Nick Archer - Creating Space

Model In Space

Continuing on with Nick Archers portrait project, I did a second picture in the time. This time I wanted to take in the full figure and construct the space in which she sits.

I have enjoyed working with colour complements to enhance the vibrancy in the picture, particularly because I was painting primarily with earth colours. For instance, the dress was a strong red, in contrast to the green material background, my earth reds and alizarin crimson were not really up to the job in their own right. As an alternative I used some pure green marks in the dress which substantially enhanced the vibrancy. Similarly, blue and brown in the rug and alizarin crimson and veridian green in the walls.

The main challenge in this picture is creating the abstract composition, balancing the colours, green material with green bin, warm figure with orange window and pink wall, light window space against dark figure, etc. Similarly, the ambiguity of the main point of focus in the picture; the model or the light coming in through the window.

I enjoy having the bin in the picture, its probably the destination for most of the work!