Two More Chiefs

The following are the latest portraits I've attempted. They are again of Amerindians, in both cases very-well known ones. The guide photos were both black and white

Sitting Bull - 16" x 12" Waterford High White. 300gsm (140lb) not

The guide photograph was almost certainly taken during Sitting Bulls reservation period a few years after the defeat of Custer in 1876. He remained.a very influential figure - although with enemies amongst his own tribesmen - and was killed, some say murdered, when reservation indian police attempted to arrest him for fomenting trouble. He never accepted  subjugation to the white man and was a renowned `white hater'.

The colours are mostly a mixture of Cadmium Red Light and a little Raw Sienna, with copious amounts of Cerulean Blue and Ultramarine, Raw Umber and possibly Burnt Umber added for the dark areas. I mulled it over a few days after initial completion and deciding it was too dull, added diluted amounts of Translucent Brown (Schminke Pbr 41) to warm up the face.This is a great colour and Yvonne Harry of my painting group asked if she could try it and seemed suitably impressed. 

Quanah Parker 16" x 12" Centenaire 300gsm (140lb) not

Quanah Parker was the last war chief of the elusive Qwahadi Comanches. The interesting thing is his father was the war chief Peta Nocona and mother the captured white girl Cynthia Ann Parker. Cynthia was captured at between the ages of 8 and 11 - no one is sure exactly when she was born -and her capture became a cause celebre on the Texas frontier, indeed nationally. Recaptured by Texas Rangers at the age of 34 she never adjusted to white society and died of influenza in 1871. Her young daughter Prairie Flower preceded her. Quanah eventually became the leader of the Quahadis and was the last to surrender in 1874. He subsequently adapted to reservation life becoming quite wealthy. He dressed like a white man and adopted many white men ways, but not all. At one time he had 8 wives. Quanah visited his relatives amongst the Parker family and  became a well respected member of the community. Quanah kept a large framed photograph of his mother and sister in his house.  .. 

I wanted to paint him because of his history and also strong features. Prior to painting I reviewed some of Charles Reid's Indian portraits and also Gerd Hendriks DVD..The reasons are obvious in Charles case but in Gerards were to see whether I might incorporate some of his techniques - at least in a modest way initially. The resemblance to Quanah is quite good although not as good in Sitting Bulls case.

Using my normal portrait colours of Cadmium Red, Raw Sienna and Cerulean or Ultramarine I also heavily invested in Translucent Brown..I wanted to avoid the dullness of the first painting stages of Sitting Bull and be bolder. . Brushes used were my normal Isabey in sizes from 4 to 8. I'm pleased with the results, especially Quanah.

Sitting Bull Again

Sitting Bull is one of the major figures in the history of the conflict between the American Indians and the settlers/ American cavalry. All the photos I've seen show a hostile implacable demeanor - he never smiles - but then many Indians didn't - particularly in the early years, because they had a superstitious dread of so losing their soul. In numerous instances they were physically restrained and held while being photographed.

Sitting Bull - Arches Hot Press 16" x 12"

This is only the second painting I've done using hot press paper -  Arches. A partially used block was given  me by Jan Weeks of Avon Valley Artists some time ago. The effect is different but I rather like it so will try some more, although I don't buy Arches as it has become so expensive. 

As for the painting the likeness is not 100%, mainly due to the eyes not being quite right. In the guide photo his stare is riveting! I'm also resisting becoming too tight and used the Da Vinci Artissimo 44 No 2, roughly similar in size to a 14 round, although a different shape, as much as possible. The features were completed with the Isabey Size 6 retractable.

I made an initial pencil drawing with an 07 2B mechanical pencil without using any mechanical aids to get the proportions right. I don't think there any major errors. The guide photo used was on the ipad. I don't want an exact result as I'm not keen on photorealistic paintings of any sort.

The colours were mainly Cadmium Red mixed with Ultramarine Blue, in different mixes, plus some Cobalt Violet. The hair is Ultramarine and (mainly) Burnt Sienna/Burnt Umber, again in various dilutions. 

Sitting Bull

My latest Amerindian is another attempt at Sitting Bull, the famous Sioux leader and implacable foe of the white man. His opposition eventually got him killed while in captivity. He obviously didn't appreciate his photograph being taken, many Amerindians felt the same, mostly on superstitious grounds which is why he usually scowls. 

