The Elder

"The Elder" A 11 x 14 acrylic painting
by Mark Phillips

I came across the photo that was the inspiration for this painting whilst browsing an online site that offers royalty free pictures for artists to reproduce.

I looked at dozens of photos that day but there was something about one of them that caught my interest. This eyes appeared to be different sizes, the nose bore an uncanny resemblance to Freundel Stuart's, and yet there was so much wisdom in that face.

Every line, every crease, every wrinkle seemed to belong. It was as if he had worked hard for and earned everyone. They fitted him like an expensive suit. There was so much wrong with that face but it somehow worked. You wanted to hear what he has to say. You wanted to benefit from his experiences.

I purposely limited myself to 8 hours work on this painting. This type of painting can consume an artist's time. Hours turn into days and days into weeks and still you will not feel that you have captured that correct expression that will turn a good painting into a great painting.

After 2 hours

I think that this is one that I will keep in my private collection. As me wife said, "Nobody is going to buy that ugly man". I forgave her for this comment as she saw the painting when I had just finished blocking in. I started with a white triple primed canvas that I primed with an additional 2 coats of black acrylic paint. I then sketched the face with a white charcoal pencil and proceeded to play with colours as I blocked in.

As you can see, I was working on getting the correct values in place. That is the dark and the light areas where they should be. Realistic colour was not important at this stage.

After 6 hours

Once I had determined where the light tones and the dark tones were I started to create a more realistic negroid colour. Not the easiest thing to do using a limited palette like I do! I use only the primary colours plus black and white. That is Cerulean Blue, Cadmium Yellow, Brilliant Red, Titanium White and Mars Black. With these I began to develop the dozens of shades of brown that make up the negroid skin tones. All the time watching the clock to ensure that I did not get carried away. I used only 2 brushes for this painting, a #6 short handle 3/8 wash and a #1 long handle synthetic liner.

The term Elder is used in several countries and organizations to indicate a position of authority. This usage is usually derived from the notion that the oldest members of any given group are the wisest, and are thus the most qualified to rule, provide counsel or serve the said group in some other capacity. It was with this in mind that I came up with the name for this piece. 

If you are not interested in my process or in the materials that I use, I apologize for inflicting this on you. My daughter suggested that I should let people know how and why I do things. Sometime it is good to listen to the youth. They are the future. Heaven help us!  If you will like me to continue to share my process, please leave a comment below.

I will leave you with 2 quotes today.

“The young man pities his elders, fearing the day he, too, will join their ranks. The elderly man pities the younger generation, well-knowing the trials and tribulations that lie ahead of them.” ― Lynda I Fisher

"I believe that when an elder dies, a library is burned: vast sums of wisdom and knowledge are lost. Throughout the world libraries are ablaze with scant attention."  -Elizabeth Kapu'uwailani Lindsey

As always, thank you for reading. Until next time when I will again share some more of my work. Please leave a comment.  And, I will really appreciate if you share this post with your friends. And, to make sure that you don't miss any future posts, please enter your email address in the subscribe by email box on the right. 

Mark Phillips
Artist
Email:- mark@phillipsbajanart.com
Website:- www.phillipsbajanart.com
Online Store:- PhillipsArtStore