Jack, oil, 8x6"
I’ve found that a major challenge facing me as a
portrait artist is a smiling subject. From a strictly technical point of view,
the complex musculature of the face creates a topography of hills and valleys,
peaks and crevices that render the expression difficult to capture believably.
It isn’t simply the mouth alone that is affected, the entire face is altered
significantly, creating a myriad of value changes that require careful
attention. Of considerably more concern, I believe, is what I’d
call the psychology of the smile. A spontaneous smile is a delight, but to hold
a pose smiling is deadly. Invariably the smile is not only forced, but
accomplishes exactly the opposite of what the portraitist is trying to capture.
It is a mask, that hides the true self of the subject. Few have risen to the
challenge better than Franz Hals. I credit his Laughing Boy as an inspiration.
