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| Painting Step by Step - Habeas Corpus |
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1 Les ouvriers du gaz de Saint-Mandé " Old photography of 1890, found in a book. This document will be the support to the composition. Some of the characters will be changed, others will be erased. First plane figures will be enlarged. |
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2 Model photographed by Sandorfi in his studio near a window. |
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3 Mounting of the composition. The figures' light will be changed to correspond with the model's one. At this stage of the project the painting hasn't got a determined subject. The interest for Sandorfi is the duality between two pictures whom seem to be incompatible, and the solutions he has to find to harmonize this opposition in a common spirit. The real subject of the painting will only appear at his completion. |
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4 Figures have been set up by an pencil drawing. Sandorfi starts to paint the central figure with oil, without any preparatory draft. |
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5 The first coat is painted with opaque colors in a smooth texture which completly covers canvas' weft. Sandorfi doesn't paint on a white canvas. His linen canvas is coated with a flesh colour, with a red undercoat, specially made for Sandorfi. |
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6 The execution is already as precise as possible. That's the quality of the canvas, its coating , the choice of the pigments and mediums, which leads the first coat to be modeled with precision. |
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7 On this first coat, old photography's figures are painted with the same raised effect, as if they were alive. They will only get their faded nature back with laters coats. |
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Step 8 The tonality of figures changes according to their position in the composition. |
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9 Faces come gradually to inhabit canvas. Figure below 's drawing will disappear for the compositions' requirements. |
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10 It will be changed for this one, with a more expressive face. |
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11 As long as the canvas is not completly full, the creativity process is not started, says Sandorfi. A painting is a world where each element plays a part compared with others. |
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12 Figures' expression will be accentuated to contrast with the feminine model's serenity. |
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Step 13 Sandorfi makes a precise drawing when the details' objectivity requires it. The form of a feet can't be invented. |
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Step 14 That's the exactness of some anatomical details which provides to a body its " presence " effect. Sandorfi doesn't want to paint similiraty, either verisimilitude, but the " presence ". |
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15 All the components have found their place. At this step, Sandorfi forgets he's executing a painting. He feels to go into an universe with its centre of gravity, its duality and its internal conflicts. But the implicit signification of the picture he's building is not revealed yet. |
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16 Sandorfi works with electric light. Black curtains are closed night and day. He finds day light in paintings he executes because he takes all his photographs with window light. |
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17 Since 1973 Sandorfi paints exclusively with photographic documents he realises himself. Not only because of his realist details obsession, but it allows him to work at night, in the privacy of his loneliness which is for him the most precious asset. He observes slides projected on a translucent screen, placed next his painting. |
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18 The painting is completely full but its existence has only put in its basis. The texture is totally smooth, ready to get glazes and countless details, all invented. The adventure is just starting... |
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