Covid-19 why oh why?
So there is this whole Covid-19 thing and I had to think how to take dark portraits to represent it. New Zealand has the most amazing Prime Minister who has closed down the country very early on to avoid a massive fast spread of this dangerous virus. To my age group who are non-smokers and eat fairly healthy and are not immune compromised, the virus is probably going to be mild, however I have a 91 year old grandma who I love dearly and an 82 year old Dad who has had health problems but keeps going.
A dark project – how to take dark portraits
So my family which includes my long suffering husband (he loves tidiness and normality and our creative household is anything but that) and my three children, are in lockdown. I decided to make a book. This way I will actually do the work. I decided 30 days in lockdown should produce 30 portraits of my family, however I’ve been a little slack and do them in batches rather than one per day. So far they portraits have been particularly weird and dark. I haven’t felt great some days. Other days I’ve felt better but the darkness still hangs over from other days.
Double exposures
I’ve been into double exposures for a while now. Probably 2 years all up. They can produce some very interesting results. These dark portraits are all double exposures. One photo of my children or husband, then one photo of some ink drawings I did recently. To line up the face with the drawing takes time. Here are some quick steps on how to take dark portraits successfully using double exposures:
- use a zoom lens – this allows you to zoom in and out on the drawing to make sure it lines up with the eyes or nose or whatever I’m trying to line up.
- Fine some interesting lighting – I was going for shafts of light coming through the window, often filtered by a tree or in a geometric pattern. It’s amazing what comes through windows. Some of the portraits the subject is standing and some they are lying down. The exceptionally dark ones the light is filtered through a wood basket. Let your mind go crazy and try stuff out.
- take your time – sometimes I take ten minutes or more to line it up.
- put the drawing in the middle of a large white piece of paper. This allows you to just have the drawing and then white all around, not the line of the paper where it finishes. I’ve learnt this through a few mistakes.
- Experiment and go crazy – nothing is wrong – only you say it’s wrong. Just do it. Go crazy and make huge mistakes which can turn into genius works of art.
An amazing book
I bought a book called “Ink – Do More Art” by Bridget Davies. I LOVE this book. It was while I was in the Christchurch Art Gallery shop one day when I saw it. I wondered who I could buy it for and then realised it was me! Then I think got ink and brushes and a pen. I can’t say I’m the best ink drawer in the world but gee has it been fun. After six months though I realised I hadn’t done nearly as much ink drawing as I wanted to and this project is helping to increase my artworks.
The portraits
They are dark, they are moody and some are just darn weird, but this is the way I feel. It is weird out there. And dark if you let it get to you. There is also a lot of light and I can see that. I think blog part two will show a more lighter feel – I’m noticing nature a lot and I think nature will start to be drawn in ink and be put on the faces of my children and husband. Watch this space!
