Masai Warrior

Two years ago, after a failed attempt to paint some orchids, I turned to portraiture. I have a fascination with human faces and expressions. This is the first human portrait I completed. I found a photograph in a National Geographic magazine of this guy whose tribe, the Masai, inspired my MBT sneakers. I was drawn in his by stern face and serious expression.

I believe I captured his earnest gravity and his virility, and I believe there is a great amount of depth in the execution of his face, especially since I was working from a photograph, not from life. I altered his features a bit so that he was somewhat from my imagination and not merely a product of someone else's creative composition.

In addition to the first face I ever painted with oils, it was also the first time I painted clouds. I think the form, color, and texture of the clouds are fine, but I am unsure if I like the them as background. The original photograph included some grassy land in the distance (located at the bottom), but I could not include it in the painting, because I upscaled too much. I feel the grass contributed to the overall effect of the photographic portrait, depicting him as a man of the earth.