A study of Cole

[Garth Herrick]

Last night I did this quick pastel study to see how my subject, Cole, might fit in a 24 by 20 inch format. I only had 18 x 24 paper, so yes, these are two sheets overlapped. I picked just a couple dozen sticks here, and the limited color range seems to push me into somewhat inventive use of color, I might not think to employ in oils. The core set of pastels are mainly Rembrandt from a set I was given as a child. I love the immediate direct response pastels can afford; one never needs to wait days for them to dry!

Cole is a handsome quiet shy kid who expressively plays drums; so quiet, I don't even recall hearing his voice once in an hour and a half meeting! I guess he communicated telepathically. Anyway, he immediately and intuitively assumed this pose which his parents and I liked right from the start. At the end of our session, Cole elicited a wide smile, and his mother echoed this indicates quite a lot, coming from him.

His parents are the winning bidders of a portrait sketch in oil service that was auctioned off at the private school Cole attends. I am considering this an advertising opportunity for attracting more commissions. With that, the more simple and direct I can keep this particular portrait's process, the better. Ultimately this is meant to be an oil portrait with a more or less loose impressionistic sketchy feel.

I welcome any feedback and critiques. Thanks.

Garth