I’ve really come to enjoy making oil paintings with just Ivory Black and Titanium White oil paints. One of my recent such paintings is of my daughter Violet. I used a selfie she had posted on Instagram. What I notice looking back on this is how few skin features I captured. She may or may not have used a filter before posting that selfie.
Next is this portrait of famed bluesman Son House. Of course, he has a lot more texture in his face and hands than Violet does. That’s why older people can be more interesting to paint sometimes than youngsters. About this one, I love his soulful eyes. There is perhaps some sadness and resignation there, but he also seems at peace, serene. And the hands!
Lastly is a portrait of Jalal, my friend and barber. I did this one, also, from a social media photo he had posted. I was able to surprise him with it as an unexpected gift. I love the grittiness of this photo! Even without the Detroit t-shirt, you might guess where he’s from. One thing that “makes” this painting for me is the undulating folds in the t-shirt, illuminated by the strongly directional light from his left. Truly, one of my favorite paintings.