Simon
Artist | Professional | Traditional Art
United Kingdom
Hyper realist painter that specialises in meticulous portraits
Painting #1
This painting like my others may resemble a direct representation of a photograph, however I have combined multiple source images and the use of my artistic initiative to create and manipulate a new reality.
The series is concentrating on producing a role reversal in how we see our environment, and how the landscape becomes reduced and minute in comparison to the human figure.
I think I am going to explain how these eye glasses reflection paintings have evolved from learning what works best over the past couple I have made.
I start with an environment and a model where I gather source pics. It’s difficult to position yourself so your not interfering with the reflected illusion. What I have found works best is taking multiple source pictures of the model including focusing on the actual glasses frame, the skin and eye and also the reflected image in the lens. I then combine them all to create a more detailed and clearer reality than a single shot photograph. Also because the reflected image is reduced so small, I find a lot of the detail is lost and blurred., So I therefore turn around 180 degrees away from the model and shoot multiple snapshot images and close ups of the surrounding area to gather the lost details and information that I require. Once all these elements are combined they create the illusion of a photo reality.
thanks for looking
p.s I am not sure if the colour balance is correct as I have recently had to change a broken computer screen, my screen now seems to be have more of a blueish tint to it which I cant seem to change. I am unsure if I have over compensated for it.
Painting #2
Incorporating a dual perspective through using reflective surfaces to distort the image.
Although I used a combination of photographic sources as a reference to gather information, this isn’t a straight forward copy of a photograph, I used my artistic initiative and changed and adjusted elements such as adding or removing detail, changing colour balance, tonal ranges and form. I tightened up the overall appearance of the image too so its focal range is sharper than what the original photographic source captured.
I also used google maps to assist in deciphering the area and understanding my surroundings more as the convex lens distorts reality, there’s some what appears as random mark making through the centre of the piece as I wasnt sure what the merging colours were representative of.
Painting # 3
This is the start of a new series based on dual viewpoints. It gives the natural and traditional view of the artist to model but also an indication of the the models perspective through the reflective surface. This is a natural progression for me from the sunglasses images I have previously painted and I intend to develop them further into something different with full face portraits and reflective surfaces made through the use of projectors, mirrors and glass to create false environments that distort the Human face creating abstractions in reality.
Painting #4
“Peace and Harmony,” 2010
160 x 90 cm
Acrylic and pencils on polyester
Simon Hennessy: “The people I use in my paintings all have a common factor that connects them, individuality, appearance and visual attitude. Consistently throughout all of my works there’s the element of physiognomy, the study and act of judging a persons outer appearance, primarily the face, which serves as an insight into their personality or character.
A lot of my images arise by chance and are sourced through meeting people unknown to me whilst out and about. If I notice someone interesting and they have a certain quality that I consider would make a good source image for a painting then I ask them if they wouldn’t mind posing for me, so a majority of my photographs I work from are quite spontaneous and not pre-planned.
The painting “Peace and Harmony” is one of these images. I took the original source photograph whilst on a trip to New York City visiting galleries and gathering inspiration. I met this particular model inside the Adidas originals store on Wooster Street, Soho. There were a lot of style conscience people working in the shop but I was drawn to her straight away because of her striking appearance and charismatic nature.
As I recall it was a pleasant sunny day so I asked her to come outside the store and into the natural sunlight. She was very relaxed and kept pulling lots of different poses without much encouragement from me, so I just let her do as she pleased and her relaxed bubbly character definitely comes across in the painting. Eventually she started making peace signs at me which I stuck with and choose for this particular painting. I thought her friendly smile coupled with the peace sign and her 70’s retro style was quite apt and all integrated well together as a composition.”
Photo # 5
Simon Hennessy: “My process involves laying down a mid range tone of acrylic paint which I then work into with lighter and darker tones of colour, building up layers of pigment as I go along. these lighter and darker shades then stand out against this mid ranged colour and help distinguish detail. As well as the airbrush I utilize paint brushes and water colour pencils which assist with the level of detail I require. These layers are sealed in with the extensive use of a special sealer which stops any of the pencils marks shifting around and causing smudges or contaminating the overlay of colour I apply. I repeat this process building colour and detail over the top of the previous layer until I am happy with the image.
I work from a computer screen which allows me to zoom into the exact size / ratio of my source imagine in comparison to my working surface and I tend to work in small gridded sections, getting them to a nearly completed level before moving onto the next grid section.
Once the work is completed I apply a liquitex gloss medium and varnish which is sandable and work the painting until it has a smooth and glossy surface.”
(Source: simzzzz.deviantart.com)
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