Jessica Crabtree

My latest commission – precious little Scarlett was born January 10. The drawing is 8×10 done in 2H & 2B graphite with a tortillion (blending stump). Click the photo to enlarge.

If you liked this page on Le Brun’s Expressions, then you will probably be interested in the caricature studies of French painter and draftsman Louis-Leopold Boilly.

“Thirty-six Faces of Expression”

Image: World Historical Comics

You can see the color version here, but personally I prefer the black and white reproduction (I believe the print was made by Dore, aptly enough). ArtMight.com: 36 Expressions

Boilly (1761-1845) was rough contemporary of Jacques-Louis David. He was a gifted portraitist and a specialist in genre painting of the French bourgeoisie.

Another portrait of Braxton, also 8×10 2b graphite.

A recent portrait commission done in soft graphite, 8×10.

Jan Vermeer (also variously Johann or Johannes) painted during the “Dutch Golden Age” of the 1600s. Although he was highly esteemed during his lifetime, his work soon fell into obscurity until it was rediscovered in the 1800s. Since then, Vermeer has become one of the pillars of composition, style, and technique.

Left: The Girl with the Pearl Earring, originally called Girl Wearing a Turban – thought to be Vermeer’s eldest daughter.

Vermeer was born in 1632 in Delft, Netherlands. He has been dubbed the “Sphinx of Delft” for his confounding obscurity. Unlike many of the Old Masters, there is little documentation of his life, his training, or his work. He produced relatively few paintings during his lifetime; never traveled far beyond his hometown; left behind no drawings or studies to show his method; and worked with a guild but never had students to pass on his techniques.

Most of his paintings portray the industry and accomplishment of the privileged Dutch middle class, despite the fact that he worked during a period of war and economic depression. In fact many of his original works were sold off after his death in 1675 to relieve his widow and children of debts he had accrued in trying to support his large family. While he did not lead a lavish lifestyle, he must have been dependent to a large extent on wealthy patrons.

Although little is known of his painting process, an apparent signature of his work is the underpainting technique which he used to imitate the subtleties of refracted and diffused light. His portrayals of undertones, shadows and reflections are considered the most accurate and precise of all the great artists.

Above: Young Woman with a Water Pitcher – quintessential Vermeer, depicting a tranquil domestic scene. Notice again the blue-yellow color combination.

Another Vermeer signature is the consistently cool color palette and the particular combination of complementary yellows and blues. This is a prominent feature in his most famous works, and appears in some form in nearly all of his paintings. He especially favored blue midtones such as cornflower and made unparalleled use of the rare and expensive lapis lazuli pigment with striking effect.

The Geographer and The Astronomer. I love the way the geographer gazes out of the window – very typical of Vermeer. Another artist might have chosen to depict this scholar immersed in his charts; but here Vermeer captures the soul of imagination and exploration.

See a critical comparison of the two here and here.

VERMEER AND REMBRANDT: A comparison (continue reading…)

(Click for larger view)

My latest pastel is about halfway finished. Next I’ll be working on the armbands and hands, and finishing his leather vest. After that, some detail work and a few finishing touches and I’ll consider it done.

A quick trick I learned for imitating metallic objects, like the silver-studded border on his vest:
use a plain white colored pencil.

Colored pencils are terrible on suede, but they come in very handy for this one purpose. I use them wherever I need to indicate points of light or very small areas of brilliant white. It’s so much easier than trying to achieve this with chalks. The best part is that the combination of textures works very well – the pencil won’t smear on the suede, so I can cover it with chalk and it still shows up well. Besides, I like the effect.

More to come…

Here’s the first look at my newest portrait, Shoshone, 14×24 pastel on suede. Click to enlarge.

My reference photo is an old black and white of a young Shoshone scout, taken in the 1870′s. More on that later…

My latest finished painting (click for larger image), now available on my Gallery.

Acoma, 18×24 pastel on suede matboard.
The original photo was taken in 1905 by Edward Curtis.

JESSICA CRABTREE NATIVE AMERICAN PORTRAITS & WILDLIFE: Acoma

About the Acoma

The Acoma people, who call themselves “Haaku,” are one of nearly two dozen Pueblo communities in northern New Mexico. Their pueblo, known as “Sky City,” is built on top of a mesa where for centuries the only access was a single staircase carved by hand out of the sheer sandstone walls. Thanks in part to this defensive position, Acoma is possibly the oldest continuously inhabited constructed settlement in North America.

From its remote perch on the steep white plateau, the Acoma pueblo has witnessed the rise and fall of the Aztec and Maya empires (its trading partners in ancient times), the incursions of Spanish conquistadors, and the American conquest of the Southwest. Today, the Acoma still live in their ancestral fortress, where they continue to practice traditional arts, ceremonies, and farming.

More on Acoma history:

Acoma Sky City

Pueblo of Acoma