Monday, April 13, 2015

Portraits Created By Mixed Media Portrait Artists

By Iva Cannon


Portraiture has been popular through the centuries as a way of recording the appearance and personality of an individual. Mixed media portrait artists have taken this form of art and pushed it to a new level by using all kinds of tools, substrates and materials. Some may use only a combination of two different materials such as pastels and charcoals while others take full advantage of many different elements to bring their ideas to life.

An artist producing this kind of work may have come through traditional fine art training whilst others may be self taught. Art as a means of expression always involves some experimentation and although each individual may have come a certain route, it is often the finished work that speaks for itself. A harmony has to be evident in the way all the elements are combined. Examining a portfolio will soon reveal the talent of a particular artist.

Discovering how different media works together often requires a process of experimentation. Techniques may involve adding or subtraction. Layers are added using processes like collage and textural painting. Processes like sanding, scratching, peeling or rubbing are used to expose what is underneath. Sponging, stenciling, blotting and weaving are just a few of the other techniques commonly used.

The substrates used vary widely too. Canvas, paper, wooden panels and even other materials not usually associated with art are used. One artist creates her own fabric paper by blending together paper, fabric, paint and glue. Another uses old wooden doors on which to paint his portraits.

Using laser printers and copy machines is another option today. The original can be drastically altered in this way. It can be enlarged or reduced. Pieces of the original may be overlapped, ripped or creased. Composition is very important in such cases and the overall impression needs to be well thought out. A more graphic, dynamic result can be obtained by using these techniques. Powders, gels, waxes, inks, charcoal and many other materials can be used and combined where necessary to achieve specific results. The imagination of the artist is the only limitation.

Working with many different elements gives an artist the opportunity to bring across ideas and feelings. Universal concepts such as alienation, searching for identity in a world of uncertainty and many others may be addressed. Layers and combinations of materials can help in expressing these ideas and the viewer is challenged to think about what they are seeing.

This type of art is often three dimensional in appearance due to the textures and depth created by layering and the use of many different materials. Fibers, newspapers, fabrics and more are used to create such an impression. Objects like chains, keys and buttons are even used and the necklace around the neck of a woman, for example, may be carefully constructed out of real beads.

This genre of painting combines all kinds of different painting and drawing materials and methods to create one-of-a-kind portraits. Experimentation often pushes an artist towards discovery of a completely new means of expression. In unique combinations of methods, materials and tools, boundaries are broken and new territory is conquered. Portraits such as this may be more costly but as they represent the cutting edge of art, they are often a valuable investment.




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