32 artistApril 2021 http://www.painters-online.co.ukApril 2021W
hen we think of
expressions, we think
particularly of facial
features, and yet so much
of the expression is first determined by
the overall mood of the painting. My
previous three articles looked at the
background, the hair and the clothes,
all of which add to the mood of the
painting and, therefore, the expression.Mood
The mood of the painting can be
conveyed both through the subject
matter, as well as painting style and
paint handling. In this article we will
consider naturalistic expressions as
opposed to the artistic movement we
refer to as Expressionism*. Within aBEYOND A LIKENESS – TURNING A PORTRAIT INTO A PAINTING: 4TH OF 4
The expression
In her final article in this series, Ann Witheridge
considers how best to capture the sitter’s expression
naturalistic tradition we can use many
elements to help convey a mood, a
feeling and therefore an expression.
As always we should first consider the
big shapes, the large topics before we
delve into the details.
I have a very systematic approach
to my painting and to teaching; rather
than juggling all the elements of a
painting in the first brushstroke, I like
to break it down into simpler steps:
shapes, values, colour, edges and
paint handling. We can use this same
approach to build the mood we want in
the painting. When thinking about the
overall plan for your painting, consider:- The shapes, which includes the
overall composition and the pose. Is it
formal or relaxed? This is conveyed with
the pose, the scale, the clothing and the
hairstyle.- The angle or viewpoint. Is it from
above, below or straight on? This can
add a sense of tenderness, grandeur or
directness. - The direction of the sitter’s gaze,
looking down, looking up or directly
at the viewer. This can also convey
different emotions in the sitter. - The values, whether we go from
strong contrasting values, or soft subtle
Each of the five small oil painting sketches shown here were done in one sitting,
but each has a very different mood.p Sideways glance
103 6in (25.5 3 15cm).
Although the sitter is not looking directly at us, the
expression is still strong and confidentp Eyes closed
53 5in (12.5 3 12.5cm).
The sitter has closed her eyes, which adds
to the mood of gentle sensualityAnn Witheridge
studied art history at Christ’s College,
Cambridge before moving to Italy
to study art full-time. She has been
teaching drawing and painting in the
atelier tradition for over 20 years. Ann
founded London Fine Art Studios to
teach the craft of drawing and painting
to dedicated artists.
http://londonfineartstudios.com
http://annwitheridge.com