From the Artist: I have a Bachelor of Fine Art from the Kansas City Art Institute and have shown my paintings in the New England area. I have only been painting for a little over a year (my other work has been drawing or sculpture, and for a few years I was dormant), and know nothing about color. I like the intensity of color and what it represents to me, but I'm not sure when it works and when it doesn't. Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated.
From the Painting Guide: While I'm sure that some people will find this self-portrait disturbing (and your second one), they appeal to me as they've got a strong feeling of emotion about them. I think it's the combination of determined mark-making, the abstracted facial features, and the strong colors.
To me this portrait speaks of someone who's seen a lot: the two intense but different eyes, the blue one looks like an eye with a cataract in it to me, combined with the stern mouth give this impression.
Things to Consider When Looking at This Painting:
Color: When it comes to what colors work and don't, I'd suggest experimenting with monochrome, looking at how a specific color makes you feel (see the Monochrome Painting Project for some examples of how effective this can be) and then with complementary colors. Also have a look at the concept of warm and cool colors and try, for example, a portrait made using only warms and compare it to one made using only cools.
It's tempting to buy a whole lot of different colors (they're so appealing!), but really it's best to limit yourself to a handful and get to know them well – what they're like to work with, how they mix with other colors, black, and white.
From the Painting Guide: While I'm sure that some people will find this self-portrait disturbing (and your second one), they appeal to me as they've got a strong feeling of emotion about them. I think it's the combination of determined mark-making, the abstracted facial features, and the strong colors.
To me this portrait speaks of someone who's seen a lot: the two intense but different eyes, the blue one looks like an eye with a cataract in it to me, combined with the stern mouth give this impression.
Things to Consider When Looking at This Painting:
Color: When it comes to what colors work and don't, I'd suggest experimenting with monochrome, looking at how a specific color makes you feel (see the Monochrome Painting Project for some examples of how effective this can be) and then with complementary colors. Also have a look at the concept of warm and cool colors and try, for example, a portrait made using only warms and compare it to one made using only cools.
It's tempting to buy a whole lot of different colors (they're so appealing!), but really it's best to limit yourself to a handful and get to know them well – what they're like to work with, how they mix with other colors, black, and white.
