32 artistMarch 2021 http://www.painters-online.co.ukPainting the
clothes
Ann Witheridge discusses how clothes – and
how they are painted – can enhance a portrait
Ann 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.comBEYOND A LIKENESS – TURNING A PORTRAIT INTO A PAINTING: 3RD OF 4
I
love painting unclothed figures- I see a balance and a harmony
that sits more naturally for me than
does a clothed figure. Unlike most
people, as artists we are very used
to being around figure models and
don’t feel the need to cover them up
in clothing. For me a natural state is
unclothed but even a century after
the Victorians, most people are more
comfortable with the clothed human
form.I find painting a clothed model or
sitter is much more challenging than
painting an unclothed figure. However,
there are many advantages to painting
clothes, both for the painting and for
the characterisation of the sitter.Enhancement
Let us consider the advantages of
clothes and how we can best use
them to enhance the painting and
the characterisation. In the history of
painting, clothing was used symbolically
to add status and context to a sitter
and to show the artist’s skill and
bravura with paint handling and design.
Although I have never attempted to
paint an outfit such as that worn by
Madame Moitessier in Ingres’ portrait,
there are many examples of artists’
high levels of skill and patience when it
comes to painting clothing.
I have included two portraits here.
One of Lily dressed in a clown’s ruff
collar (left) and one of Owen in his
jacket and waistcoat (right). In both
portraits I have used the clothing to
help me make artistic decisions and
push my paint handling.
I think we can get quite formulaic
when painting clothing and fabric,
but I don’t think this is a negative.
Remember the clothing is the support
act and not the subject. You don’t
want to give it too much character. It
is there to enhance and support the
characterisation of the portrait. While
remaining the support act, it can still
add so much, both iconographically and
artistically, to the painting.Lily, oil on linen, 24 3 20in (61 3 51cm)