail to creating form and contrast. Once completing the face I moved on to the hair and the sweater, and then completed the background. The background, however, was not appearing as bold as I had wished and therefore, is hardly noticeable in the finished images.
Meaning of the PieceThis piece is meant to represent the emotions we may experience every now and then which we often dismiss. I often find myself feeling angry or sad and these are things we are taught not to express in public. It has happened too often where these emotions get bottled up and I find myself distributing these emotions at random times. In a daily basis there are people who are mad or sad and they hide it away with a smile or a serious face. These emotions are things that we naturally keep away from others to see but feel inside, which is something we have to learn to control or adjust as we grow up.
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My main inspiration for this painting was the Fauvist painter Andre Derain. As one of the founders of the Fauvist movement, Derain’s goal was to give a greater appreciation to the qualities of paint. His work is composed of vibrant brushstrokes and color that attract the viewers attention. His colorful paintings were primarily mean to describe the beauties of nature and the people enjoying the beauty of nature, drastically different from Impressionist paintings which depict a realist view of modern life. Derains “Mountains at Collioure” was one of the paintings which greatly inspired me to create my piece. In his painting he displays the vibrant, energetic, and clashing colors which bring life to his work.
Karl Jahnke was my other inspiration for this piece, particularly his piece "Red Lady". "Red Lady" was a portrait where Jahnke applied vibrant colors around the face and a lady with a serious look. There is a great contrast between the bold colors used in the face and the light cool tones applied to the background. In this piece Jahnke attempted to create the feeling of range through the use of warm colors which are supported through the dark, and almost demonic looking eyes. I wanted to use aspects found within Jahnke's piece such as the contrast in color and texture. With this piece I also wanted to add the bumpy texture found around the mouth of "Red Lady" while simultaneously applying the rough strokes found in "Portrait of Matisse" by Derain. Moreover, I wanted to also adapt some of the techniques Andre Derain used in his paintings which involved imperfect brushstrokes and flat planes. Ultimately, these techniques would allow for a focus on color and contrast rather than form and value. “André Derain | Fishing Boats, Collioure | The Met.” The Metropolitan Museum of Art, i.e. The Met Museum, www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/482510.
Kalitina, N., et al. Andre Derain: painter through the ordeal by fire. Parkstone, 1995. Jahnke, Karl. "Karl Jahnke Home." Karl Jahnke. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Apr. 2017. |
Derain, "Portrait of Matisse (1905)". Web. 10 Oct. 2017.
Jahnke, "Red Lady". Web. 10 Oct. 2017.
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