Listen, for the most part, I do not know what I’m doing. As I paint each portrait, I am literally learning on the job.
Before I start each painting I have planned out largely what it is of; the subject, their clothing, accessories, and positioning. On each portrait there are changes made. If something looks awful, I’ll paint over it. I'll end up redoing a face or hand. I am constantly changing, adding, or subtracting details. From the rough draft sketch to the final brushstroke on canvas, I am fighting to somehow create the image I see in my head.
Let's talk flops and go through some of my not-so-hot moments!
Sometimes I know something is wrong, but I don’t know what. Sometimes I can see exactly what is wrong and the best thing to do is paint over it and start again.
I loosely sketched Stevie Nicks on canvas, and as the painting progressed, well, she had zero neck. That's embarrassing. I had to completely reposition her body in order for her to be sitting up straight. I had a similar experience when I painted Bob Marley. There was something off about his face that I could not understand, but what I could understand is that it had to go. I painted over his face and began the process again. I make changes on my paintings all the time. It's actually kind of freeing to completely paint over a part of the painting and try again.
Besides my own mistakes, there are many reasons why my paintings change mid-process, and the details are one of them. Often, when I successfully create the portrait that was in my head, I don’t like it, or my collector doesn’t like it. Sometimes my research even creates a new idea that I will incorporate in my piece.
Whatever the reason for the changes, it is nerve-racking, exhilarating, and stressful. As crazy as it sounds, a blank canvas, or starting over can feel better than fighting the placement of something that is just wrong.
I changed Stevie’s hairstyle and jewelry throughout the painting process to better match her whimsical style and my collector's preferences.
After completely finishing Trumps necklaces, my dad told me he wears yellow gold and not silver. I went back and completely changed the metal finishes on his chains.
While painting Bob Marley, I painted embroidery on his sleeve that was way too big. I restarted on his shirt to allow for smaller, repositioned embroidery details.
Tatted Teddy had several tattoos, with one of the largest being a bear in the center of his stomach. The perspective was off so I painted over the tattoo and adjusted the angle.
After G-Dub was finished for a couple years, I realized that he was boring, so I added a hand gesture, tattoos, and more jewelry.
These hiccups are all part of the process. Not every brush stroke is a banger!