Oil painting

Sharing is caring!

 

(affiliate links contained)

When I enrolled in college I decided during my first semester of college, I decided to take a class in Basic Design. Throughout the semester in this class, I  completed many art projects. One of my favorite pieces that I completed is called “Crying on the Inside”.  I thought about the content for along time before starting it.  I wanted it to be very memorable.  Both from the painting of it to the display. This painting is extremely important to me because it was the first piece I had completed without using reference material.

The inspiration for this piece.

I wanted to portray a woman as the focal point for this project.  My goal is that I wanted to show not only her strong side but her vulnerable side also.  It all came together from the popular but false idea that women are required to put on a brave face for the world, but inside they could be barely hanging on. Women aren’t entitled to struggle per the worlds expectations. They are supposed to be strong inside and out. Women struggle at times but are also strong. It may seem like a dreary concept, but that’s the beauty in art. As an artist, I can convey emotion seamlessly through each piece that I create..

Time to start crying on the inside

The process for this design began with contemplating on the subject matter. I was able to narrow down my ideas and then I had to choose the medium to create on.

That process began with choosing the right paper. Since I would be using colored pencils and sketching pencils as my medium, I would need a paper that is sturdy but not too thick. The paper that I used for this piece comes from a sketch pad that contains 50-60 lb. pages. This paper weight is crucial because it is just thick enough for the media that I was using.

Supplies

After having chose my paper, I need to select the proper sketching pencils. I chose a standard HB pencil was used for the layout and then worked my up to a 2B for darkening in the details and then a 6B for the darkest shadows on the left side of the piece. Each of these pencils come from the Daler-Rowney line of art supplies. They can easily be purchased at Walmart for a fair price.

As for my colored pencils, I prefer to use brands such as Prismacolor or Platinum. For this piece, I used the Platinum set I received as my graduation gift from high school.  This set is ideal for this piece because of the varying colors.  The colors were able to blend easily, which is essential for a piece like this one.

After the proper sketching tools were selected and applied, blending the colors was next.

To do this, a blending tortillon is needed.  Tortillon is french for blending stump. For a large area, a  number 4 tortillon, or the largest one, would be the best choice. A number 1 or a number 2 tortillon would be best to blend the tiny details that frame the piece. Each of these tortillons came from a set that I bought at Walmart for only a dollar.  Tortillons are very versatile and  they can last you a long time.   Each time they get dirty, they can be sanded and used over and over.

Time to work

After many hours of sketching and painstakingly slow touch ups. We end up with arguably one of my best works ever.
We end up with a double portrait of the strength and delicate nature of women. As a young woman I prefer to focus and showcase the strength that women are capable of. Crying on the inside was a challenge.  I had to dive deep inside myself to show my vulnerable side.  Please give me your thoughts and reactions to this piece. It helps me grow as an artist.