Backgrounds

[Richard Budig]

A couple of things I know and generally try to use in painting backgrounds is something I heard from Daniel Greene, and read from Robert Henri . . .

Greene taught that it isn't likely that the model will affect the background, but it is highly likely that the bckground will affect the model. In other words, you'll very likely find background colors on, and mixed into your model's flesh and clothing, where applicable.

Robert Henri (I'm paraphrasing) said that you must keep your eyes on the model while painting the background, otherwise your background becomes a separate painting.

I think both comments are valid and useful.

[Alexandra Tyng]

Originally Posted by Richard Budig

Greene taught that it isn't likely that the model will affect the background, but it is highly likely that the bckground will affect the model.

Actually I have to say I believe the figure does have an effect on the background. It has a definite mass and, if you succeed in capturing the sense of movement, the effect of this mass is emphasized. The mass of the figure agitates the air around it. It might seem purely scientific but I think there are ways that the artist reacts emotionally to this and captures it in paint.

One way is to paint the edges of the light side as broken and, in some cases, extending into the background. I think the painting of light auras, which we covered in another thread ("optical red") is part of this. The light from the figure--and energy, too-- radiates into the air.

Another way has to do with our perception of color. The direct light falling on the figure is usually the most dominant light in the composition. The color and temperature of this light determines the color of the ambient light and therefore the color of the shadow. Ambient light and shadow can be found in backgrounds. It's all a matter of perception, and the scientific factor and subjective factor are interconnected.
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These things, plus the fact that background color can and should be found in shadow areas of the figure, add up to a very lively interplay between figure and background. I believe that this interplay creates the feeling of "air" or "space." This should hold true whether the background is abstract or specific (as in Ilaria's description).

Here are two examples. The first is a portrait head (detail) by Sargent. There's a really nice example of a red aura on the lit side of her head, and the shadow color in her face is similar to the color of the ground. The second painting is a still life (detail) by David Leffel. That leaf on the right-hand side just shoots off into space, and the light on the left side of the jug radiates into the air. On the shadow side, the jug and leaves pick up the color of the background. To me, these are two examples of how the artist paints air, and how the figure and ground are mutually influential.

[Mike McCarty]

This quote by John de la Vega seems to fit in well here:

The first job of a background is to stay back. The second is to be exciting (not too exciting), to indicate or suggest a space, a place as evocative and

[Alexandra Tyng]

Sharon,

Hmmm...when I saw the Klimts you posted before I thought the faces are most definitely the focal points. So in a sense you could say the backgrounds "stay back," though they don't really, because they give the illusion of space since they are abstract mosaics of shapes and colors. This last one is different because the head and the flowers are pretty much equally dominant. This gives rise to two thoughts:

1) It seems there are many ways to make the background stay back. Even if the picture plane is really shallow, and even if we are not creating an illusion of space.

2)I wonder whether the shift in balance between figure and ground is partly what distinguishes a portrait from a figurative painting. Personally I don't think there is a clear distinction between the two.

[Michele Rushworth]

I would say that Sharon's "figure with flowers" contains two foreground objects and that the flowers aren't background at all.

[Allan Rahbek]

Would this self portrait by William Orpen be without background

The wall and frame, seen around the "motif", is in front of the portrait for which reason I assume that it would not be "background" then, while the motif is the painter in his studio seen as the reflection in the mirror.

He also did more traditional portraits with real backgrounds

[Julie Deane]

The abstract shapes and lights/darks in that Orpen work (the first) is really exciting. Thanks for sharing it

I guess I would call the mirror frame, wall and letters a sort of composite frame. If background equals atmosphere surrounding the subject, then the aforesaid area could also be called "background", but I don't feel it serves that purpose.

[Mischa Milosevic]

I really appreciate that Alex has taken the time to start a thread on backgrounds. Being good at ones craft takes a lot of time and dedication as most would agree. What is the subject her backgrounds and how to or backgrounds and the philosophical view?

The backgrounds in the east and the backgrounds in the west. I guess it depends on the individual what one prefers. Again it all depends how one wishes to compose the background and subject. Whether to give one or the other dominance or equal value. Sharon posted some beautiful works of art and so did Allan. In Sharon's last post there is a definite distinction between subject and background. Whether the background stays back or it is composed around the subject that is totally the artists choice of like or dislike. Where light comes from within a work of art is the choice of the artist whether he/she be from the East, West, North or South.

Allan, would you please tel me where you found these beautiful works by W. Orpen?

[Allan Rahbek]

Originally Posted by Mischa Milosevic

Allan, would you please tel me where you found these beautiful works by W. Orpen?

Mischa,
I have a book about Sargent, The Later Portraits, in which there is a black and white photo of a portrait by Orpen. The sitter is Sybil Sassoon, she was painted by both Orpen and Sargent the year she married Lord Rocksavage.

I did not know Orpen before so I searched the Internet for William Orpen in the Picture section and found one here and another there, I can't remember the addresses. Good luck.

Ps. I never found the portrait of Sybil Sassoon in color

[Sharon Knettell]

Originally Posted by Mischa Milosevic

I really appreciate that Alex has taken the time to start a thread on backgrounds.

And I do too. I will delete my posts that seem to conflict with Alex's original direction.