Phony Tronie

John Zeissig · 10-28-2002, 02:15 AM

Hello, all.

Here's another oil painting that I started while I was working on my previous post, "Kim", and is still sitting around the house. Like the previous post, this one is part of my attempt to form a portfolio of "portraits". This one was started back in February and is unvarnished, so modifications will present no particular problems. It is 11" x 14" on a maple panel prepared with acrylic gesso. I'm posting a photo reference and a quick charcoal drawing that was done at about the time that I took the photo. The only gross distortions of which I am aware are the color of the lemons in the foreground and the whites of the eyes. The lemons are a much more saturated yellow, and the whites of the eyes are more subdued than what appears on my screen. I try to edit these things so they look right on screen; but, hey, we're not painting for the internet, so it's not worth it to spend too much effort getting the digital part perfect. Without further ado, here it is:

John Zeissig · 10-28-2002, 02:20 AM

I hope!

John Zeissig · 10-28-2002, 02:25 AM

Out of order, but:

John Zeissig · 10-28-2002, 03:58 PM

Another try on the photo :

Mike McCarty · 10-28-2002, 05:45 PM

John,

This hat seems to defy explanation (even in the photograph). I like the way you did it in the sketch but I think you tried to be to literal in the painting. There are things that we will accept in a photo but will not in a painting, even if we render them perfectly. I think I would simplify as you did in the drawing. BTW I love the drawing and would have loved to see the painting in this loose, suggested manner.

John Zeissig · 10-28-2002, 06:48 PM

Ha Ha, Hi Mike

Listen, that hat defies explanation even in real life. I've never received a satisfactory explanation of why we have it. But, I assure you, it exists. Even worse, it cost me more than 70 bucks, so you know it's for real!

The idea here was to do something like a 17th century Dutch "tronie". You know, where they get some girl up in "oriental" garb. I think Rembrandt did some of his self portraits in this fashion. Only in this case I reversed the East/West roles between the clothing and the subject.

The charcoal is OK, but everybody does those painterly "doe-eyed" girlie paintings. I wanted something a bit flintier; something like the look my wife just gave me when she read over my shoulder and saw your comment about the credibility of her hat. Thanks for the help, Mike. I won't have any trouble getting her to give me that look now!

Mike McCarty · 10-29-2002, 12:12 AM

John,

I didn't mean that I don't like the hat. I think it's wonderfully graphic and expressive. It was just the top part of the hat that looks like the light has caught it in an awkward way, too many planes of light. I was suggesting that you might simplifiy all those different planes on that top part of the hat the way you did in the drawing. Sorry I wasn't clear about that.

John Zeissig · 10-29-2002, 06:38 PM

Mike,

Of course you like the hat. I never dreamed that you didn't like it. It's just that the hat defies explanation. Lots of things that we like defy explanation, don't they? You and I understand these things, even if others might be inclined to misinterpret them. Not to worry!

But this hat does have some unusual properties. The actual crown, or top, of the hat is the upper of the two bright horizontal lines just above the brim of the hat. The confusing planes of light are masses of translucent fabric (tuille?) that are piled up behind the crown. This isn't so obvious in the jpeg or in the photo, for that matter, but it's pretty obvious in the actual painting. But you're right to point this out as a problem area.

In the photo you might barely be able to see that the overlapping layers of this fabric result in a moire` fringe pattern. I had no clue as to how to even begin to paint this effect, so I punted and just wound up with the confusing planes of light. I've been bothered by this ever since, but now that you've brought it up it's clear that something has to be done about it. I just thought of something that I might try, so we'll see what happens on that.

Another thing that occurs to me is that the edge of the brim, which is yet another translucent fabric, is allowing some of that tuille stuff to show through on the lighted side. Funny, I never noticed that before, either in the photos or in life. Maybe I should work on that area a little bit as well. That translucent band is what gives rise to the three value shadow effect that attracted me to this pose in the first place.

Finally, what do you think of the hat on the character in the painting in the background?

Mike McCarty · 10-29-2002, 06:54 PM

John,

I'm sorry I can't make out much of anything in the background painting. It's much to dark on my monitor. I can make out your name but that's about it.

John Zeissig · 10-29-2002, 07:24 PM

Mike,

Huh! If anything it looks brighter than normal on my screen. I'll post a detail when I get home tonight. The whole hat theme is continued in that background painting.