2D oil paint: Artist copies (1/2) Artist copies have been a really helpful way of letting me experiment with new styles and medias and look closer into how an artist achieves what they achieve, especially in terms of brushwork and colour. I did some copies and sketches based on works by M.C Escher, David Hockney, Rene Magritte, Paul Cezanne and Lucian Freud.
Gregory Evans David Hockney,1997 13x10 inches Oil on canvas ("The David Hockney Foundation: Gregory Evans, January 20, 1997 from "Portrait Wall"", 2020) (Curiator, 2019)
Jonathan Silver David Hockney, 1997 13x10 inches Acrylic on canvas (Arthive, 2019)
These portraits of Jonathan Silver and Gregory Evans by David Hockney interested me because the brushwork on them are visible and you can see the way in which they were painted, which is an aspect of Van Gogh’s work that influenced Hockney. I did copies of them and paid special attention to the brushwork, trying to make sure that I didn’t bend excessively so that I could see the way in which the images were constructed. It also made me pay closer attention to Hockney’s paintings and their forms.
This was my first ever time trying oil painting, so it took me a while to grow used to how the colours worked together and how they changed with the addition of white spirit. I found out that the best way to get the almost three-dimensional feel of the original portraits with the visible brushstrokes was to use hardly any white spirit and use the paint straight from the tube. This also gave the most intense colour, and the most challenging part about creating these copies was getting the colour scheme as close to the original as possible. I did test trials to experiment with how the colours compared. I did a copy of Still-life with Pitcher by Paul Cezanne. It was my first time doing a still-life, and it was interesting to branch out of my usual area of interest. I did an underpainting with this one to create a basis for the tones and shadows that I could then add colour to later. This was helpful because it allowed me to make sure that when I added colour, it was more accurate due to their being a foundation that guided me.
Criteria A, B, and E
Still life, pitcher and fruit Paul Cezanne, 1894 43.2 x 62.8cm Oil on canvas (www.wikiart.org, 2019)
My copies of Hockney’s portraits. Minimal blending and visible brushstrokes shows journey from start to finish and gives a more tactile texture.
My underpainting and final oil painting, copy of Still life, pitcher and fruit