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Q: Now tell me, how do you begin a portrait?
4. Posing the Sitter
"I find that people are often very shy and
awkward when they come into a studio; they seem
to look upon being painted as some thing of an
ordeal which more or less alarms them. So, first
of all, I like to have a little chat with my sitter,
to make him feel at home. This gives me a chance
to observe him quietly and to see what kind of
pose and expression will suit him best and be
most characteristic of his personality. As far
as possible I try to get him to pose himself so
that the suggested movement shall be easy and
natural and free from self-consciousness."
Q: Yes, I can imagine that to be very important.
What comes next?
The first sketch.
5. The First Sketch
"Then follows the consideration how to distribute
the light and shade and last of all comes the
decision on a suitable background in harmony with
the intended color scheme of the picture. When
these matters have been arranged to my satisfaction
I do a rapid drawing of the subject in my sketchbook
to make sure that the movement, light and shade
and placing are as I wish them to be; in other
words, to be certain that the decorative effect
of the picture is complete. But in the case of
a larger picture or a group I do a similar sketch,
from nature, in color, to be able to judge the
effect of the color scheme in which I want to
keep the portrait."
Q: Do you transfer your drawing to the canvas?
"No, I do not use it again; it has served
its purpose as a record of my intention, and it
has helped me to decide how I should deal with
my subject. But the picture is by now fully formed
in my mind."
6. Starting on the
Canvas
The first brush lines of the portrait.
Q: How, then, do you start on the canvas?
"My clean canvas is now on the easel before
me, in its frame—"
Q: In its frame?
"Yes, certainly. I believe that the frame
is an integral part of the picture and must be
there from the beginning. If it is added at the
last moment after the picture is finished there
is always the risk that it may not agree with
the character of the work."
Q: Well, you have the canvas and the frame,
what about the picture? What do you do to set
that going?
"You seem to think that my practice is full
of dark secrets. I assure you, my dear friend,
that I have no tricks to reveal; I have no enlarged
photographs up my sleeve and no other mechanical
devices which I can produce for your benefit.
I just put my canvas beside my sitter and begin
to paint."
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he
brilliant Hungarian artist, Philip Alexius de László,
1869-1937, was the successor (in 1907) to Sargent's portrait
practice in London. In 1933 de László demonstrated
his dashing technique in a series of photographs, while answering
questions posed by the writer A.L. Baldry. The photos and
text were published in 1934 by The Studio Publications of
London, in volume six of their "How to Do It" series.