The white-headed model became black-haired through the magic of watercolor sketching. The model, my friend George, comes from Russian lineage. American for many generations, yet there seems to be the Russian passion for politics and culture ingrained in him. A good portrait model should have their own complex and interesting personality. And if they are tongue-tied persons I can’t feel out, I go skin deep. That’s when I rely on the image only.
But that’s not the case with this Russian descendant. He’s got wit, politics, a taste for beauty and cats. At first, I couldn’t do more than graphite pencil draw him. I was meeting his steely exterior. All I could carve out was linear. It was a start.
Then he made changes to his face by growing his beard. This focused the chiseled cheekbones to prominence. His nose changes from images of Ichobod Crane (the Headless Horseman fame) or Rip Van Winkle of Sleep-a-holic fame, or Geoffrey Rush, Australian born, present day actor. It’s not as if his nose actually changes. Modern reality hisses at such concepts. So I’ll go with the changing of angles makes changes of perception.
Whatever angle I catch his eyes at, those two blackish dice dots are always intense with expression. And that’s always what clinches the portrait. The above portrait is more of the Russian manic Rasputin.
Watercolor sketches, such as this, is done in Russian Yarka watercolors. This brand has taken off in sales over the past 10 years. At first when they came out, I didn’t like them because they were too intense. Handling them too heavily on the brush would continue this quality of density of paint. I prefer the more watery translucence. One reason I like the Russian Yarka watercolor paints is because when I want bright colors, they have them.
For all this Russian stuff, I’m not. I’m bipolar…which means….both my parents were Polish.