I am indulging a bit in self promotion here... sort of the marketing guy in me! I took this picture to show the dimensions of these paintings... and, to provide a harbinger of things to come. The real reason, of course, is to put pressure on myself!
After some hesitation and a fair amount of apprehension, I seemed to have found a viable path (at least in my view!) for the construction of this series. I will construct a race from start to finish emphasizing both power and speed...
The biggest challenge for me will be to convey movement and speed through the language of paint. Wish me good luck... I hope I won't need it!
Note: Since then, I have given more of a tri-dimensional look to the head on the left so that it fits better with the tri-dimensional body! This is the challenge of reconstructing from different sources. In the end, the same lighting needs to be applied to all the different components to make a cohesive whole...
Not being an abstract painter, I find it difficult to work without structure. I guess I'll have to get used to it with this series... as it's not my intention to depict stadiums and crowds in details!
Not having a lot of time at my disposal for painting today, I decided to address the background area in a hurry. Props disappeared or were reduced to their simplest expression (e.g., starting block is pale blue). I brought back the crutches I used to resolve the previous painting (vertical abstract patterns). I plan to accentuate patterns of light and dark at the bottom to create a subtle gradient from the bottom to the top and to make the vertical abstract patterns blend more with the environment. Enhancing contrasts on the figure and further correcting body proportions should give me the look I want for this piece...
... and it was time to get the control freak back... making an effort to confine him within the boundaries suggested by this semi abstract rendering!
A few more passes will give more depth to the figure and correct any anatomical flaws (e.g., lengthening left forearm). I also need to introduce more texture, contrast and color variations in the background to make it look more interesting... without losing the emphasis on the runner.
I decided, with this one, to avoid the bulky bodybuilder look for more of an aerodynamic effect. In the Kenya of the 100 meter race, this runner will be a gazelle... not an ox!
The biggest challenge for me will be to convey movement and speed through the language of paint. Wish me good luck... I hope I won't need it!
I want the series to look as if runners are coming from another planet!
I want to experiment with this series, getting off the beaten path...
