Arabella travels to Florence to study portraiture
Arabella is currently in Florence for a month, where she is studying portraiture and employing a “sight-size” technique for painting and drawing.
Having lived in Florence as a child, it was the place she first began to paint and draw, and in many ways it is like returning home for her. The works of art and the culture steeped in history fed her earliest memories of art, and being a city where some of the greatest figurative works of art were painted it is therefore a place rich with inspiration.
As a painter Arabella feels it is imperative, that if her eye is going to improve and her self-criticism remain acute, to expose herself to critical opinions both in terms of the content of her work and her technique. By exposing herself to some of the most academic principles in painting she is hoping to hone her painting skills and expose herself to other painters from around the world who are dealing with the same challenges.
She is focusing on portraiture as she believes it to be one of the most challenging academic disciplines in the field of painting. The studio she is based at employs a ‘ sight – size ‘ technique for painting and drawing , which is the technique that most of the great masters from the 16th century on we’re trained with. It is a technique that was not taught when Arabella studied at art schools – at the time they were more interested in concepts than technique, and Arabella feels very strongly that technique is the foundation to any good painting, however it is not the only criteria.
Image Credits:
Head Of Christ
Artist: Leonardo da Vinci
Completion Date: c.1494
Gallery: Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence, Italy