Composing a Narrative Self-portrait Painting (Pt. 1) | Demonstration by Melisa Calabria

Melisa Calabria is an Argentinian painter who focuses on self-portraits and storytelling. Having studied with Ricardo Celma and Odd Nerdrum, she underlines the importance of causality in her narratives, imbued with a dreamlike atmosphere of yearning and melancholy. During her second stay at the Nerdrum Studio, she demonstrates the importance of composition and explains her method as she starts a new painting. In this demonstration you will learn about: • Developing an idea from a composition sketch • Applying thinly when transferring the sketch • Adding color to the the face (the most important element) • Being aware of differences in values • Painting on the whole surface “at the same time“ • Increasing contrast and adding a darker background gradually • The possibility of big changes • Adjusting transitions to get a soft totality • Toning down one thing to emphasize another • The appropriate movement to the psychological state of the figure