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Portrait of the Artist

This award-winning painting is saturated with color and meaning

How did Ryan use warm and cool colors to create movement in his painting?

Ryan Widgeon enjoys experimenting with wild colors and brushwork. “People recognize my pieces because of how I move the paint around,” says Ryan, 18. “That’s my signature—creating paintings that are full of movement.” A senior at Douglas Anderson High School in Jacksonville, Florida, Ryan dreams of one day becoming a professional painter.

What inspired this award-winning painting?

I wanted to make a self-portrait that challenges people’s perception of how an African-American looks. I used colors like purple, red, and blue for my dark skin tones, and I emphasized my lips and nose. Although that’s not exactly who I am, that’s how some people see me—not as a regular guy, but as a stereotypical person of color.

Ryan Widgeon

How did you create your painting?

First, I warmed up by making a series of blind contour drawings, looking at the mirror and drawing myself without looking at the paper. After priming a sheet of tag board with gesso and a red base coat, I painted the contours of my face with loose brush strokes. I built up the shadows with cool colors. Then I moved to the mid-tones and added highlights in warm tones.  

How did you decide what colors to use?

I didn’t want to use pure black paint. Instead, I used an “optical,” or fake, black. I mixed blue, red, green, and brown until I got the dark tones I needed. 

What was challenging about making this painting?

This is a very personal piece, one in which I was striving to be accepted for who I am. Yet because it isn’t realistic, I knew some people might not like it. The hardest part was not really caring about that and painting it anyway. 

Do you have any advice for aspiring artists like yourself?

Be you and don’t worry if people like your art. You never know—you just may end up being recognized for your originality.

Ryan won a Silver Medal in painting  in the 2014  Scholastic Art & Writing Awards.

To find out more about this program, visit artandwriting.org.

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