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Smilin' Jack
I’ve found that a major challenge facing me as a portrait artist is a smiling subject. From a strictly technical point of view, the complex musculature of the face creates a topography of hills and valleys, peaks and crevices that render the expression difficult to capture believably. It isn’t simply the mouth alone that is affected, the entire face is altered significantly, creating a myriad of value changes that require careful attention. Of considerably more concern, I believe, is what I’d call the psychology of the smile. A spontaneous smile is a delight, but to hold a pose smiling is deadly. Invariably the smile is not only forced, but accomplishes exactly the opposite of what the portraitist is trying to capture. It is a mask, that hides the true self of the subject. Few have risen to the challenge better than Franz Hals. With his Laughing Boy as inspiration, I decided to have a go at it.
This is a small oil (8x6") of one of my lacrosse players. They make willing and even enthusiastic subjects but as teen-agers have limited ability to hold still, which is why it's best to work small and fast, and finish later in the studio.
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