Self Portrait  by Arthur Shilling, 1985

Arthur Shilling was Anishinaabe, from the Chippewas of Rama First Nation Reserve  in Southern Ontario.

Those who have taken a portrait course with me will recognize his 1985 self-portrait,  his last before his death in 1986. It’s a fine  example of expression and vibrancy, with a darker edginess. He’s a wonderful colourist and an inspiration for confident brushwork.

Shilling was unusual as an aboriginal artist in pursuing the portrait as a means of expression, over more traditional narratives. He was a master at capturing something of the personality of those around him.

“Most people I paint don’t like themselves. I try to reveal their spiritual soul, the quietness that makes us different, that no other nation or people have.”

Arthur Shilling was a natural colourist and whilst bold and expressive, he places colour  based on clear principles for impact and effect. Notice for example, the purple in the background – it weaves it’s way down the side of his face, suggesting contour.

In my own work, I hope l have been influenced a little by Arthur Shilling!

As an aside, you can see that Shilling painted a brown and black under-painting first – not unlike our second week’s foundation process.

Colour and Colour Mixing

Whether you’re new to colour practices, or want a refresher, a great start is to investigate the mixing of colours in a colour wheel. Using your own colours rather than those any website or book might recommend is where the real value lies. There’s no theory that can replace the experience of how your tubes mix together – it’s a tangible, real-world experience.

Firstly, become comfortable with the basics of the colour wheel. Most art books have something sensible to say about this and a good summary is contained in the first couple of sections on this website: http://www.colormatters.com/color-and-design/basic-color-theory

Secondly, watch the following video, which summarizes my approach to colour and mixing:

Exercises

1. Now see if you can develop a colour wheel along similar lines – repeat the video, pausing as you go. My approach is to follow a variation of a palette based on 2 versions of each primary, in “warm” and “cool” versions. This aids more predictable colour mixing.
2. When you have finished following the video, prove to yourself that you can “decolour” each of the primaries by mixing in a little of the complement: what tonal colour does each give?
3. Finally, take one of your tonal colours: burnt or raw Sienna, yellow oxide/ochre, burnt or raw umber…it’s not really important which – put out a small squirt and then see if you can replicate the same colour by mixing just the primaries together…as you see, that same target tone will appear…perhaps a little magically!

Exercise

1. Now see if you can develop a colour wheel along similar lines – repeat the video, pausing as you go. My approach is to follow a variation of a palette based on 2 versions of each primary, in “warm” and “cool” versions. This aids more predictable colour mixing.
2. When you have finished following the video, prove to yourself that you can de-colour each of the primaries by mixing in a little of the complement: what tonal colour does each give?
3. Complete a  quick study using a complement pair for lights and shadows. The following study, for example, is predominantly formed through a yellow-purple complementary contrast. Whether working in watercolour, acrylic or oil, paper or card will be fine. The intent is to look at contrasts rather than producing a finished work.

 

Skin and Tones

During every term, I used to dread covering skin tones because everyone is looking for guidance and of course there is no such thing as “Skin Colour” and no simple answer. I solved my dilemma recently by talking about skin and tones, in a more open and I trust creative approach to the subject. Take a look at the following video in which I outline an approach that uses a simple, primary-based palette and equally, gives plenty of opportunity to explore aspects of colour in portraits.

 

Method

My approach to skin and tones is as simple as I can make it, so that I can concentrate on painting rather than all the colours that I “should” be using.

A cool red (Alizarin) and a cool yellow (lemon) (mixed with white in acrylic and oil (titanium) or using  translucency in watercolour) to get colours for mid-tones (and lights). Both colours have a little blueness to them …that’s why they are cool. This prevents the tones becoming too “band-aidey”. In Acrylic and Oil, I use the amount of white to moderate the skin tone itself and with darker tones may add a little blue (but not always).

For shadows, I use the same two colours and add a touch of blue: cerulean for greenish darks and ultramarine for purplish darks. A little white may also be added (but less than before).

In watercolour shadows, I use the same two colours and add a touch of blue: cerulean and yellow for greenish darks and ultramarine and Alizarin for purplish darks. I’ll typically wash on transparent blues, greens and purples without much mixing.

Exercise

1. Repeat the above process with your colours. You don’t have to have the exact same tones, and in fact that’s where the value is: seeing how your colours combine.
2. For acrylic and oil painters, time permitting, repeat this exercise on a toned base, similar to the underpainting which we completed in the last lesson. How does the result differ when painting over a toned surface as compared to the white base?

Impact of colour on background and clothes

Colour is relative when layered one over the other and placed side by side. A common mistake in painting is to wait until the last minute to add in some large areas of colour –  changing background, clothes or any other potential large colour block. In the following video, I elaborate on this.

This idea has some applicability to watercolour, however I typically leave some white space in my backgrounds.

Exercise

1. For acrylic and oil painters, taking your low-tone painting from Lesson 2, or starting afresh and creating a new painting, block in colour forms for background and clothes in preparation for adding colour and definition to this portrait….in the next lesson!
2. When working in watercolour,  be aware that the background has an impact on your portrait and, should you be intending to add in a background, don’t wait until the last minute!

Glazed colour grid

I developed this primarily for watercolourists, however it’s equally applicable to acrylic and oil. The important thing is that the underlying layer is completely dry (days for oil!) and the glazed layer is applied with some medium/painting oil.

Washing one colour over the other is often an excellent path to vibrant  effects – note that over-mixing can create somewhat deadened effects. In the following video, I build a glazed grid of swaths of colour to show how pigments behave, one over the other:

Try to achieve mid-value swaths, ideally using a brush which is the same width as the band – the fewer brush marks the better! Remember to wait for the first pass to dry before completing the grid. A single pass for each application of colour is best…if you move your brush back and forth, too much underlying colour will lift!

Exercise

1. Create a glazed colour grid with your colours as in the glazed colour grid video. You don’t have to have exactly the same tones. In fact, that’s where the value is: seeing how your colours combine.
2. Quiz questions – which is better for glazing, Yellow Ochre or Hansa Yellow? Likewise, would you choose Alizarin Crimson or Burnt Sienna?