Why a Green Man portrait?
I’ll keep this one short. Ok, so first I, like many but by no means all artists, am a fool for colourful new art materials. I won’t say shiny products because this was when I discovered that my favourite paint people (Golden Artists’ Acrylics) had brought out some acrylic poster paints. As in, paints for making posters, I believe. They are called “So Flat” and are fascinating, liquid acrylic gouaches. For those who do not use acrylics, may I remind you that these are plastic. So sometimes they are just too shiny.
The inspiration is a photo of a beautiful model from the front of Vogue. Try as I might, I cannot find the original photographer’s name, so I apologise for that. Anyway, the atmosphere of the original was dark and moody, just look at the knife-edge of that man’s cheekbones.
I worked hard on the complexion and I think I didn’t do too badly. I have no idea of the order of things but at some point I gave him green eyes and a high-collared shirt. The Green Man portrait was starting to emerge.
Next, I started thinking of the first series of The Silmarillion, which was on paid for TV at the time. Somebody that tall and beautiful could well be an Elf, why not? I elongated his ear (I’m sure he has another one too). I filled in the painting with leaves and stencilled mossy bits, gave him a crown. There you go, another version of a very British legend of the Green Man. For some reason, painted on a bit of cardboard box. Beautifully flat and matte as well.
Golden Artist’s Acrylics So Flat colours are worth a look. They come in small tubs, rather than teensy little tubes.