The Calling

THE ART OF THE PORTRAIT

- Casey Childs

The inspiration for this new painting that I am working on for my solo show in December with Arcadia Contemporary is from the work of 19th-century artist, Abbott Handerson Thayer. I have painted winged figures before, and I originally started adding the wings to my figurative portraits to enhance the background designs.

STAGE 1

Once I have the reference I need, I spend a good amount of time working on my reference digitally. I try to have all the problems I will face in the process of painting (design, composition, color, etc.) solved before I put the brush to canvas. In addition, I create a color study (pictured here) which helps me envision how the final painting will look and feel. I keep the color study small, so I do not have to spend much time on it. I find myself constantly referring to my study while painting to check that the overall values and colors are correct to my original concept.

STAGE 2