I was in pursuit of a model that had a special characteristic in his or her face. When I came across Jordan I was convinced he would be one of the most exotic models who has ever sat for me. Being half Parisian and half Ethiopian I was intrigued to capture his likeness as one of my objectives. When composing his portrait, I decided to leave the background as untouched bare wood. My reasoning behind this was to quiet the background, as well as create unity with the face and off-white shirt. The painting was done from life and the lighting came from a north facing skylight. Due to these limitations, I made sure to have enough shadow shapes to help the overall design.
I was in pursuit of a model that had a special characteristic in his or her face. When I came across Jordan I was convinced he would be one of the most exotic models who has ever sat for me. Being half Parisian and half Ethiopian I was intrigued to capture his likeness as one of my objectives. When composing his portrait, I decided to leave the background as untouched bare wood. My reasoning behind this was to quiet the background, as well as create unity with the face and off-white shirt. The painting was done from life and the lighting came from a north facing skylight. Due to these limitations, I made sure to have enough shadow shapes to help the overall design.