In the matter of color: the Hon. James T. Giles
 

Here's my most recent portrait, unveiled this past Friday January 6th, in Philadelphia:

This is the Honorable James T. Giles, having completed his term as Chief Judge of the United States District Court, for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. It measures the standard 42 inches by 36 inches, and wil hang permanently in the Ceremonial Courtroom with all preceding Chief Judges of this Federal Court.

As one who has generously mentored and encouraged me as an artist for twenty years, I wanted to paint a fitting portrait for "Jim". "In the Matter of Color" is actually a published book title of the late Honorable A. Leon Higginbotham, Jr., whom Chief Judge Giles arranged for me to first paint for this Court, six years ago.

In his honor, I decided to push color further than I have before in a formal portrait; some red passages being colors that push the very saturation gamut possible in an opaque oil impasto (glazes being another story). In the effort to keep these somewhat daring colors under control, these were very carefully calibrated and tuned in chroma and value. But that's a long and involved story . . .

Anyway, I will be delighted to know what you all think.

Thanks,

Garth

The unveilng:
 

I will give you a glimpse of the unveiling ceremony. It was quite a day! About two hundred were in attendance, there being a crowd of standing room only near the courtroom entrance. The Chief Judge and his colleages seemed pleased.

Garth

The framed portrait
 

Here are some shots of the portrait framed and in the contect of the Ceremonial Courtroom where it will hang:

Garth

Wowww Garth!
What else can I say? I want to be you when I grow up.

Gorgeous! I'm in total awe!

All that color is wonderful and shines without being overstated. The brushwork is amazing. But what shines most of all is that judge's personality - alert, calm, dignified.

Congratulations, Garth!

Garth - Congratulations on yet another masterpiece! Your career and contacts are so impressive - and blows us all away. But - above all that - this is a masterful painting.

You did it!
 

Congratulations, Garth! This is a wonderful success. Forget what I said about the red wall. You know how hard it is to get the exact effect in Photoshop that you have in your mind to translate into paint. Well, I think you have done a fantastic job with the gradations of color. Starting with the face as a reference point, the wall is redder, and the flag is brighter and redder--each step very carefully orchestrated. The interesting this is, when you come back to the face, you then notice the yellow lights in it, brought out by the yellow in the flag fringe. The funny (and very cool) thing is that the face color is the most subtle, yet it is the center of focus. I love the way you've painted the face and hands, and those little rose highlights make the skin zing.

Most important, you can really feel the personality of this man. He doesn't just look important and distinguished, he looks human.

This is just extraordinary, Garth, and it's hard to know what to say, other than... wow... and huge congratulations to you for this very successful portrait.

Alex always gives such terrific comments and it's hard to follow her, but may I ditto them and add that his white collar is the perfect high value spot in your setup.

I am so proud to know you!

Garth, that's a great piece. The atmosphere, and the personality of the judge come across so well, in addition to your display of color control.

Congrats,
Richard

Dear Claudemir, Julie, Kimberly, Alex, Linda, and Richard,

Thank you all so much for your very kind responses!

Julie, and Alex: Chromatically, this painting fell together like a jigsaw puzzle. Until it was complete, some passages of color looked wildly off target, and yet they weren't really in the context of the whole image. I did scream in terror about some of the colors along the way though.

Hey Alex, your favorite subject, Judge Shapiro, was there, looking as cheerful as ever! I really like her.

The colors here on the Forum can be a little quirky; I'm not sure how to get them right yet, but there is actually better distinction between the reds, and the flesh tones seem more subtle and less golden in life if one were standing in front of the painting. Part of the problem (and this may be common to all of us) is my silly camera does not discern color nuances as well as a pair of eyes. I need to make a better effort to shoot portfolio pictures too, for which I sincerely apologize. What you see here above is actually derived from this terrible shot below! I'm not kidding! That's a lot of Photoshop reconstruction above, to get the image all straightened out again. This shot below uses a different digital raw converter, with perhaps better color rendition (Bibble). I'll say in advance of posting that the colors look better.

