Anyone entering the room would only hear blues music and scratching sounds. A single subject is being rendered by seventeen artists in a circle using paint, pencils, and pastels. The subject is a dance instructor dressed in workout clothes, sitting in the middle of the circle with her head tilted slightly upward.
With some artists, they focus on her upswept hair and charming features. Others are captivated by her body and legs, which they draw in long strokes or with soft shades. A different rendition by a watercolor artist from Crystal Lake combines all the model's poses, superimposed across the canvas, to give the viewer a feeling of movement. A landscape artist by profession, she hones her drawing skills and tries new techniques during the group's weekly meetings.
She says that people understand practice when you're talking about musicians and instruments, but when it's drawing and artists, they really don't think about that. She stands back to assess today's art and finds she likes it. As it is with all art, greatness is hit and misses and portraits are great depending on the connection it makes with the viewer.
Twenty years ago one of their group disappeared to the business world, but she returned two years ago, reclaiming her love for portraiture. There has always been a special spot in her heart for portraits. When she does a portrait, she paints what she has understood to be the subject's feelings. With unlikely color combinations of dark green, blue, yellow and white, she is able to capture the confidence of the model.
What the artist sees is more than the colors of one's face. Lights create warm or cool tones that add depth to the painting. She says she needs practice in these techniques perfected by Renoir. The subject of a commissioned work can be painted during a live sitting or through photographs. While photos are convenient, live sittings allow the artist to observe the subject's personality first hand. It takes much effort to depict personality through art. Sometimes, there's just a split second where you see their personality. Though her portraits never lack in likeness, this is not her number one aim. She believes one's inner beauty takes precedence, which is a good technique when successful.
Art must be balanced with the requirements of the patron when an artist works on commission. With bright colors, the portrait looks even better.
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