Studio Update With Pretty Pictures

Errol Fielder (Study) #1, 2010.  4cm x 5cm

Errol Fielder sat for a portrait a couple of weeks ago while I drew his likeness in acrylic paint onto some canvas.  I used that drawing process to study Errol's face along with the finished drawing to help me capture Errol's likeness in a portrait miniature made of four layered pieces of acetate.  This is one of nine and currently the best one.  I am still working on the others to see if I can get a better one than this, and there are a few coming close.  The process involves thinking of the figures head structure differently to how you would draw them.  Instead the form isn't shown from tonal qualities but by empty space between the slides.  These portrait miniatures are idea for my white-cube portraiture research.

In addition to the miniatures I've been working on more anamorphic drawings of Arthur's bust from more extreme angles using longer canvases.  These works are to have the portrait literally follow the audience around the room.  The anamorphic image will work only for the people who look at it.  This means that the image won't exist other than when it is looked at, and for anyone else in the room who is not in the privileged location to see the anamorph that's showing will just see the distortion.  The angles of the anamorph also converge on the correct point of view to look at it.  As you can see if you follow the grid lines in the above image you can image that where the bottom and top line converge is the ideal place to view the undistorted image.