The Figurative Art of Painting the Face



A work in progress

Firstly, it is the face that attracts anybody. As an artist, the thing I love to paint foremost is the face. It would be very easy so find the reason if one analyses it. But I would just like to say that emotions affect me. And the face is the part of the body where emotions show most easily. In that case, I would be an adherent of the Expressionist school of art, I understand.

Slowly I am getting to know my art. Why do many kinds of things? Why experiment with so many colors? Isn't it the right time to choose, to focus on some, and block out the rest. For a signature style, isn't it necessary to choose?

And layering - of colors - so that it shows in depth, is essential. For some time now, I had been concentrating on small size paintings. I had moved away from my size, which is large. In India, when I started off, I started with the large size. Due to the economy, I have forced myself to do the small sizes. But that has not been very satisfying. That should not be the case, but that's how I am feeling. My personality likes big paintings, and I should not confine myself to the small ones.

With this thought process, I am preparing the ground to restart work on the large ones. Hope this is the right path. What do you say?

A Studio At Last!

It's been a long time since I wrote this blog. And there is a reason for that. We've been moving house. You can imagine how much time and effort it takes for that. All the stuff and the packing! Then the subsequent unpacking.

There has been some excitement for me in this house moving too. And that is, I was to get a new place to work, paint. I could not wait to get my place, clean and arrange it, and then start painting.

Amidst unpacking the innumerable cardboard boxes, getting the things arranged in the respective places, disposing of recycle thus generated, then my part time job, I had not been able to get my painting spot cleared. It has taken me more than a month to finally remove the cobwebs of the garage, sweep the floor, spray insecticide, set up the shelves and the easels, and start work.

Earnestly, I should have done this long back, immediately after the move. But I wanted it to be a smooth, pleasant experience. So I didn't rush. And I am happy to see the outcome. After burning incense, dusting regularly, the garage has turned out to be a great place to paint. Much more than I had imagined.

The lights are insufficient, but very soon a couple of tubelights would do the trick. I've given up the idea of using track lights, as I realised that track lights are best for exhibiting paintings, but not for making them. Working under track lights would focus brightness too much on them, which would not be comfortable for long hours of work. Moreover, painting requires flooded lighting, not focused. 

Why do so many artists end up with their studio in the garage?