I "FORGOT" HOW TO PAINT!!!!

January 11, 2012, 4:24PM

Yup.
You read that correct:

I forgot how to paint.


But don't worry. It's not the "Oh No! My career is Ruined!" its more like "Dear Jeebus! How did I do that again?" Specifically; I forgot how to paint skin tones.

Now, "skin tone" is one of the most over-used and misunderstood statements made. True "skin tone" is made up of thousands (lots of zeros) of different colors, and not just pink! Blues, greens, purples and yellows of varying hues, values and saturation make up these subtle gradations that ultimately make "skin tone"

Another strange thing about "skin tone" is that it is altered based on light conditions. The traditional way of painting portraits in the same light as the sitter means that the colors chosen for "skin tone" will always look like their skin counterpart in any lighting condition.
This is where the disaster strikes...

I've sold all of my portraits from life. As a result I don't have any reference for "skin tone" for the pair of commissioned portraits I'm working on. Since they are based on photographs, I'm having to guess what subtle colors make the skin tone. And since I don't have references lying around, I kinda... sorta... "forgot" which colors were meant for what.

After more than a decade of painting, most of the color making decisions occur almost automatically in the brain: you see a color, you know what to mix to make that color, and you paint that color. If you are working from a photograph for abstract works... its not that important. Colors can be pushed and contrasts tweaked, and indeed whole compositions compromised for the sake of artistic creativity.

In painting a portrait... it's a bit more of a science.

THUS:

I'm taking these couple of days to work on a quick self portrait from a mirror in order to fix my understanding of "skin tone". I'll use the self portrait in order to match colors to those I'll put on the other two portraits to compensate for camera's color processor.

THEREFORE:

I have remedied my dilemma of forgetting how to paint.


Back To Painting!!!

-Mat