Wilmer
Wilmer (2023)
8½x11 Pastel on Pastel Paper
Original is Sold
One must not lose desires. They are mighty stimulants to creativeness, to love, and to long life. — Alexander A. Bogomoletz
Meet Wilmer, the latest addition to the Mini Figurative series. There is a calm, almost meditative quality to this pose that I really wanted to explore. Standing completely naked with his hands brought together in front of his chest, he’s looking off to the side with a quiet, patient expression that feels deeply thoughtful and still.
The interesting technical puzzle here was getting the hands right. Having the palms pressed together creates a nice, symmetrical focal point right in the middle of his torso, but it also alters how the muscles in his forearms and biceps bunch up. Set against our solid, warm ochre paper, I kept the shading on his skin smooth and subtle, using deep dark tones to fill out his full beard and the shadows under his arms. I then brought in crisp, soft highlights to catch the top of his shoulders, chest, and knuckles, giving his athletic frame a really clean, natural shape.
