Sans titre - 23-09-16

Gene Tierney

One of the 'Sans Titre' Series after the moviestar and celebrity Gene Tierney in the roundism style. The depiction of the facial features is based on chiaroscuro principles. Notheless I am surprized this one turned out to show hints of art deco as well. Surely that has something to do with the reference picture. Back in the day photographers knew their trade. I like this kind of photography much better than its contemporary counterpart. Besides that, black and white seems to do these fine ladies more just.

Poured into Concrete

I tried to let the portrait breathe by keeping some parts in the positive form open. Basically I let them run over in the negative space around it. I liked doing the hair because these lush hairdos from the 1930s and 1940s have so much style. They invite me to style them even more. Rendered in black and white they look like stills poured into concrete. Quite different from the early portraits such as ‘Sans Titre – 06-05-14’. I also like to open up the positive form and connect it to the negative space around it. Therefor some parts of the hair and front of the face blend into the adjacent parts. Strangely but understandable the face didn’t become the focus point but the lush hair. As such the drawing celebrates the 1930s and 1940s look. Celebrities simply had these elaborate hairdos back then and I love them all.

A Most Beautiful Woman

The actress lived a troubled life I read. Nevertheless, in my eyes she is one of the most beautiful women I ever saw. I once read a male co-actor deliberately screwed up a kissing scene several times. That way he could kiss her again and again.

Graphite pencil drawing (Pentel 0.5 mm, 3B) on Canson Bristol paper (21 x 29.7 x 0.1 cm - A4 format)
Artist: Corné Akkers