Renew
Renew
Renew
4’ x 3’
Oil Pastels on All Medium Paper
2022
Renew commenced as a way to solve curiosity with oil pastels. Oil painting has been an interesting medium to work with. Trying something new pushes new limits and develops new skills.
Renew
Renew
The Original:
To Start, reference photos were taken in traditional Indian clothing to represent the portraited’s culture. The marigolds are a representation of death alongside the black blouse. The green represents returning to earth. The water in the background is also a symbol of rebirth which is the central concept of the painting. The photo was also edited to procure more contrast and warmth for
painting benefits.
In Progress:
The idea is to have the figure slightly emerge in a body of water. A portion of the photo containing water was constantly duplicated to create the illusion that the figure is
indeed submerged.
Final:
The rest of the water was added, and shadows were added alongside the figure as a light source was added to the reference photo.
Renew
Renew
Beginning:
The piece began with sketching the reference photo onto all medium paper. Then blocking in the colors for the first layer as a technique for oil pastels is to work in layers.
In Progress:
Layering is a great tool to work successfully with oil pastels, and thus the layering began. When layering multiple colors, the colors can become muddy. It is not strategic with specific colors and their undertones.
In Progress:
There is a continuation of layering and adding of the marigolds. The addition of the marigolds assisted in choosing a color for the circle behind the face of
the figure.
In Progress:
While working, it was determined that the circle behind the face began looking too muddy. The yellow tones of the oil pastel were harder to work with. Yellows did not blend well with the other colors and were sheerer than most oil pastels.
Renew
Renew
Details:
In the reference photo, there is a ton of intricate details on the ethnic clothing. Replicating that exact complex details proved to be difficult with oil pastels. The oil pastels are chunky and do not capture the intricacy of the outfit.
Details Resolved:
Sharp pointy everyday tools were used to solve the issue of replicating the embroidery on the dress. The first item used was a sharpened pencil, the pencil did work, but along the way, it began to leave pencil marks and looked unprofessional. Next, a key was used. The kay was too thick. Finally, looking around the room, tacks hung on the cork, so a tac was used to create the details. The tac was small enough to develop complex information and left no marks behind.
The Circle:
Another issue that arose while creating Renew was the muddy circle behind the figure. The thought process for the ring was to be a golden yellow to match the figure’s earrings and to be similar to religious figures. The yellow oil pastels proved hard to work with and muddied quickly with other colors.
The Circle Resolved:
While thinking about how to rework the circle, pink came into mind. Pink is a complementary color to green, making the figure pop even more. Since the pink used was warm, it corresponded well with the warmth in the figure’s skin and the green in the outfit. Even though there was a color change, the circle still read as a religious idea.
