This is a commissioned portrait in watercolour that I made years ago. During the sitting I noticed the independent and tranquil look of this little boy.
“An artist is not a psychologist,” I quoted in one of my last posts. Yet a portrait painter is happy if he sees a quality in a face he wants to emphasize. So was I and I tried to capture this pensive look. I was sincerely happy when the mother exclaimed: “Yes, this is my son with his eternal gaze!“.
The portrait is in watercolour but there are two brushstrokes in gouache. I wonder if someone can find them? Among those who give the right answer I will raffle a video demonstration. Let’s say up to a fortnight.
Hello mr. Ben,
I believe the two gouache brushstrokes are on the collar of the boy’s shirt and the reflection on the chin, am I right?
best regards,
Marija Gašpar
Oh, ik ben gek op zoekplaatjes ! Zijn het de helderblauwe streep op de kraag en de witte streep tussen de kin en de hals ?
Dag meneer Lustenhouwer,
Ik wilde een plaatje sturen… Dan maar zo: ik zie 5 ‘potentiële gouache lijnen’. Maar kies voor: de 2 lichte streken: een middenvoor op het haar & de 2e er iets recht boven van, met boven de 3 lichte lijnen naast elkaar.
(Verder nog 2 lichte op de bakkebaard, en de reflectielijn op de kaak.)
Mvg, Michel van der Sanden
I think the gouache is the bottom of the iris in each eye. Thanks
To our right along the edge of the chin and… much more subtle, also to our left along the chin?
Thank you, Ben, for your blog, which I read every week.
I think the two highlights in the eyes are painted with gouache.
Ha Ben, leuk dit.
Ik denk het lichte blauw rechts naast de kin en het blauw daaronder in de blouse.
Of ben ik te laat?
Groetjes Carina
The shirt collar and it’s bright reflection on the jaw.
Truly admire your paintings. As for the gouache, are they the blue reflective stroke on the chin and the blue stroke on the collar?
Thanks for all you share. Brownie, USA
I enjoy your blog and your portraits. Thank you for writing it! I think the two strokes of gouache are the reflected light under the jaw and the highlight on the lower eyelid of the sitters left eye.
Alice
I would say the lights from nose and his left side of jaw
Hi,
I guess that one gouashe brushstroke is the tiny light blue line of the reflected light on his bottom of his chin, the second one could be the saturated blue edge of his shirt in front the mentioned reflected light…?
And great painting, by the way…. 🙂
Two gouache lines: above and below the dark portion of the neck on the chin and on the shirt.
Hi Ben,
Having never used gouache this is just a guessing game for me, but taking a couple of shots at it, I’ll say that I think one of the brushstrokes could be the lavender color on the boy’s collar that runs parallel to his jaw line (really nice job of blending the reflected color on his cheek, by the way) and the other –possibly in the darkest part of the shadow on his neck just adjacent – although zooming my screen makes me think this is just as likely several applications of dark watercolor.
My other guess would be the two small light (grey?)colored strokes in the boy’s sideburn just above and to the left of his ear.
I’ve read several times on your blog here -I’m going through and reading all of the old posts in order- where you say that watercolor is still largely a mystery to you, or you aren’t quite sure what it is you are doing in the medium; words to that effect, anyway. I hope someday to be even half as lost as you 😉
Just one more guess!! The almost white line of reflected light on the edge of his jaw above the collar.
Cheers!