Thursday, May 28, 2009

Ann


My dear, dear friend Ann came to pose for me the other night for three hours. (Yes, I paid her. I don't abuse my friends...too much.)

She'd like you all to know that she "doesn't always look that tired." :)  

It was hard to figure out a setup in my home studio for a model and lighting and everything. (Plus putting a DVD movie on for her to watch while I painted her, so she wouldn't die of boredom.) In the end, we went with what sort of worked, though it was far from ideal in terms of physical arrangements, space, and lighting. I made sure to give her a very uncomfortable hard chair so she wouldn't fall asleep. ;)

I tried a new surface and a new technique. I keep experimenting because I'm still unsatisfied with results. Perhaps someday, if I have three or four more lifetimes, I'll figure it all out. Or not.

Amazingly, though, it did capture, remarkably well, something ineffable about her.


More art on my website: jalapfaff.com

6 comments:

Leslie Saeta said...

Nicely done. Iw ould think it would be hard to paint someone you knew so well. And you are a dear friend to pay her!

loriann signori said...

I love the way you painted her hair....so elegant and soft.Nice the way you made it blend into the negative space rather than a defined line.

Anonymous said...

Beautiful colour choices, the hair is brilliant and the highlights work so well here.

Jala Pfaff said...

Hi guys, thanks! Cathyann, I did give her chocolate. That counts, I think. Yeah, it is linen but a diff.brand with a lot of oil priming. Not enough tooth for me, though. Palette was mostly terra rosa, venetian red, transparent oxide red, viridian. You're right, not at all my normal palette.

Marian Fortunati said...

More food for thought, Jala.. I wonder if I could find any friend willing for me to abuse them...

But you're right... then you need to deal with the lighting, pose and set up....
Hmmmmmmm

Gwen Bell said...

Very nice, Jala. And thank you for listing your palette. It's lovely.
I'm so impressed with Artists like you who paint portraits from life. That has to be the most difficult subject imaginable and I certainly don't know how you do it in one sitting. Really amazing.