Portrait of Rich

I painted this portrait of Rich in June 2013 and it is my first portrait in oils. Although certain aspects of it were successful, I would probably approach it rather differently if I were to paint it again. The characterisation is 'part way there' - however, the facial features give a rather supercilious impression. 

My recollection of my painting process was that the shapes became rather fixed quite early on. The nose is rather too pointed, the mouth slightly too narrow and the eyes rather lifeless. The issues with the characterisation could have been addressed by keeping the drawing more flexible during the earlier stages. The paint handling is also somewhat heavy and solid.


That said, I am quite fond of the colouring and learnt a fair bit about using the earth reds in painting flesh tones. I also think the brushwork in the shirt is pleasing and the background works well.