R. Davies Art

Today, I use my painting of Crystal to talk about the emotional content of a portrait. Anyone with a modicum of effort can get a reasonable likeness. I firmly believe that. But it is the composing and editing of the vast amount of information that makes a painting feel like it has captured a subject's inner life. This can only be done by careful observation--that is standing back and seeing what the painting says at any one moment. Does your most recent mark head you towards a coherent understanding of this person's inner life or does it head away? This takes practice and it cannot be taught. Some people are simply insensitive to composition and to subtle changes in emotional feel when painting. I know, that sounds mean, but it is simply a fact. Now, I don't mean that a viewer who cannot paint the emotion before them cannot see the emotion when presented by someone who can. Of course they can. That is what makes us human. In this image, I see a very concerned woman wh...

Debra has a great smile and personality. As you can see, she is smiling, but not opening her mouth. I feel that the best way to capture the sense of a personality is to not let them pose. I will often video the subject and ask them questions, but not tell them I'm videoing. Most people have a "snapshot" face that they put on when confronted with a camera. For fun, you might go through the Facebook pics of friends who have lots of photos and see how many of those are posed basically in the same way: from above, smiling while facing always to the left or right, a finger on the chin, a shoulder thrust forward. Generally, you will find that women are far more conscious of their looks and strive to always present only what they wish to be seen. I, on the other hand, like to find those interstitial moments where the true being shines through.

Christina. This woman is amazing and was the most fun to paint. The glasses were a great challenge as they are made of two differently colored plastics that are swirled together and which have very subtle shadings. And, to top that off, the greenish-blue color is one of those colors that seem to balance on the head of a pin between two strong colors and is nearly impossible to mix. I spent more time on that color. I do work from photographs when painting portraits, generally, because most people are far too busy to sit for the time required. If they insist, I double the price due to the hassles of moving equipment and the extra time spent getting a likeness. Mainly, I insist on using my own photos which are carefully bracketed for exposure to ensure proper and accurate shadows and highlights. Like a portrait where the subject sits, I sketch the portrait onto the surface with raw umber. I use my brush handle to measure and compare distances and to examine angles. I build up planes...