Somewhere Between Boredom, Sadness or Contemplation

[davefriend]

I was browsing through my library of photographs a few weeks ago and came across this one of a Siamang.



I liked several things about it but most of all I liked the face and 'hair style' the Siamang wore but I wasn't excited about the dark and moody feel in the photo. So I cropped the face then sketched it on a 30"x24" canvas and set out to give some pizazz by way of color. I didn't want to change too much of the expression which was somewhere between boredom, sadness or contemplation but I did want to lift it up with color.

I was going toward a portrait style but not an illustration or any real scientific documentation. I wanted to be in the ballpark but I have kept my artistic license hung around my neck for all the purists out there. My aim was to contrast the mood of the expression with the color of the palette so I choose red as the dominant color. The dark areas are violet like the photo.

The eyes are not Gibbon eyes rather more human and the blue coloring is just what is there now - trying them on, as it were. Might change, might not? Dunno, What do you think?

Somewhere in all this I thought of the Warhol wig and the platinum color that it was and that even the look of my subject was somewhat Warhol'esk ...so I washed out the hair by making it pinkish white. It is probably too bright because I see how dominant it has become here although in real life it is not as WHITE as this.

Anyway, it is still a WIP and I am not done with it yet but want to keep going on it before my enthusiasm moves on to the next project. I have been very pleased with it's presence on a wall, it's size and close cropped face seem to catch my attention and draw me in. Does it do anything to you? I will be interested in your comments and criticisms for better or worse.

[brushwaggler]

Love the Warhol reference, Dave. See where you got the idea but never would have seen that for myself!
I'm thinking his muzzle is too straight on. It looks like it needs moving round to the right a fraction, I think?
Look forward to seeing the finished thing

[davefriend]

Originally Posted by brushwaggler

Love the Warhol reference, Dave. See where you got the idea but never would have seen that for myself!
I'm thinking his muzzle is too straight on. It looks like it needs moving round to the right a fraction, I think?
Look forward to seeing the finished thing

Thanks for looking 'waggler. The muzzle was on my list but not sure what I will do just yet. Letting it sit till it dries then back at it.

[jumper]

Nice job Dave, Outstanding work on the reproduction. I look at this like a portrait, it's supposed to be centered. The right eye is in the center and that's enough for me. The colors and blending are really nice.

Keep up the good work

[davefriend]

Originally Posted by jumper

Nice job Dave, Outstanding work on the reproduction. I look at this like a portrait, it's supposed to be centered. The right eye is in the center and that's enough for me. The colors and blending are really nice.

Keep up the good work

Thank you jumper for your thoughts and encouragement as always. This subject was not my usual 'cup of tea' and I hesitated to put it up on the AB/CON Forum but I thought it would be an interesting jount to take and maybe of interest to someone else too. You know a painting is all up in the air until you walk away from it and say it's done ...what happens between now and then is not always as obvious as might have be thought when the painting was started.

[Frances Obie]

What a wonderful portrait! You have captured his mood already - not bored, but watchful and aware. Very human. Love the "hair-do"

[Katie Black]

Hi, I think this is looking good..will be watching to see where you go with this one!

[alangraham]

I do enjoy the colors on this one. I'm not a huge animal painting guy, but this I do like. I agree with what Brushwaggler said, so that's my only real comment.

regards,
Cory

PS, I think the eyes look fine to me.

[~JON]

Red/orange in one of your paintings, who could have guessed. The eyes make this, in my humble opinion.
I thoroughly enjoy it when I see artists try new techniques, media or subject matter.

[davefriend]

Originally Posted by Frances Obie

What a wonderful portrait! You have captured his mood already - not bored, but watchful and aware. Very human. Love the "hair-do"

Thanks Francis, I want to try to create a connection to the viewer so I'm glad you can see a mood happening there.

Originally Posted by Katie Black

Hi, I think this is looking good..will be watching to see where you go with this one!

Great! Thanks for looking Katie.

Originally Posted by alangraham

I do enjoy the colors on this one. I'm not a huge animal painting guy, but this I do like. I agree with what Brushwaggler said, so that's my only real comment.

regards,
Cory

PS, I think the eyes look fine to me.

The muzzle on the reference is flattened a bit more on our right which may convey the heads angle a bit more true but it makes the muzzle look non bi-lateral to me - I have mixed emotions about it when I look at the reference photo and compare my rendition of it.

It is a little like how the eye does not convey all the truth about the proportions of the human head as true as a scale or ruler will.

Originally Posted by ~JON

Red/orange in one of your paintings, who could have guessed. The eyes make this, in my humble opinion.
I thoroughly enjoy it when I see artists try new techniques, media or subject matter.

Yes red, but is is not as bright as some in the past! I was hoping that the cool of the blue would help counter the glare of the red and white. Thanks for sharing your thoughts Jon!

[brushwaggler]

Dave, sorry mate, that muzzle still needs looking at!

[Eraethil]

Nice work so far. If you work on the beard further, I think the muzzle will sort it's way out.

[spicuzza]

putting a Warhol wig on a chimp might work if there was an intellectual reason for it. Have the Warhol monkey eating out of a Campbell's soup can and you've got a POV others can wrap their heads around.

[davefriend]

Originally Posted by spicuzza

...putting a Warhol wig on a chimp might work if there was an intellectual reason for it. Have the Warhol monkey eating out of a Campbell's soup can and you've got a POV others can wrap their heads around.

That's a really interesting idea spicuzza. One which someone could consider doing sometime.

My Warhol reference was not meant to infer I was doing anything as a commentary on or a double meaning composition about him. Merely an interesting aside about the unique hair style the Siamang's have. No wig needed - da Siamang already got da style!

Thanks for your take on this.

[!Artnik]

The eyes grab me. The orange blob under his chin could be darkened so it won't take away from his face.