Rhythm

[Michael Stuart Kelly]

Mini-Tutorial: Rhythm

by Michael Newberry

NOTE FROM MSK: The actual tutorial has been removed at the request of Michael Newberry. The link to the tutorial on his site remains in the title above. I highly recommend you go there and go through it. Here is a small quote from it:

Rhythm is beautiful way to organize chaotic elements.

This is a 12 x 16" acrylic portrait of a friend, architect Joseph Castro. He sat for this a few hours every week over nine months. His face conveyed to me a combination of something like a cupid, something astute and wizened-perhaps something to due with his New York City upbringing.

For the background I used a dark brown leather jacket hung on an easel. It had a complementary color and texture to him and it gave the portrait a slight edge. It also excited me that I couldn't recall ever seeing a portrait with a leather background.