Artist Suellen McCrary’s portraits go beyond her subject’s likeness, capturing their very being in oils. Learn more about this artist and her work by visiting her website.
I am a figurative painter working primarily in oils. Fascinated with the face and figure, I create paintings that I hope transcend the outward appearance and capture the inside essence of a person.
Many of my paintings are commissioned, however I also make paintings that I hope resonate with collectors universally. This often asks for a narrative, which I try to convey by both the image and title.
There is a universality of the figure and face that we all identify with – our experience and projection of our hopes and feelings.
My process for commissioned work starts with a series of photos – often around three hundred (thank you digital photography!) and editing these down to a few that I feel will best lend themselves to a great painting which my client will review and choose from.
My intention is always to create a portrait that is not only a likeness of my subject but also a painting that stands on its own as a work of art.
I’ll do a charcoal sketch which works as a warm up to get the subject’s likeness, and to give my client a preview of how the final work will look to size and an opportunity to critique the likeness as needed.
The next step is a small painted study for composition and color. Once the sketch and study are approved by my client, I will work from these and the series of photos for the final full-size painting which is usually oil on linen panel.
For noncommissioned work, my process varies. Generally, I’ll start with a vision and concept of what I want the painting to be about.
Working from life, a sketch or a series of my photos (or a combination), I will often start with a thumbnail sketch for composition with notes about color and mood.
Depending on the complexity of the composition, I may do a small study before moving on to the final painting. Just as often though I will go straight to the full-size panel or canvas and let the painting tell me what it needs as I work. This for me is the joy of creating!
My wish as an artist is to create paintings that evoke strong feelings in the viewer. I want to create work that takes my breath away; hopefully it will do the same with the viewer.
Artist Suellen McCrary invites you to follow her on Facebook and Instagram.
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