First Oil Painting and Jiro's Portrait
Recently, I started painting with oil paints at my art class.
I have only painted two pieces with oil paint so far, but I was surprised by how “finished” an oil painting can look (haha). The gradients are easy to create, and adjustments can be made along the way, so I feel it is a good medium for me as I continue learning.
The first painting I created was based on a photo of a cactus thatmy sister (Tamaru1go) took during a walk. The red fruits looked so delicious that I wanted to capture that feeling, so I added Rose Madder to the painting.
I used Viridian on part of the cactus.
My teacher told me that Viridian and Rose Madder are colors that can be difficult to handle, so I should be careful when using them. But hearing that only made me want to try them even more, and I couldn’t resist (haha).
At one point, the colors became too mixed and the painting started to feel too heavy. I realized that I actually prefer brighter, more vivid colors.
I especially discovered that Viridian becomes beautifully delicate when diluted, and it has since become one of my favorite colors.
The second painting I created was of Jiro, my former store manager.
This time, I tried to avoid making the painting feel too heavy. Perhaps one of the charms of oil painting is its sense of depth and richness. Someday, I would like to create a painting where that richness becomes its greatest appeal.
The fish-patterned tie is the highlight.
When I was painting this picture, Jiro was already fighting kidney disease. I did not think about it consciously while painting, but when I look at the finished painting, he seems to have a distant, mysterious expression. It almost feels as if he is wondering whether to cross the river to the other side or not.
Since Jiro had black fur, I felt that painting him entirely in black would make the image too heavy, so I used my favorite color, vermilion.
After I finished this painting, Jiro passed away. Even now, this painting is displayed in a special place in my room.
I have only just started painting with oils, but I have discovered the joy of layering colors, and I hope to continue learning little by little.
Tamaru2go
