Harry (1 of 5)
Sep 2017
210 x 300mm
Acrylic on plywood
The first painting I did after the long gap between A-level art and the 2010's: Also the first painting I'd done focusing on a person rather than inanimate objects. Probably the first time I'd decided I could paint something that was flat out intended to be erotic, too! I used to be captivated with an artwork in a sci-fi novel which featured a shirtless young man of similar build front and centre: I suppose this was my first attempt to reclaim that memory (The book is long lost and sadly I am unsure I even know how to begin to find a duplicate!)
This painting is one of a series all painted on a set of identical plywood boards that were leftover samples from my then-workplace. Each was an attempt to focus on a specific part of the body and figure out how best to paint it. This first one was primarily about getting the torso and getting used to painting skin tones.