This was the first time I’d painted this model, and I enjoyed it. I was aiming for a higher-key, sunnier vibe than the more serious “Gentleman” I painted last week. I also experimented with what Charles Reid calls color “tie-ins” — that is, linking color in different parts of the picture in unexpected ways. For example, I tried some flesh tones in the hair, some overlap between shirt and background, and some blues and greens in the model’s face.
It’s also a pretty good likeness, though I think I shaved off a couple years. Most models don’t object to that.
Geoff Watson, “Pete,” oil on panel, 11” x 14,” 2019.