The Birth of a Woman -- Step by Step Description How a Look Takes Shape
So, here is my approach, step by step.
Step 1: Decide on the look. When I paint portraits, I use the same philosophy as when I take portraiture photos -- the pose should not stand out from the environment, bu rather make the environment the context for that look.
In this case the hare hide had a number of dark spots and the colours of the hide were naturally along the spectrum of gray to pale pink. So I started with the placement of the using one existing dark spot shaped at an inverted arrow to delineate her upper left cheek bone.
The first few draws of oil paint with my letter opener blade looked like this:
Note that while in the previous painting I had covered mu model's hair with the veil, this time I wanted to have shiny black hair proudly showing.
Step 2: Define the perimeter of the portrait. In this case it was the shape of the full head of hair and the elusive right side of her face. Note the right eye's angle to make the look foxy and mysterious.
Also note the special "tool" I use for making the waves in the hair (or whiskers when painting a mountain lion...). On the Styrofoam cutout where I mixed the oil paint is the hand of a squirrel. The nails on its fingers are perfect for pulling across the paint for parallel lines...
Step 3: What is the story? Again, I decided to use a veil, but only on her face. There were enough natural dark spots on the hide where her mouth would be that painting a mouth would have been very challenging. So, painted, dot by dot, the shape and confines of the veil. I was pleased that the dark spots and hide blemishes gave the shadows of her mouth and chin behind the veil.
Of course I need to do something with her hair, and I added a plume-like hat for a lady of high society look!
Step 4: This is the phase when jewelry or accouterments bring character and life to a portrait. I like using Arizona turquoise stones and this time I also used beads to give her face veil more texture and movement.
And I added two new accouterments -- first a feather hat brooch. I made it wihurch and th quail feathers and the lance-like shape matched the tail of the hare that I left atop the hide.
But the secont addition I made isvery special to this painting. When I was a teenager, I used to collect stamps and old coins. I still have my stamp book but my coins have disappeared during my vagabondage from continent to continent. Except one coin that seemed special because it is an official replica (I think) of the coin used during the reign of King Levon I (or Leo I) king of Cilicia from 1198 to 1219. He created a powerful Armenian kingdom in the mountains of Cilicia and instituted a union of the Armenian church with Rome.
So, I had kept this coin for 5 decades.
Here is a similar coin I found on the internet (https://www.google.com/search?rlz=1C1CHMO_enUS561US567&biw=1366&bih=657&tbm=isch&sa=1&ei=DjrcXMSpG5DAsAX0vLqgAQ&q=ancient+armenian+coins+identification&oq=ancient+armenian+coins+identification&gs_l=img.3...19638.23231..23585...0.0..0.145.1988.0j15......1....1..gws-wiz-img.......0i7i30j0i30.H6OWYmGtMrk#imgrc=_)
And here is the face and verso of my coin:
Ok, so after all these years it was time to use my coin :
Step 4: Frame it. I had a large frame sitting in my storage area for a while. I cut two mats and painted the background black. Finally spray blasted gold glitter to give the black a feel of depth.
And my new work was ready for display.
PS/ As an extra, the photo of the framed work at the outset also shows a reflection of me taking the photo with my phone....
May 16, 2019
© Vahé A. Kazandjian, 2019
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