This project began when I first met Jie. As we quickly became friends, I knew I wanted to capture her beauty and paint her for my final project. We worked together to pick the clothing, background colours, and jewelry. Overall, I decided to choose a palette that was based on Earth colours to bring viewers a sense of calm. We experimented with different poses and landed on one that captured her confidence, kindness, and poise.
My main objective was to understand the composition, and I made thumbnail sketches to plan how to balance the piece. In the end, I found the best option was to have there be more space in the composition where she is looking, and to have her hands clasped together to keep the viewer’s eye traveling around the piece.
I decided to make two colour studies. I made a study of the portrait as well as one of the entire composition. This was one of the most important steps for me because I went on to premix all my colours based on these small studies. I was content that I took the time to do these two studies because it gave me the confidence to start the big painting, and I was constantly referencing it throughout the painting process.
Now it was time to PAINT! I began with the background and portrait, and slowly filled the painting. This process was long, but I needed to be patient and not lose the drawing I had spent so much time on.
In the next layers, I worked to refine my drawing, calibrate the values properly, and build up the amount of paint in areas like the hands and portrait. Through this process, I started to see the piece come together, and I began to try and push different colours through the whole work. Some areas, like the shirt and bench, posed a challenge for me, but I managed to finish with a result I am happy with. By the end I used glazing to make minor adjustments to my piece. I enjoyed being able to showcase the many lessons I gained from school into one final piece. And I am forever grateful to my model, teachers, family, and friends for making all of this possible!