This is the sequence the painting took, purely to show how I did it, not claiming in any way that this is good or the way to proceed.

I now mainly use the ipad for references due to the high cost of printings photographs on the inkjet.

I made the drawing by drawing visually without using any mechanical measuring aids. This involved a certain amount of erasing and redrawing but (for me) that's normal. A mechanical pencil the Pentel O7 3B.

I began with the eyes then nose and mouth.

The above three photographs show the approximate sequence I followed.

Sitting Bull - 16" x 12" Waterford High White 140lb. (300gsm) not

As I am constantly criticized by my friend Hap, who knows many native Amerindians, about my skin colours not being dark enough I have altered my skin mix, although I'm not confident the above will meet with his approval. Instead of Cerulean I used Ultramarine Blue and cut down slightly on Cadmium Red.I also used some Translucent Brown (Schminke Pbr41). I played around with the combinations and when dry added some pure Cadmium red in diluted form. The hair was a mix of Ultramarine and Burnt Umber, with Ultramarine predominant. Brushes used were my usual Isabey sables including retractables.  

I am reasonably happy with the above result. His face has a `craggy' look so I used a little dry brush and added acrylic white for highlights when fully dry. Texture is difficult in watercolour, although books have been and are being written using clingfilm, gesso, scraping, scratching and heaven knows what else to achieve this. I'm not against any sort of aids but it is easy to overdo it and lose the vibrancy and freshness that is the main charm of watercolour.

Sitting Bull

I have painted this famous Indian previously, at least twice, and this version in some respects is not quite such a good likeness but I feel better in other ways.

Sitting Bull . Waterford 16" x 12" 140lb Not

Sitting Bull  (1831 - 1890) was a leader and medicine man of the Hunkpapa Lakota Sioux, a division of the most numerous and deadly of the plains Indians, although others like the Comanches, Kiowas and Cheyenne were almost equally feared. After the defeat of Custer in 1876 the Sioux could not compete with the huge numbers of troops deployed against them. In 1877 due to this enormous pressure Sitting Bull and his followers fled into Canada, where they were allowed to remain as long as they promised to be peaceful. Eventually in 1881 he and the bulk of his supporters feeling very homesick- although smaller numbers remained in Canada -  were persuaded to return across the border and live on a reservation. 

Sitting Bull never accepted reservation life in a land where the huge influx of white people was changing things forever. He took part in a touring Circus with Buffalo Bill Cody but remained recalcitrant,and when the  despair of the Indians resulted in the Ghost Dance religious movement was considered a dangerous influence. The decision was taken to arrest and imprison him. In December 1890 reservation Indian police were sent to arrest him but he and his followers resisted, resulting  in several  deaths, including Sitting Bull and some of the police. To this day some Sioux believe he was deliberately murdered. The best book I know on Sitting Bull is `The Lance and The Shield' subtitled `The Life and Times of Sitting Bull' by Robert M. Utley, Ballantine Books, New York 1994. 

My initial approach was to make a careful drawing using a Pentel 07 mechanical pencil with a 2B lead. I took careful measurements from the guide photograph  to get the proportions correct and everything, eyes, nose, mouth, in the right places. If the old masters could use all sorts of aids to ensure accuracy why not I? I don't see any reason to wear a hair shirt.

I then painted the face and features starting with the eyes, nose and mouth. I used a mix of Cadmium Red Light, a little Raw Sienna plus Cobalt Blue to darken and also Schminke Translucent Brown (PBr41) to try and get the right skin colour. I played around with these colours and mostly mixed on the paper. Prior to painting I put on small amounts of masking fluid for the highlights around the eyes. Make sure you allow the fluid to dry before attempting to paint. When painting the face I incorporated the underside of the hat brim with similar colours darkened, using various mixtures of Ultramarine and Burnt Sienna. I then painted the hair using the same Ultramarine/Burnt Sienna mix and carried this down into the neck area and top of his clothing. I then painted the hat using diluted Raw Umber, Ultramarine Violet and possibly  some Raw Sienna.I can't remember exactly (!). I'm never able to complete things in the `first try for a finish' mode so did further work on the right facing side of the face and finished off the features. The background has heavily diluted Sap Green, Cerulean and Ultramarine Violet. I think that's it. My usual brushes, all Isabey except the Da Vinci Artissimo 44.

