Alla Prima Portraits

Here is a recent Alla Prima- meaning, at first attempt- portrait painting. This is a process I am not accustomed to and I feel a bit clumsy at it. This feeling, however, is matched with an equal enthusiasm for exploring this loose method of expression. As loose and free as this method may be, it is very helpful for me to have a plan- more like, a set of questions that I ask myself while painting- to build from. It makes sense to me to first block in the form with quick searching brushstrokes and thinned oils. This helps ensure a likeness. I am later questioning how to best ‘turn the form’ and give the portrait a sense of volume, while also asking which hues are present and how chromatic are they as they wrap toward or away from the light. I imagine that the questions I ask myself while working will grow increasingly nuanced as I gain more experience.

Recent Drawings

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Lips

St. Jerome

The Death of Socrates

Cast Painting

Haiti