My idea for this project is to highlight a few of my favorite art periods and combine it with my modern style and my African American heritage.
1. This will be a realistic 3D portrait
I've tended to steer away from 3D realistic humans for numerous reasons but the biggest reason was because I'm terrified. I consume content from incredible artists like Rajitha Naranpanawa and Rafael Grassetti who have a better grasp of realism. However, if I want to improve I need to start somewhere so now's the time.
The portraits I'm most inspired by are from artists like Artemisia Gentileschi, Rembrandt, Caravaggio and patrons like Madame de Pompadour, Marie de Medici, and many that lived at the Palace of Versailles.
Madame de Pompadour at her Tambour Frame by Francios Hurbert Drouais (National Gallery - London)
Self Portrait as Saint Catherine of Alexandria by Artemisia Gentileschi (National Gallery - London)
Bathsheba at Her Bath by Rembrandt (Louvre - Paris)
The Education of Marie de Medici by Peter Paul Rubens (Louvre - Paris)
La Vérité by Jules Lefebvre (D'orsay Museum - Paris)
Marie Leszczyńska (Versailles)
Versailles Gallery
Versailles Gallery
2. The portrait subject will be a black woman with a natural hairstyle
I've gotten photographed a few times now in the last few years and each time I've been photographed I see a positive shift in my confidence. I really want this 3D portrait to be a reflection of how I see myself now. Having this 3D subject be brown like me and have natural hair will fill another small hole in myself when it comes to my own confidence and might inspire someone else to do a project similar.
My first self portrait (2014)
21st Birthday Portrait by Yuliya Panchenko
3. Custom Regency Inspired Dress
If this project wasn't complicated enough I'm going to add another software to this project and that software is Marvelous Designer. I've never used Marvelous Designer but I've always wanted to try it. The idea is to make a Regency inspired dress for the subject to wear in the portrait. I feel a dress like this is simple enough to do as a first try and will give me some room to play with textures. I'm heavily influenced by Bridgerton (I'm a huge Bridgerton fan) but also from historical paintings and drawings of the time.
Regency Empire Dress Pattern
Regency Dress Inspiration