Thanks again, with appreciation,

Garth

Yoou push the envelope wery well, Garth! Those reds are to die for. This has so much "punch", but is still dignified and says a lot about this judge. I like it very much.

Jean

Thanks Jean!

I was striving for a calculated, measured punch. If you are interested, I will list the extended range of pigments needed to acheive some of the colors. Some were new for me.

Garth

I'd be very interested, please list away. I learn so much from your pigment demos! :)

Jean

Garth,

This one takes my breath away. Absolutely brilliant!!!

In the matter of extraordinary talent: The Hon. Garth Herrick.

Garth....Garth....

Garth...I'm speechless. This is an amazing portrait. I think you've outdone yourself....as if any of us thought that was possible. I think what Alexandra has said is exactly what I would say - so I won't repeat it. I certainly would have been inclined to shy away from the intensity (brightness, chroma) of the background color and certainly the red in the flag, if I were painting this (my wimpy side) - I would worry that it would overpower the face as a center of interest. Yet, as Alexandra has pointed out, it is all so carefully orchestrated and considered, that the opposite is true. The exquisite subtlety - of color and modeling - and values - that describe the face (there aren't any hot, bright highlights in the face - not any of the higher contrast that we see, for instance, in the flag) is the very thing that draws our attention like a magnet. Amazing. I wouldn't have thought it possible. If the flag were even a tad brighter or more intense - I think that the balance would be lost and it wouldn't work. That you have managed to make the most quiet, most subtle area of the painting the most attention-grabbing, captivating part.... what an accomplishment. This is a work we should all be studying for a long time.

Dangit!! He raised the bar again!

Color essentials for this painting:
 

Thanks Jane and David, now you have me feeling speechless!

Here's the essential colors that were used on my palette; of course some were more necessary than others, but I think I needed them all. The surprising thing is when colors like Burnt Umber, and Caput Mortuum appear way too light in value, out of the tube, and have to be fortified and darkened! That happened a lot in this painting.

Corresponding with the photo, first row:
1. W&N Cadmium Orange (very old)
2. Vasari Cadmium-Vermilion Red Light
3. Mussini Kadmiumrotton (no cadmium but a great replacement for cadmium red deep, and it's more versatile)
4. Old Holland Vleesoker (fortified flesh ochre)
5. Vasari Terra Rosa
6. Vasari Caput Mortuum
7. Vasari Burnt Sienna
8. Vasari Capuchine Red Deep (essential!)
9. Vasari Alizarin Crimson
10. Gamblin Dioxinine Purple (to darken the Capuchine Red Deep)
11. Vasari Ultramarine Blue ( for further darkening the above combination to black)
12. Vasari Vandyke Brown (this is really dark)
Next row:
13. Vasari Genuine Naples Yellow Light (the brightest highlight in the flag tassle at the top)
14. Vasari Tuscan Yellow (Chrome Titanate PBr-24)
15. W&N Indian Yellow
16. Vasari Naples Orange (Chrome Titanate PBr-24)
17. Vasari Capuchine Red Light
18. Vasari Brown Ochre Light
19. Vasari Burnt Umber
20. Norma Raw Umber Greenish
21.W&N Sap Green
22. Blockx Cadmium Green Pale
23. Vasari Ivory Black
Bottom row:
24. Vasari Flake White
25. Vasari King's Blue Light
26. Gamblin Indanthrone Blue
27. Vasari Cerulean Blue
28. Blockx Turquoise Green.

Hope this helps!

Garth

Color computation and analysis
 

I went somewhat over the top in a cataloging effort to know what the color was that I was using on my brush. I did a number of test swatches on sheets of mylar showing progressive color mixing as i blocked out the flesh tones, robe, and flag. I don't know if anyone else does things like this or not. It's perhaps one of my technique secrets. :D

Garth

Vasari
 

Here is a website for Vasari paints:

http://www.shopvasaricolors.com/

I like their products. There is never anything wimpy about their pigment content and tinting strength.

Garth

OH, MY.

