Artists & Illustrators - UK (2021-04)

rtrait

p i ting

COMPOSITION

Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts’

chair of painting AL GURY concludes his

series on compositional strategies for artists

with a focus on the genre of portraiture

P

ortrait paintings and how they

are created have a complex

compositional history. Ranging

from simple remembrances of a

family member to elaborate

narratives and symbolism, all forms of

portraiture have definite formal and

informal considerations.

The formal elements include the

shapeandsizeofthepainting

support;thesizeandamountofthe

figurewithinthepictorialframe;the

qualitiesofdrawing,line,anatomy

andatmosphericeffects;thecolour

choicesandlighting;andsymmetry

andasymmetry.

Theinformalormoresubjective

qualitiesmayincludenarrativeand

symbolism;emotionalexpression;

achievinga likeness;formalityofpose

versusinformality;expressive

qualitiesofpaintapplicationand

aestheticconnectionstostyle;and

thepurposeorintentoftheportrait.

Theseformalandinformalelements

arepartofthetraditionsthathave

comedownthroughhistoryinportrait

paintinginmanyworldcultures.They

arealsotheconsiderationsthata

contemporarypainterofportraits

needstoconsiderinplanningand

critiquingtheirwork.Belowareeight

recommendations for compositional

and artistic considerations when

making a successful portrait.

1

QUANTITY

The amount of the portrait

subject to be used in the

painting is an important and often

overlooked part of the initial decision.

Howmuchofyoursubjectwillyou

include?A facestudy?Headand

shoulders?Headandchest?

Half-lengthsittingorfull-length

standing?

Fora headortorsosubject,the

positioningwithinthepictorialframe

is notascomplicatedandwillbe

discussedfurther.Thecropping

pointsforeachtypearealsocritical

andwillbediscussedthoroughly.

If theportraitis a half-lengthor

larger,however,thedecisionsaround

thepositioningwithinthecomposition

becomemorecomplicatedandare

dependentonwhetherthepersonis

seenaloneina generalisedspaceor

partofa room,andwhetherthe

positioningis symmetricalor

asymmetrical.

Thinkingthroughtheintentofthe

paintinganddoingsmall

compositionalthumbnailsketchesor

Edgar Degas, The Collector of Prints, 1866, oil on canvas, 53x40cm

Degas is one of the first truly modern portrait painters. His use of casual poses, unflattering

likenesses and intimate interiors provided a whole new language that reflected social changes

in 19th-century France. Rather than the formal, highly controlled compositions used by his

contemporaries, he presents us with an intimate view of a person going about their daily life.

HO HAVEMEYER COLLECTION, BEQUEST OF MRS. HO HAVEMEYER, 1929. THE METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART, NEW YORK, USA