Use of borders and type in portraits
 

This is a topic that was inspired by a recent portrait by Andrea Kantrowitz found at this thread:

http://forum.portraitartist.com/show...thread+mitzvah

It's a beautiful bar mitzvah portrait in which Andrea has incorporated a border around the portrait. It was actually Chris Saper's idea to start a thread on borders. There was also mention in Andrea's thread about some of the lettering that Karin Wells uses in her portraits.

I thought it would be informative for us to post some examples or opinions of using borders around a portrait and/or using type on a portrait. I personally find the idea of borders and type intriguing.

Thanks,

Joan

Hi Joan,

Thanks for starting the thread. I am very intrigued with the compositional notion of borders. This painting , 'Hibiscus" (oil, 12" x 16") is one of a series called "Western Faces/American Places", which I have painted for the upcoming Phippen Museum Show in Prescott AZ, Memorial Day Weekend.

The background is an invented Indian trade blanket design. By placing the border at the left, I could move the figure to the right, respecting the "sight-line" direction established by the gaze, and accomplish two things: stop the eye, and direct it back into the canvas by placing arrow-like patterns in the border. At first I had painted the background with a lot more precision, but it fought the overall nature of the painting, so I did a little, as they say, deconstruction. I worked with all of the reds quite a bit to place them on different visual planes.

Great Topic - I'd love to see what people have done -

I painted this a couple of years ago for myself. It a 37" x 54" oil portrait of my son when he was three. At the time he loved to play ball with me on the stairs, and would often lay down to watch the ball go down. It was such a fun private moment for us.

I love typography but find it's a real tough job to incorporate it successfully into a painting . In this painting use script text to depict his world at the time - things he liked and would say at that period of his life. To keep the text as a secondary component of the painting, the text is painted darker or lighter so as to keep the same relative contrast to the background around the whole thing. Also the script face gives it a border design feel before you notice it's words, plus the typeface looks like a mothers writing.

I'm working on another personal piece that has type in it, but I've stopped for over a year now on it, because I haven't solved some problems on it. Using type is a challenge, but I have a million ideas in my head and I don't want to give up on the challenge.

I love how Chris Saper's idea works as a border and play on 2D 3D because of it. I have never been successful at that yet.

Linda

Beautiful examples!
 

Dear Chris,

What a wonderful use of a background and border together. And of course the skintones on your subject are beautiful. I have just spent the last couple of hours with your book trying to figure out where I went wrong on my latest attempt which is posted in WIP. Actually, I painted the face today and I'll post it tomorrow when there is some daylight, it's almost 11:00 p.m. now and time for me to take a break from the difficult subject of skintones!

Dear Linda,

Having a young son myself I really love your painting, what a clever idea. I was actually looking at your homepage 2 nights ago and came across that painting and I did wonder how you painted that type? I have plans (always plans) to paint some type on the wall in our den and thought about somehow projecting the type onto the wall. I would be curious to know how you painted that type. I love type too! I used to be a graphic designer and love all kinds of paper, pens, etc., there's nothing like a stationery store!

What awesome examples you have both posted, thank you! I hope we see more. The caliber of artwork on this forum is so high.

Joan

Samples of Lettering on Portraits
 

Here are two early examples of lettering on paintings:

Richard 111, Oil on panel
Unknown artist, inscribed 16th century

and

Mary Throckmorton, Oil on panel
Marcus Gheeraerts the Younger, 1614

I'll enlarge the lettering below (when I post these, the attachments refuse to reverse themselves in correct order, sorry about that). The Richard 111 painting combines a top scroll border with lettering:

Use of borders and type in portraits
 

Dear Linda:

The border type examples are beautiful. I too am very interested in learning additional details about how these are done. For example, are they hand drawn, do you project the text, create stencils, use transfer paper, or is there some other magic you have to share with us?

Thanks from a new member who is anxious to learn.

Carol Morimoto

To get the type on the painting I -

completed the painting without the type, then photographed the painting with my digital camera and downloaded the image into photoshop. I sized the image to fit the actual size of the painting. From there I wrote the type in sections ( each phrase separately) then arranged them around the painting for a general fit. Then I started experimenting with which type face I liked the best, as well as size and kerning, etc. I also played with the value to get an idea of how pronounced the type will be. Since I was working in the actual size of the painting, the type sizes were huge. When I had it all established, I printed out the copy in sections in simple black text on white paper. I used these to then arrange for real the type on the painting, taping the paper to the canvas. I used this step to rearrange the phrases on the canvas still, since the impression you get on the computer screen is different from when it's "for real". (If you do this, also keep in mind how much canvas will be covered by the eventual frame, as that will affect the type feeling too cramped or not next to it). Using carbon paper I traced the type onto the canvas. From there it's just a matter of painting the type as you want it, and in my case I varied each phrase in similar values or blue grays and brown grays, and as I mentioned, lightened or darkened the type to keep a value relation to the changing background the same.
It was pretty simple to do. Hope this helps!

Use of borders and type in portraits
 

Thanks so much for your speedy reply. It was a huge help and I look forward to employing your method. In the past, I have played with using text on some paintings, but never with the professional result you have obtained. With your advice, I'm sure I'll do better in the future.

Carol

Here are two beautiful examples of borders, posted here by permission of SOG artist Paul McCormack:

What should purpose of border be?
 

Thank you Linda for posting those fine examples of using a border. The border around the little boy 'makes sense' to my eye and is balanced and pleasing. The border on the painting with the girl however, being on just one side of the painting, gives the painting a certain dynamic feeling. Also pleasing but not 'calm', I find my eye bouncing back between the girls face and the border.

Which leads me to my question, what are some reasons for using a border (or type)? I think there should be more of a reason than just "I like borders so I put them in my paintings". What should borders or type accomplish? Type would most likely convey information, but what about borders?

Joan

Dear Joan,

I can't speak for others, but I think there are two main purposes for borders, and in this order:

1. composition

2. content

When I compose a painting, I am rather compulsive about the negative spaces. The notion of having "extra" room , and using letters to balance it, is most appealing. Beyond that, I think that borders can serve a number of functions, both within and outside of the compositional context. The value, color, saturation, and placement make the notion of borders equal (in my view) to every other visual element.

Borders can stop, extend, or in many other ways add to what is already happening on the canvas. I think that they can be wondrous tools, all at every painter's command.

Composition and content
 

Dear Chris,

Thank you for answering my question about some of the reasons for type and borders. Type is easier to understand, both placement and the reasons for type being in a portrait, I used to be a graphic designer so I'm comfortable with type. But borders . . . . those I find hard to truly understand. For one, I think a lot of borders would compete with the actual frame. Hmm, I am so intrigued by the idea of borders but I feel like I'm missing something. I think because they're very hard to do, that's probably why I can't picture borders successfully. As far as composition, I'm wondering why use a border when one could use a chair or doorframe in a portrait?

I obviously have a lot to learn in this department (as I do in many others!) so I think a trip to the library is in order to research this. I will post anything interesting I find. It may be a while, we're about to go on vacation.

Oh, and you've also got me thinking about interesting patterned backgrounds. This is fun, I really enjoy the 'design' part, though I guess in portraiture it's called 'composition'!

Joan