Anatomy of a Gesture Portrait
Many artists find portrait painting frustrating. Most beginners skip the gesture and structure of the head and focus their energies in rendering unnecessary details. This leads to portraits that are never quite right and feel lifeless. In gesture portrait the goal is to capture the structure of the head as it moves in a particular lighting situation. Many details are left out and only forms that add to the gesture and the light are enhanced. These are not painted for capturing a likeness but rather accentuating a mood. The following is a synopsis of a gesture portrait in oil.
First Stage: The Foundation
- The palette is toned with a light wash of burnt sienna and ivory black.
- Using a thicker mixture of sienna and black, I find the tilt, turn, and tip of the head. This records a sense of movement. This guides me in placing the features so they fit on the head in the correct perspective.
- The value pattern of light and dark shows the direction of the light as it falls on the forms of the head. As sloppy as this looks, I now have enough information to begin. If I do not have these in place, I do not proceed.
Second Stage: Light and Shadow Pattern
The limited palette of ivory black, cadmium red, burnt sienna, and white will help give a sense of cool light and warm shadow. I am going leave bits of the warm underpainting for my shadow tone. I mix burnt sienna and white to create a midtone in the lights. I can go lighter than this and slightly darker than this mixture before I hit the shadow value. Knowing the value and intensity limits of your palette is crucial to success in your painting.
Third Stage: Turning the Form
After the light and dark pattern has been established, I begin to place the color values that will transition from light to shadow. Highlights are added to complete the value range within the light. In the shadow areas I add cadmium red and burnt sienna to black and place the super darks that will recede within the shadows.
Fourth Stage: Refining the Shapes and Edges
Now I move through the painting carefully selecting areas where I want the viewer to look. In those areas I make certain that the light/dark transitions are sharp. My few intense colors will also be place in these areas. I turn my attention to where I do not want the viewer to look. I make certain those transitions are close together in value and color intensity.
Fifth Stage: The Finish
In the final stages I go back to stage one and make certain that the painting is holding true to the initial gesture. The tendency is to begin to straighten the head as I work on it. To compensate for this I cut into the far side of the face with the back ground and drop the eye on that side to set the tilt. I shorten the forehead to tip the head up a bit more. I push the warmth around the eyes, put the final touches on the shirt and call it done. This is a gesture and not a fully fleshed out portrait. It is also tiny, only 5x7 inches, so to go any further would drive my eyes crazy!
Sixth Stage: Check
I think the painting is solid but I run a photograph of the painting through the “threshold” filter in Adobe Photoshop. This tells me if I have a simple and strong value structure which is the foundation of a good painting. That is my approach in gesture portrait. It can vary slightly depending on the medium and the colors I choose, but no matter the medium or the color choices, that first stage is so important. Take your time recording the tilt, turn and tip of the head. Use those decisions to paint the features as forms being hit by light. This crucial beginning will go a long way to creating a vibrant portrait.
In my upcoming Italy workshop we will be starting with gesture portrait and figure, then build on these skills to create finished but expressive work. We will also be visiting museums to see how gesture was vital to the work of the Renaissance masters. For more information visit the workshop section of my website. Only two spots left!
