American Artist Magazine published a feature article on my painting!
Wonderfully,
American Artist has published a feature article on my portrait painting
in the January 2002 issue. Written by Linda Price, this article outlines
two of my painting techniques. The methods I use in portraiture are often
similar to those that I use in figure or any other painting.
I am very grateful to the staff of American Artist
-- and especially to Senior Editor Lynne Moss who first approached me about
doing the article -- for this endorsement of my work. Further, I am forever
grateful to my good friends Jim Smyth and Brigitte Curt for their enthusiastic
recommendations to Ms. Moss. Without their unsolicited praise behind the
scenes, I might never have enjoyed the honor that this article brings to
my career.
The paintings shown in the article are here for
you to see, and below this, I have added extra
discussion and detail for curious artists and
students. I hope that you read the article in American Artist, and that
it enriches your own ideas about painting.
Thanks for your interest!
Would you like to take skill clinics and workshops with me?
Academic Figure Workshops
& Skill Clinics
THE ARTICLE PORTRAITS
click any image to see large
THE SIMONS
CHILDREN
2000
OIL ON LINEN
36 X 48
A CHILD'S
PORTRAIT
1990
OIL ON LINEN
32 X 19
MARILYN
1998
OIL ON LINEN
32 X 20
SELF-PORTRAIT USING
FOUR
PIGMENTS
1993
OIL ON CANVAS
28 X 22
ALLA
PRIMA
SELF-PORTRAIT
1987
OIL ON LINEN
28 X 22
YOUNG WOMAN
OVERLOOKING
SILICON
VALLEY
2000
OIL ON LINEN MOUNTED ON MASONITE
20 X 16
YOUNG
WOMAN
IN PINK
T-SHIRT
2001
OIL ON LINEN MOUNTED ON PANEL
20 X 16
DRAWING
LESSON: LEARN ABOUT THIS TECHNIQUE
INFORMAL
POSE
STUDY
2001
BLACK AND WHITE CHALK ON RUSCOMBE QUEEN ANN HANDMADE BLUE PAPER
13 X 10
DISCUSSION -- Based
on quotes from Linda Price
Pompeii red, which she describes as 'an incredibly
hot red-orange,'
is helpful to turn forms at the edges and provides the local color often
found in the
fingers, toes, knees, elbows, and occasionally the lips.
Show me this discussion
...Naples yellow [is] useful for making flesh
tones advance or to
increase illumination.
Show me this discussion
...the artist defines her outlines slowly and carefully, aware that
some
of these lines, especially those around the fingers and toes, might appear
in the final
painting.
Show me this discussion
The next step is basically a replay of the last, but using different
colors. Alzofon compares the process to layering gauze. As she applies additional
layers, the colors become more opaque, and there is a greater saturation
of tints that
gives the hues a more luminous appearance. This technique also produces
a subtle
interplay of colors filtering up from layers below--a look, the artist says,
that could
never be created with one swipe of color.
Show me this discussion
The artist uses glazes to merge areas and help certain areas recede.
For instance, in Young Woman Overlooking Silicon Valley, she used
glazing to
make the eye cavity recede, push the cheek back into the hair, unify the
hair, and
create the folds in the neck. Scumbling softened the face and created a
slight motion
blur that made the model look less static.
Show me this discussion
Indicating the shoulder of the girl on the left in The Simons Children,
Alzofon used an outline with an inward notch to pop the arm out from the
chair
and give it volume. 'I don't hide the fact that this is a line,' she says,
noting that she
learned this technique from looking at paintings by Rubens.
Show me this discussion
Rebecca Alzofon can be e-mailed at rebecca@art.net
This page created: November 16, 2001
2001 by Rebecca Alzofon. All rights
reserved