Latest Indian Paintings

Acoma Woman 1900 16" x 12" Not

American Horse Oglala Sioux 1880

18" x 14" Waterford Not

Sitting Bull Huncpapa Sioux Holy Man

15" x 11" Fabriano Artistico Not.

I've done several of Sitting Bull because he has such a strong face. Some of the others aren't bad, one posted previously,  but I think this better. I recently found a new photograph on www.firstpeople.us/ . American Horse was also a famous warrior and I wanted to try a portrait with a different angle. This is the second try with a different indian subject.

As for the Acoma woman I know little about her, again culled from first people, but I was intrigued by the sense of mystery in the photograph. I have changed things quite a bit because on the photo she was surrounded by very dark shadows. I tried a main colour scheme of Maimeri Avignon Orange (PR206) and
complementary colours Rowney's Viridian (PG18) and Hookers Green (PG7/PO48) Maimeri version. There is some doubt about the inclusion of PO48 as it is now supposedly unavailable. The Windsor and Newton and Rowney equivalents to Avignon Orange are Brown Madder and  Transparent Red Brown respectively. Even though the pigment is the same the colours may vary slightly with different manufacturing processes. In all three cases the faces were painted using a mixture of Cadmium Red Light (PR108), Cadmium Yellow Light (PY35) darkened where appropriate with either Cerulean (PB35), Cobalt Blue Deep (PB72) or Ultramarine Blue (PB29). I emphasize pigments rather than `colours' as suggested by Bruce McEvoy of Handprint.

I'm fairly happy with the paintings of Sitting Bull and American Horse but concerned about the Acoma woman. I experimented with the Shirley Trevena method of creating texture by using some emery paper on the coloured core of watercolour pencils and getting flecks of colour but I think it either didn't work well or I need to improve my method of doing it. It has tended to dirty the colour. Paint in haste repent at leisure! I shall another try at this one. Footnote added later: This portrait didn't work unfortunately and it just wasn't the attempt to add texture. I shall try again.

One change I have made is that, following Charles Reid suggesting in one of his books that pan colours might be better with which to paint the face, I did so then switched to tube colours.

More Recent Paintings

Sitting Bull and Captain Jack.

SB was the famous Sioux medicine man involved with the destruction of the 7th Cavalry under Custer, while Captain Jack was the leader of the small band of Modocs who gave the US army the runaround in the late 1870's. In  the film Jack was portrayed by Charles Bronson!

Judi painting at the Gannel Estuary, Newquay October 2009.

15" x 11" Not

I was on a painting course with Judi Whitton late last year and took a photograph from which I later did this painting. This was my second attempt.

`Crow Eagle' 15" x 11" Fabriano Artistico 90lb Not

Another effort at Crow Eagle, one of several less than 100% satisfactory efforts. I have done worse than this one.

"Messing about on the River" 19" x 14" 152lb Veneto Not

This painting was for the `end of term' competition at my Bathampton Art Group. We have a competition and vote for the painting we consider the best. I think mine only got one vote and that was the lady who sits alongside me when we paint! I basically opted for a simple composition which went down like a lead balloon.

View down to terrace from 4th floor room balcony Hotel Royal Sorrento

12" x 16" Waterford Not

This one is the last painting I did at Sorrento with the addition of the three half pans I was able to buy in Amalfi. I was not very struck by it but at least I made the effort.

Michael Caine 15" x 11" Fabriano Artistico Not

One I did a while ago for a competition at Bathampton `Celebrity Portrait'. In the event the one I put in was of Clint Eastwood. I thought it was quite good but it came nowhere in the voting.

Sitting Bull, Huncpapa Sioux 15" x 11" Not

 Painted earlier this year or late last year, can't remember which. A reasonable likeness.

Back to Painting

This is one of my latest attempts to portray American Indians of the 1800's, using old black and white photos. I am very interested  in this period and have many books on the subject, most obtained second-hand directly from America via Abebooks. There are also some excellent archive sites dealing with the subject. The best I have found so far is http://www.firstpeople.us/ .

Sitting Bull 16" x 12" Not Saunders Waterford

This is Sitting Bull the famous Sioux medicine man taken in the 1870's. The original is in a sort of sepia/black and white with very strong contrast, not much graduation. So far I've done about a dozen different ones, most already discarded, but hopefully they are gradually improving although  I realise I still have a way to go. Charles Reid is my mentor in that I'm trying to emulate the way in which  he paints portraits.