🥵 1 week to paint a portrait from scratch to finish

#63 the story behind “Color of vengeance”

Jun 24, 2024

Dear little demon,

Welcome to the edition #63 of The Art Missive. We are now 11,997 😈 in this newsletter! Whether you've been here from the start or just arrived, thank you so much for reading ❤.

*Lately, I’m fine. I decided to dedicate all my mornings to painting, and it's been super effective against art block.*

If you haven't already, you can also:

Read all the previous Art Missives
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In this Missive:

1/ My first solo painting.

2/ The beginner's trap.

3/ 1 week challenge.

4/ The hardest parts.

5/ The true color.

6/ Conclusion.

1/ My first solo painting.

Attention, you are the very first to discover my secret project.

This picture down here, is the second painting I’ve ever made. And I did it in just one week.

In this previous missive, I shared with you the three transformative weeks I spent learning oil painting with the incredibly talented Vladislav Yashin. Under his guidance, I created a first portrait that surpassed all my wildest expectations. Eager to make my mentor proud after the course, I returned home with the intention of quickly creating a second piece on my own.

But then, reality set in.

April came and went, then May, then June. My brushes lay untouched, my canvas blank. As you might remember from my recent missives, I was stuck, trapped in a creative block that felt insurmountable.

With July approaching, I decided to bring out the big guns and set myself a challenge: to create a new portrait within a week. And now, it's finally time to share my progress with you.

Welcome to edition #63 of The Art Missive, where I paint a new portrait in just one week.

2/ The beginner's trap.

Actually… This story doesn't really begin last week, but rather a month ago.

Motivated to get out of my art block, I decided to start two new oil painting projects that I intended to finish before July. I was so excited to complete them but little did I know, I fell into a basic beginner’s trap:

aiming too high.

I spent an entire week trying to develop a complicated concept and gather the perfect references. In my enthusiasm, I bought canvases that were far too large for my current skill level. The following week, Instead of focusing on techniques I had already mastered, I experimented with risky priming methods, which failed miserably and wasted precious time.

The third week, as I finally began painting, the daunting realization hit me—these projects would take weeks (if not months) to complete for a beginner like me and I would never be able to finish before the end of the month.

After three weeks of kicking the can down the road, it hit me like a ton of bricks : I had been procrastinating all along.

But not in the obvious way, like binge-watching Netflix or scrolling through social media. No, this was procrastination disguised as productivity. Unconsciously, my fear of starting had led me to make choices that would delay the actual execution of the projects.

This realization left me deeply disappointed in myself. I wanted to complete a new painting before July, but instead, I had made all the wrong decisions.

3/ 1 week challenge.

Here I am, it's 7 am, sitting in my studio on a rainy Monday morning, feeling depressed by my own behavior. The reality hits hard: it’s almost July, and I still don’t have a finished painting.

But then, a thought strikes me:

What if it’s not too late to create a portrait before July? I still have one week left, what if I could make it on time?

It was a challenging idea, but perfect:

I would have achieved my goal of having a painting out in June. I made a promise to myself, and I refuse to break it. This challenge is the perfect opportunity to push myself and prove that I can follow through on my commitments.
I realized that setting this challenge was the best way to break free from my creative block. By giving myself a strict deadline and focusing on a smaller project, I could push past my perfectionism and just create. By limiting myself to a week, I'll have no choice but to focus on the process rather than the final product.
Plus, as a beginner in oil painting, I needed to prioritize quantity over quality. As much as I wanted to create masterpieces, I knew that I needed to build my skills and experience first.

So, with newfound determination, I cleared my schedule for the week and committed to the challenge. No more excuses, no more distractions. Just me, my paints, and a canvas.

4/ The hardest parts.

I start the week full of determination (and uncertainties).

You've never painted a portrait on your own. Your last attempt failed. And you have no idea what you're doing... But it's going to be okay, Léa. You can do this.

As they say, any good challenge comes with its share of difficulties and obstacles. And during my week-long challenge, I identified two major ones that could derail everything if I didn't overcome them.

1- Letting go of perfectionism

A week to generate an idea, find references, and paint... It was almost insurmountable for me, being the meticulous person I am. It’s why setting intermediate deadlines throughout the week was crucial to staying on track :

Monday and Tuesday were dedicated to the concept, sketch, and underpainting. I had to fight with every fiber of my being to resist the temptation to exceed this deadline and get the perfect concept.
From Wednesday onward, I had to paint every single day to make it on time.

During this challenge, I kept telling myself, "an imperfect finished painting is always better than being stuck in the pursuit of perfection."

This tight timing challenge is great because it leaves no room for getting lost in the details and forces me to fight my biggest nemesis: perfectionism. So I learned to embrace what I call a "get shit done" attitude, meaning accepting imperfections to prioritize completing the painting. It's similar to what entrepreneurs call the Pareto Law, which states that 80% of results come from 20% of the effort. As a beginner painter, I tried to focus on the 20% that will have the biggest positive impact on my portrait.

2- Drying time of each layer

The most inevitable challenge with oil painting is, of course, the drying time. With Vladislav, I didn't learn the wet-on-wet technique, so I had to wait for the underlying layer to dry completely before painting the next layer on top.

For once, my strategic mind saved my artistic endeavors (rather than burdening them): At the beginning of each layer, I planned the order in which I would paint the areas to ensure they would have time to dry before the next layer.

This careful planning and patience paid off. By the end of the week, I had a completed painting that showcased the depth and richness that can only be achieved through the meticulous layering of oil paint.

5/ The true color.

Let me introduce you to my very first solo oil painting: "The Color of Vengeance."

As the challenge was tough enough, the first decision I made when creating this piece was to focus on a theme that truly captivated me, making the process a bit more enjoyable. Inspired by the series "The Glory" and the film "Furiosa," which I watched recently, I chose the theme of vengeance.

The second important decision was to keep it simple. Given the short time frame, I knew I couldn’t create a complex composition with elements like flowers or accessories. Instead, I aimed to generate interest through a powerful expression and an engaging play of color and light.

The scene is almost monochromatic in blue. The character's face is shrouded in darkness, highlighting the ominous fate she is rushing towards. Touches of red punctuate the canvas, posing a simple question:

What is the color of vengeance?

Is it a cold, calculated blue, or a burning hatred ready to consume everything in its path?

6/ Conclusion.

Voilà, the story behind the first painting I created on my own.

The concept isn't very complex.

I made dozens of mistakes along the way.

And when I look at my canvas, there are plenty of areas I'd like to touch up.

BUT I DON’T CARE!

Because for the first time, I created an oil painting from scratch all by myself! I created a story. I endured a process that taught me so much. And with each brushstroke, I felt a little more like the artist I'm meant to become.

As artists, we often become obsessed with the final result, spending tens or even hundreds of hours on a single project. What I learned this week is that it's more important to focus on the quantity of practice rather than the quality when you're starting out.

I'll leave you with my favorite quote, which you might already know (but a reminder never hurts):

“You have to shut up and work and work and work all the time and produce and produce and produce. And the more you produce, the more your character or your talent will emerge. (...) As long as you work and make enough things to choose from, you’ll be able to have an edit that becomes who you are.” — Rick Owens.

Voilà, that's all from me.

See you next week! 😈

Léa