Garth, what a gorgeous job I love the reds! The chair and background are beatifully constructed - what a great job on everything. Such a handsome guy, wonderful face, and you've conveyed such an elegant approachable persona.

Hi Garth,

It is always such a pleasure to discover new paintings from your hand.

I am amazed how you have developed the judge theme into bloody reds without loosing the harmony to the former down-to-earth-colors, please tell something more about your new experienced knowledge in the field.

The textures are so rich, from the woolen coat to the silky necktie and flag and from the red leather chair to the human skin, and all things are treated with equal rights.

I feel Wowwww and second all that is already said.

Congratulations with a job well done, Allan

Dear Chris and Allan,

Thank you both!

Chris: You are the eminent published authority on color in paint, so you can imagine how I appreciate your kind words!

Allan: Arriving at textural effects in a painting can sometimes be no more than the right colors and values juxtaposed together. It may seem like magic when it manifests and comes together in the painting process, but there is really no secret beyond that, and it often arrives by surprise.

Garth

Thank you Garth, your computation of color is amazing! Great idea, I've never been so organized when I start playing around with my mixtures. I'll try it on my current painting.

Jean

Garth, this is a triumph for you and for our eyes.
This last part of the thread is also a lesson about how far one must be prepared to go to achieve this standards
Thank you for sharing
Ilaria

Garth words can't describe how impressive this is. Gorgeous. I'm in awe. Congratulations!

There's nothing left to say. It takes our collective breath away. That's a LOT. Janet

Eyes being the final arbiter. . . .
 

Jean,

Just remember that as crazy and analytical as I can get with colors and computers, in the end it's your eyes that count the most in fixing a color. Nothing else comes close! fortunately eyes are what we mostly all have in common.

Regards,

Garth

The existing portrait collection:

A growing vocabulary!
 

Dear Ilaria, Terri, and Janet,

All your kind words are keenly appreciated. The one benefit from the responses is a greater awareness of the variety of options to a response, in terms of vocabulary choices.

Thanks,

Garth

Dude...Sweet...

I'm gonna paint some landscapes.

Peace out,

David, have you considered the option of placing people into those landscapes?

Thanks,

Garth

Edit: Actually David, I kind of recall that it was around the time of your discussion about using tonal relationships to commence a painting that I was getting started on this. Come to think of it, you influenced my painting! :exclamati

Hmmm.....
 

People into landscapes....Hmmmm.......People......

I wonder......Has it been done before?

I need to meditate....

Dear Garth,

This portrait, its richness and quality, is beyond words. What a wonderful accomplishment! I hope you have the exhibition rights because everyone should see this.

I predict you will be a very, very busy man.

Your friend,

Scott

Garth,

You are truly incredible! I really think you're one of the best right now. Your work blows me away every time. I can't wait for the day to stand in a big museum with your paintings staring back at me. But for now, thank you for posting the close ups, I know I won't be the only one learning from them.

Garth,

I haven't posted in quite sometime but have been "peeking" in occasionally to see what everyone is up to. This portrait has had an affect on me like none other I have seen in quite sometime. It is simply "stunning". Your hard work on this painting has truly resulted in a masterpiece! Continued success.

Garth,
Outstanding Job! Congratulation. You arrived. Thanks for showing. It must be amazing to see in person.


Paul

Garth--

Just logged on...this is stupendous! A real tour de force.
Words fail....

--TE

My guess is, "not". :exclamati Congratulations again, Garth!

You

Dear Scott,

I am speechless. Wait, ...my voice is returning! Exhibitions and more, will be a good legal question to pose before the august and esteemed council and judges. I'll have to use some influence upon the Court and try to win their favor in this regard, as there is no current such provision extended in the contract I signed, as far as I know. They might be simpathetic for a special allowance, but who knows.

Thanks sincerely for the suggestion,

Garth

Dear Carolyn,

Thanks! Believe me, I'm learning too from you and every one else here on this Forum!

Best,

Garth

Dear Mike,

Thanks sincerely for your peeking and kind words. I am moved by how you are affected as well, and wish you the best too in your success. Come back often!

Garth