Robin

Practicing Persuading 

Just finished another portrait study. 

A couple of months ago, I stumbled upon a photograph of an old friend, Robin, taken by the brilliant @thepostoffice013.

I was captivated by the exact moment captured in the photo. Not only the lighting, but the very pose and expressive gesture told a complex and harmonious story, which I thought would provide perfect yet challenging material for my study.   

The composition was compelling: Robin, a charismatic speaker, was caught in mid-gesture against a fiery backdrop (which I decided to change into an abstract one). He was positioned en profile, looking toward a dramatic light source - probably the natural light of a sunny day - which highlighted his face, neck and hands while casting soft shadows. His expression conveyed confidence, passion and engagement, with his eyes focused and intense, adding a sense of charisma and intellectual energy.

I wanted the hands to be the second focal point, as they are expressive tools that provide a sense of movement and "speech" without words. The gesture, dynamic pose, and subject's expression were what triggered me to try painting this scene.

So, with the story, subject, composition, and lighting already established for me by the photographer, my task was to hone and train my painting skills and to convey the sense of rhythm, rhetorical intensity, and the communicative power of Robin's hands. I briefly reached out to Robin about my idea, and he sounded enthusiastic about being my study material, so I eagerly began to paint... 

Persuading (Robin). Oil on acid-free cardboard, 50 x 40 cm. View the finished piece in my gallery. 

Credits for the photo used as a study reference: thepostoffice013