This is (supposed to be) Portia Simpson-Miller, the Prime Minister of Jamaica
It’s not my proudest moment in portraiture. I think that I will start doing more landscapes or street scenes and step away from these portraits for a little while. Thomas W. Schaller spends around 1 hour on his wonderful paintings – that’s pretty much the same time that goes into a portrait like this one, so this just proves how far you can get. Just painting confidently and with intuition and having great results – I’m looking forward to that at some point. I think that I do have the skill to do a better portrait, but I seem to rush them a little too much every day, which might be another indicator that it’s a good time to do other things. Maybe just a few heads of state per week (I DO intend on finishing them ;))
Another factor that might be at play, is what I have heard reported from a lot of other beginners: The eye improves quicker than the hand. Your inner critic sets higher and higher standards, and although the skill improves as well, it can’t quite keep up.
Anyway – don’t take this as if I’m in some sort of crisis about my work, or beating myself up – I’m just philosophizing a little out loud.
And go see the rest of the “Rulers of the World” by all means!
I like hearing your thinking. I cannot believe Schaller spends only an hour a day on those wonderful images (well, I believe it, but it amazes me). You’re right about the skill of the eye and the skill of the hand.