Portrait project/sketchbook

The portrait project is about our own reactions and feelings in response to one of the portraits in an exhibition currently being held at the Nottingham castle. The models in all the paintings are unknown and all artists are from Nottingham and surrounding areas. We are able to use any material or medium, 2D or 3D and the piece need to fit within a tiny 40cm x 40cm space. I originally, upon viewing the exhibition felt no connection to any of the portraits there. Only one stood out slightly but for no exciting reason. I felt disappointed as I am to react to one of these painfully boring pieces, but they are all dull and old and boring to me. This style of painting really does not interest me. But here we are, this is our project, so I will pick the only one that said anything to me and that was The Miner. I chose this piece only because his stance and attitude made me want to question him and wonder what he is thinking and what is happening in his thoughts at that time. He doesn't make me want to explore mining, I would find that extremely uninteresting. The only thing that interests me is changing him into something more fun, more modern, more exciting! I am enjoying his clothes, the shirt half buttoned up, his gay neckerchief, the look on his face, his stance. To me this Miner does not feel like a miner, his clothes are clean and he looks like a poser.

I want to change him into a modern day dude. What would he be up to now in 2024? I am really enjoying drawing linear and illustrative characters in my own style and I am happy with what I created so far. I want to stick to this comic style, modern, street art scene but not many seem to be feeling that vibe ..... well its not their piece is it! The curator liked it! No I do not want to just abstract the background to save time! People are going to see this, with my name attached to it, surely i want to produce a piece that I am proud of I will put the piece together in a way I feel is me. I thought that was the point. We were asked to record our feelings and views of the paintings, how they make us feel or what thoughts do they provoke?

The Miner

by Herbert Hood Collyer

Oil on canvas

Original

My feelings and first impressions of this piece was negative towards this character. Stood here so proud and entitled, looking like some womaniser. I am just very unsettled with his demeanour and smug expression yet how am I to know what is really happening?

This is some experimentation I have been working on for this portrait of The Miner. I am using liner ink lines and watercolour here. I enjoy picking out the shapes of the face and defining them. I like teetering on the edge of realism and then adding somewhat cartoon like characteristics.

I wanted to make it more modern so I put graffiti on a brick wall behind him. It says Boys cry too. I am not sure why my mind has changed on this characters persona. I am also not sure what I am trying to say here, I am just enjoying this aesthetic and flowing with it. I will leave this experiment for now and move onto another, Maybe I will come back to it and place a modern street in the background.

Girl in white dress

Harold Knight 1896

Oil on canvas

Original

This portrait makes me feel so sad and worried as a parent. So many things where different in that era and you worry why this child looks so sad and what is happening in there life at this time. What was there relationship with the artists? if any. Her clothes do look fresh and clean and her hair looks brushed and looked after. Maybe she just wasn't happy playing the model and sitting still for so long.

Just a little doodle for this one. I am sticking with the linier shapes on the face and using ink again. I know its simple but I am enjoying the simplicity of it. Maybe I will have time to come back to this and add some colour, possibly watercolours.

Girl with the red bow

Harold Knight 1896

Oil on canvas

Original

This girl sat, arms folded in a common pose glares intensely towards you. Its all very serious and important to her and I feel she is taking her job she has been given seriously. I am connecting to the gaze, I see it there but overall I find this painting uninteresting.

I did a very quick sketch of this portrait. Same again with the linier shapes but I do not feel connected with this painting so I am going to move on.

Some more experimental pieces I have been working on recently ....

Self portrait

A self portrait. Using ink and colour pencil. Linier shapes, shading and realistic eyes. I do not know what you would call it? Its not realism but there is realism there but its animated.