Jarod in a Turtleneck, 2011-12, oil on linen, 16 x 12 inches
This is it, the last painting of 2012, a good close to a great year! I began work on this portrait of Jarod in August 2011, and although the composition is simple, the execution needed to be just right. I spent a lot of time developing the flesh tones trying to get a variety of warms and cools, I think I found myself glazing a lot more than I ever have. Trying to get the likeness of Jarod's face was another reason for the many layers on his face. Perhaps the nose and lips challenged me most, but these are all just the beginning elements of a good portrait. The hardest thing to achieve for any painter is capturing the soul of the sitter, lucky for me I know Jarod very well, this made it easy for me to connect with the painting from the start.
What drew me to this pose was how the turtleneck, with it's volume, framed Jarod's face. It reminded me of 17th century Spanish court paintings of regal men of high stature, business men who had a cool and important presence. Jarod is one of those few regal men left in this day and age, always manages to look well put together, and believe it or not he came close to getting rid of this turtleneck. I stopped him of course, and now he wears it often during winter. Aren't you glad Jarod I stopped you from committing fashion suicide?
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