Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Clown Johnny K


Here's a recent life painting from the Thursday afternoon session I go to.
The model is a clown called Johnny K, a friend of the artist,Mick O'Dea who runs the session.
Johnny's a lovely man and was a very good model even though this was his first time.
I thought he'd have a really hard time keeping still considering the way he was goofing around before the session, but he was really very good, especially as a standing pose is particularly difficult to hold over a long period.
This was a four hour session. With breaks that amounts to about three and a quarter hours posing.
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6 comments:

  1. eliseApril 30, 2009 at 12:59 AM

    Hi PJ,
    Lovely reflected warmth on the skin, so subtle but necessary - especially given that it looks like mainly natural lighting there. It's interesting how warmth or coldness can change how vulnerable the model looks. Long poses are nice. You still have to be quite quick and economical but there is time for a decent portrait. Do you do the short poses there too? Ah, you're making me miss life sessions. Maybe I'll get back ino them in a couple of weeks. My venue is just 1 minute's walk away! I love the fact that he is utterly exposed yet still hiding behind that mask...

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  2. PJ LynchApril 30, 2009 at 1:15 AM

    Thanks Elise, I'm glad you like it.
    Do get back to the life drawing! It's great for one's work, and it's tremendous therapy for a restless mind.

    We should probably do some warm up poses, but no, we get straight into the long ones. It's a great session with wonderful space and light, and a very inspiring bunch of fellow artists.

    Re the mask and his exposedness; I was a little coy in the cropping of the image.
    I'm fine with nude pictures but somehow it didn't seem right to put a nude clown on my blog somehow. What's going on there?
    All the best
    PJ

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  3. eliseApril 30, 2009 at 4:50 PM

    I did wonder :-) And yes - there's something... Teaming the rediculous with vulnerability perhaps, or that clowns look so vulnerable to begin with - like the mask isn't just a choice but a necessity.

    Actually the image, as it is, implies the loss of dignity without showing it. It's rather effective.
    e

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  4. Padhraig NolanMay 6, 2009 at 6:55 AM

    nice one PJ - what's the medium?

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  5. PJ LynchMay 8, 2009 at 1:45 AM

    Hi Padhraig
    Thanks for that
    It's painted in oils.
    All the best
    PJ

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  6. Padhraig NolanMay 8, 2009 at 7:16 AM

    Cheers. Very nice rendering!

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