Nudes. The study of the female and male form have been a favorite subject matter for artists since, well, since forever. As far back there is evidence of this fact. In 28,000-25,000 BCE the Venus/Woman of Willendorf was created, during the paleolithic era. Found in a cave in Austria, she was created out of a type of limestone that was not typical of the region in which she was discovered and tinted with color.
I personally think she is beautiful and she has long been considered a fertility statue. Recently, there has been some to hypothesize that she could have been a actually been a self portrait. Not sure I want to think of her has a paleolithic “selfie”, but I suppose it is one possibility.
A recent interest in nude art work has re-kindled interest in my surreal work and lead me to begin to create this lady. At this stage I next need to decide the direction I will go.
The three images below are steps in the process.
canvas: 24 x 36 inches
Medium: pencil (watercolor) and acrylics
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| Step One: The sketch |
There is nothing as humbling as drawing, sketching or painting the human body. Young, old, middle aged, it is such a thing of beauty and wonder. -Mary Jean Mailloux
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| Step Two: Filling in the figure and working from bottom (of canvas, not hers) upward (which is actually a no no-I should be working backwards to front, which also sounds like a pun) |
the nakedness of woman is the work of god -william blake
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| Step Three: Adding color and shadowing to figure and more detail to the drapery |
Every artist undresses his subject, whether human or still life. It is his business to find essences in surfaces, and what more attractive and challenging surface than the skin around a soul? -richard corliss
Peace,
Valerie