"The Dancer" oil pastel and acrylic paint on masonite.
23" x 30" |
Project #5
For this piece, I tried oil pastel on masonite for the first time. I struggled to create a solid color because the oil pastels are translucent and smeared to a very thin layer atop the masonite. I tried to incorporate spray paint in to this piece but quickly regretted this choice and painted over it with acrylic. I drew inspiration from dancers, particularly ballet dancers. I chose to draw one of these artists because of the incredible amount of physical and mental strength they have. The piece started with an image of the dancer. There was a large amount of negative space that needed to be addressed. I had planned on drawing a stage as the background but ended up wanting to work it in to my visual theme of having one man alone in nature. I had colored him with stage lighting that was unnatural for an outdoor setting, so I decided that the space he was in did not need to make sense. Next time I would try some of my ideas in my sketchbook first. As the deadline approached I became sloppier and had I tried out color combinations or textures on paper or a scrap of masonite, the piece might look more harmonious. This piece links visually with my other pieces because there is a single figure alone in the composition. Symbolically, it links to my other pieces because it represents a male archetype. The male dancer is stereotypically seen as being feminine and weak yet ballet dancers are some of (if not) the most accomplished athletes there are. |