Arc, 11x14 inches crayon on cotton paper by Kenney Mencher
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Shipping takes 3-4 Weeks This ships from Round Lake Beach, Illinois. A suburb outside of Chicago. I use UPS and sometimes US Post.
My watercolor painting Arc is an 11x14-inch piece on cotton paper. It features a cropped view of a muscular male torso, with the figure’s arched spine and defined ribcage emphasized through careful composition. The pose creates a dynamic curve, drawing attention to the structure of the torso while leaving the head and lower body out of frame. The warm, flesh-toned washes contrast against the white paper, with layered glazes adding depth and dimension. I started the piece with quick, gestural lines to establish the form, followed by subtle mark-making and hatching to enhance the contours of the muscles. The painting’s composition plays with the edges of the page, allowing parts of the figure to “kiss” the borders rather than floating in the center.
This piece connects to a long tradition of figure studies, where artists explore anatomy not just for technical practice but as a subject in itself. While many traditional studies focus purely on proportion and form, I try to make mine more engaging by considering texture, layering, and composition. The technique of glazing multiple layers of watercolor helps create a sense of sculptural modeling, while the interplay of light and shadow—similar to chiaroscuro—adds more volume to the figure.
This painting is also a companion piece to an earlier drawing of the same subject. I often revisit studies like this in different media, and I’m considering translating this one into an oil painting. My approach to composition is influenced by cropping techniques that emphasize key anatomical structures, like the serratus muscles and ribcage, while leaving out extraneous details. The focus remains on the gesture and form of the figure, making it both a study and a finished piece that invites closer observation.
FREE SHIPPING
Shipping takes 3-4 Weeks This ships from Round Lake Beach, Illinois. A suburb outside of Chicago. I use UPS and sometimes US Post.
My watercolor painting Arc is an 11x14-inch piece on cotton paper. It features a cropped view of a muscular male torso, with the figure’s arched spine and defined ribcage emphasized through careful composition. The pose creates a dynamic curve, drawing attention to the structure of the torso while leaving the head and lower body out of frame. The warm, flesh-toned washes contrast against the white paper, with layered glazes adding depth and dimension. I started the piece with quick, gestural lines to establish the form, followed by subtle mark-making and hatching to enhance the contours of the muscles. The painting’s composition plays with the edges of the page, allowing parts of the figure to “kiss” the borders rather than floating in the center.
This piece connects to a long tradition of figure studies, where artists explore anatomy not just for technical practice but as a subject in itself. While many traditional studies focus purely on proportion and form, I try to make mine more engaging by considering texture, layering, and composition. The technique of glazing multiple layers of watercolor helps create a sense of sculptural modeling, while the interplay of light and shadow—similar to chiaroscuro—adds more volume to the figure.
This painting is also a companion piece to an earlier drawing of the same subject. I often revisit studies like this in different media, and I’m considering translating this one into an oil painting. My approach to composition is influenced by cropping techniques that emphasize key anatomical structures, like the serratus muscles and ribcage, while leaving out extraneous details. The focus remains on the gesture and form of the figure, making it both a study and a finished piece that invites closer observation.
FREE SHIPPING
Shipping takes 3-4 Weeks This ships from Round Lake Beach, Illinois. A suburb outside of Chicago. I use UPS and sometimes US Post.
My watercolor painting Arc is an 11x14-inch piece on cotton paper. It features a cropped view of a muscular male torso, with the figure’s arched spine and defined ribcage emphasized through careful composition. The pose creates a dynamic curve, drawing attention to the structure of the torso while leaving the head and lower body out of frame. The warm, flesh-toned washes contrast against the white paper, with layered glazes adding depth and dimension. I started the piece with quick, gestural lines to establish the form, followed by subtle mark-making and hatching to enhance the contours of the muscles. The painting’s composition plays with the edges of the page, allowing parts of the figure to “kiss” the borders rather than floating in the center.
This piece connects to a long tradition of figure studies, where artists explore anatomy not just for technical practice but as a subject in itself. While many traditional studies focus purely on proportion and form, I try to make mine more engaging by considering texture, layering, and composition. The technique of glazing multiple layers of watercolor helps create a sense of sculptural modeling, while the interplay of light and shadow—similar to chiaroscuro—adds more volume to the figure.
This painting is also a companion piece to an earlier drawing of the same subject. I often revisit studies like this in different media, and I’m considering translating this one into an oil painting. My approach to composition is influenced by cropping techniques that emphasize key anatomical structures, like the serratus muscles and ribcage, while leaving out extraneous details. The focus remains on the gesture and form of the figure, making it both a study and a finished piece that invites closer observation.
