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Welcome to the Drawing Board #16!

It's been a while since we've had a newsletter- thanks so much for being here! There's lots of exciting news around the corner, but for Valentine's Day I thought I would share one of my favorite portrait paintings with you, in fact, it's a double portrait by two painters that most of us haven't had the occasion to study yet. So please, let me introduce you to the Krøyers:

The Krøyer's Double Portrait, 1890

Painted by Marie and Peder Severin Krøyer when they were married, this amazing little double portrait can be found in the Skagens Museum in Denmark. Marie painted P.S., and he painted her. Every time I look at this painting I'm always captivated by the change in temperament between the portraits in the handling of the medium, especially in the manner that Marie painted Peder. She put the weight of him in his eyes, and filled him with poetic color and masterful brushwork. He painted her with a careful focus, showcasing her inner depth- setting her into a background that makes her feel singular and expansive at the same time. Marie would feature as the subject in many of Peder's paintings, but there's a determined focus to what he's achieved here that's not always found in the others. Supporting your partner not only in life, but on the same surface of a canvas, must be a thrilling and difficult effort (especially when you're both so skilled.) Happy Valentine's Day, indeed.

There are many photographic translations of this painting. I haven't been able to travel to the museum yet myself, so I'm caught between these three images. The Wikipedia image feels clear, but a bit washed out (maybe the painting needs to be cleaned? I don't know it's conservation history.) The first time I saw an image of this painting was the photograph below- much more saturated that the Wikipedia one, but also more blurry and undoubtably incorrect... but those beautiful warm/cool color harmonies have always stayed with me. This was one of the first paintings that helped me to begin to understand color design in terms of temperature (and I think I have Marie to thank most for that!)

New Course:
Portrait I: Anatomy & Structure Starts This Thursday, 2/19!

Inspired by the Krøyers, but struggling with the "other eye" and difficult proportions? Join me in studying portraiture from the inside out in this six-week online course focused on structure, anatomy, and spatial clarity.

Each live session is recorded, and you'll always have access to the materials. Join us online and level up your understanding of the human head! Register today and watch the anatomical landmarks video, "The Structural Skull", available immediately!

I hope you find joy this Valentine's Day- I've spent mine thinking about the Krøyers, working in the studio, visiting galleries, and putting this together for you. Thanks again for being here- excited to share the Portrait Course with you all, and looking forward to more good news soon!

Happy drawing,
Evan​​

​​https://learn.theopensketchbook.com/​

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