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Progress on my Father's Portrait
Portrait of Ralph B. Christian II
Learning from a Master:
I’ve been quietly working on this portrait of my father for the past couple of weeks, and I wanted to share the latest update with you. Actually, this portrait is the second one of painted of him. This latest one is painted entirely with the Zorn palette (just Titanium White, Yellow Ochre, Cadmium Red, and Ivory Black). It’s an incredibly powerful but challenging limited palette that forces you to focus on values, temperature shifts, and edge control. What better way to go than to follow what one of the old masters (Zorn) accomplished by imitating his greatness and skill but using that and making it uniquely your own? A few days ago I posted an earlier stage and received thoughtful feedback from my mentor, Skip Whitcomb. He pointed out areas where the light was still a bit flat and the form needed stronger definition. I took his notes to heart and pushed the painting further — especially on the eyes, skin temperature (warm lights vs cool shadows), and directional lighting. Here’s where it stands today:
I still have a few small refinements to make (especially on the black shirt reflections and a couple of edges), but I’m really happy with how it’s coming along. More than anything, it’s starting to capture not just his likeness, but that gentle, slightly amused expression that’s so uniquely him. Working on a portrait of a parent is a special experience — equal parts technical challenge and emotional journey. While he's still in reasonable health for his age, soon to be 87, I want to honor him in a way that is suitable to his dignity and experience. And I can't think of a better way to do that than a portrait created by his own son. I’ll keep you posted as it nears completion.
What do you think? Any areas you’d suggest I focus on next? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments. Thanks for following along on this little journey.
— Bernie
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