Creating Woman in a Red Kimono – 03-11-22

Website link: https://corneakkers.com/woman-in-a-red-kimono-03-11-22/
Print: https://corneakkers.com/print-woman-in-a-red-kimono-03-11-22/
Printable: https://corneakkers.com/product/printable-woman-in-a-red-kimono-03-11-22/

Something Restless

This graphite pencil drawing ‘Woman in a Red Kimono – 03-11-22’ counterparts the one I made last year cubistically. After ‘Roundism – 28-10-22’ I was out of motifs inspiring me, such as Louise Brooks. Surely I will do another portrait of her in the near future but not just yet. Something restless took hold of me. My Alma Tadema painting is progressing steadily but far from completed yet. I am not ready to start new cubist oil painting though. In fact I am struggling with the development of my art deco and roundism series. The Ingres paper comes right on time because it gives me new ways of depicting cubist forms. Recently I discovered textiles, fabrics, folds and attire again. Together with Ingres I can face another battle ahead of me with peace of mind. Last year’s session with my regular model in kimono was perfect for that quest.

Stick to the Program

You have to know I am always on my guard not to repeat myself. As a lawyer and management consultant I adviced clients the same. Of course it’s a rock steady principle to change today if you want to do the same tomorrow. Sadly I see so many artists stranded, chewing on the same artistic assumptions they made when they invented something original. To me, the female form always was the motivation to draw and paint. Of late I thought about picking out new motifs. Maybe increasing the narrative from a social or even a political point of view. Eventually I decided not to and stick to the motifs I like. And why not? I experimented with principles like The Implicite Order, One in Another, Variation in Repetition and Repetition in Variation and Singularity. They brought me much and I feel much more is to come.

Walk Through to It

This sounds a bit too fuzzy for you? Take a look at the painting at hand. I walk you straight through it. The goal was to use geometric forms only. Combined they have to trigger the recognition of something real in the spectator’s mind. Instead of abstract realistic forms further and further I reversed the process. I simply refined geometric shapes and connected them, put them in their respective tonal strength. I did that until a more or less realist figure appeared. There are singular aspects like a curve never touching a line adjacent to it. There is variation in repetition such as the vertical and horizontal folds counterbalancing the kimono and body curves. There is straightness in roundness and roundness in straightness.

The Inside Out, the Outside In

Last but not least, I tried to avoid cludded forms ending up in isolated dark clumps. Instead I strived for as much openess as I could but always to avoid incoherence between forms. It’s a thin thread to walk on I must say. It was erasing the hell out of it, back and forth. Now it is finished I think I got a fine synthesis of two principles. There is the impression entering someone’s eye: yes it’s a kimono girl. On the other hand there my wanted cubist expression that urges itself upon the spectator. Perhaps I turned the inside out and the outside in. Didn’t Jesus said something similar in the Gospel of Thomas?

Pitt Graphite Matt pencil (Faber-Castell) drawing on Fabriano Ingres paper (21 x 28.2 x 0.1 cm)
Artist: Corné Akkers