Dramatic Context
Georgia Brown
Sir Nicholas Poyntz | Known Background and Characteristics:
Hair:
The Sitter has relatively short hair. Short back and sides maybe, I cant see a graduation in the length, therefore it wouldnt be a difficult job to re-create this style. If my models hair is too short or long I will buy a dark brown synthetic wig and alter it according. I would have to paint lighter brown areas onto the wig or bulk knott lighter hair in and add paint on top to add texture and colour variation. To avoid it looking fake I might have to mattify the synthetic hair depending on how shiny it. The partain isn't visible which means I wont have to refront the wig, I'd just trim the sides or use the shears around the sideburns.
Beard & Moustache:
These are the areas I think I will struggle with the most. I find postiche work very difficult and therefore time consuming. I need to work on being patient with the fine lace as I fell distressed and emotional with my first attempt at creating a moustache during the first year. I felt I couldnt pull the hair through the lace without my knotting hook sticking and picking a hole through it and I dont want a similar experience this time around. Noticeable alterations would be to knott a beard for the underside of the chin and side of the cheek/jaw line. There seems to be an anchor shape to the beard, reaching just below his lips. This could also be achieved by laying on hair and I would need to experiment with the technique for accuracy. The moustache is very fine and sparse, there seems to be a large gap between the two sides and the philtrum is clearly exposed in between. I would need to fade the hair above the upper lip close to the philtrrum edge by knotting sparingly, one every four or five holes.
Chin:
The Sitters chin looks rounded due to the way his beard sits against his jawline. Towards the left ear his beard lies closer to his cheek, manipulating the jawline to look soft and round rather than angular. This also seems to be where the bulk of the beard lies and it continues towards the underside of his chin where he has barely any hair coming through. I think it would be more effective to use the postiche to alter my models face shape to match the sitters rather than adding a silicone chin. However, both could be experimented with and a chin piece would subtly change the shape without taking away any length from the face.
Nose:
The nose stands out and is a clear prominent feature, mimicking the nose and acheiving an accurate shape I feel will be the most convincing factor in the make up for the final portrait. I need to experiment with height and depth to re create the stand off shape. I can see a clear defined ridge towards the tip and though this could be created with highlight and shadows it might look more realistic if it were incorporated in the sculpt, adding definition and texture to the sculpt will make applying and painting easier.
Figure 2.
National Portrait Gallery (1983). Sir Nicholas Poyntz. [online] Available from: http://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/portraitLarge/mw07809/Sir-Nicholas-Poyntz [Accessed 11 October 2014]
Eyes and Skin:
From a profile view his eyes look oval shaped, he doesnt seem to have a heavy brow or any weighted skin around the eye area and generally looks to be youthful/wide eyed. I may need a heavier lid for the underneath of my models eye and a frowning brow. However, the frowning brow could be drawn in with make up and have virtually the same effect for a photograph and this will need to be tested. If my model doesn't have brown eyes I will photoshop the eyecolour for the final image.
Clothing and Background:
The rope around the sitters arm could be re-created using rope or curtain tie backs and the jacket looks like a blazer with the collar up, exposing a white shirt collar underneath. His hat could be as simple as a beret hat with fake- plastic jewellery sewn onto the sides and a large feather pinned to the back. To re-create texture and depth in the clothing I will experiment with painting it using acrylics, this way I can layer on colour and make it appear flat/2d.
Looking Closer | Attention To Detail:
Looking closer at the features has gave me a better understanding of what I need to acheive with the paint job and postiche work. The Sitters hair is a mix of dark browns, black, orban and blonde in areas. It is particularly blonde in the moustache which looks lighter and unmatched to his hair and beard. His beard looks wispy and sparse, unkept but trimmed short. Human hair would better suit the look than yak or crepe because they are already thick and wirey before dressing. I will have to create a beard using human hair in various colours, then style it with a tiny curling wand and trim it down. This way I can control the thickness with ease and get an accurate colour match. The eyebrows are a relatively close match already. Therefore, I can maniuplate my models eyebrows with brow gel and leave them as they are. As for the lips I can't change the natural shape with prosthetics but I can add in shadows and highlights with paint to manipulate and define them to suit the painting.
Figure 7. National Portrait Gallery (1983). Micro 04. Lips (7.1 x mag).Image 4 of 19. [online] Available from: http://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/portraitLarge/mw07809/Sir-Nicholas-Poyntz [Accessed 11 October 2014]
Figure 8. National Portrait Gallery (1983). Micro 02. Part of eyebrow, showing soft brushstrokes (7.1 x mag).Image 3 of 19. [online] Available from: http://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/portraitLarge/mw07809/Sir-Nicholas-Poyntz [Accessed 11 October 2014]
Figure 9. National Portrait Gallery (1983). Micro 06. Fine brushwork in beard (7.1 x mag).Image 6 of 19. [online] Available from: http://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/portraitLarge/mw07809/Sir-Nicholas-Poyntz [Accessed 11 October 2014]
Figure 7. Figure 8. Figure 9.
Figure 10. Figure 11. Figure 12.
There is gold pigment and detail on the hat, this could have been badges and embellishment to represent the sitters role of importance at the time. I think it would be difficult to completely match the design of the hat but a close match could be achieved by buying a black beret and gold embroidery or badges/ large round earrings and a large white feather. I could also buy gold paint to add in more detail if it looks in-correct. If the result isnt a close enough match for my final look then I can photoshop the hat onto my final photograph. The second image is a zoomed in image of the sitters collar and jacket. Looking closely I think a simple white shirt and black blazer will be effective and they can be bought from any charity shop. I may add paint to the jacket in areas or again photoshop the final image. Finally the background seems to have been painted green originally and faded over time. For an exact matching backdrop I will need to paint a large piece of mounted cardboard or wood. Mixing gold, green, brown, blue, yellow, black and white. However, the background would have originally been green and I could have my model stood against a green backdrop, photoshopping in the smaller details to focus on my prosthetics and postiche work.
Figure 10. National Portrait Gallery (1983). Micro 08. Detail of the hat badge to the left of the feather (7.1 x mag).Image 8 of 19. [online] Available from: http://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/portraitLarge/mw07809/Sir-Nicholas-Poyntz [Accessed 11 October 2014]
Figure 11. National Portrait Gallery (1983). Micro 14. Detail of collar, showing reserve, textured white paint, and black pattern (10 x mag).Image 14 of 19. [online] Available from: http://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/portraitLarge/mw07809/Sir-Nicholas-Poyntz [Accessed 11 October 2014]
Figure 12. National Portrait Gallery (1983). Micro 13. Detail of background, showing blue pigment particles (40 x mag).Image 13 of 19. [online] Available from: http://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/portraitLarge/mw07809/Sir-Nicholas-Poyntz [Accessed 11 October 2014]
The Sitter | Found Biography: & Remembrance
"Acton Court is believed to have been built by Sir Nicholas Poyntz (1510-57) during the 1530s and 1540s and is remarkable for the advanced renaissance taste that it displays. Sir Nicholas was at court for the christening of Prince Edward in 1537, and was in the party sent to meet Anne of Cleves in 1540. Responsible for building, at old Somerset House, the first coherent classical facade in England."
West, J.J. (1986). History Today: The Life & Times of Acton Court. [online]. March 1986. Volume.36. Issue. 3. Available from: http://www.historytoday.com/jj-west/life-times-acton-court [Accessed 13 October 2014]
Background
- From a family which had been established in Gloucestershire for over 200 years.
- His grandfather, Sir Robert Poyntz, had been successively vice-chamberlain and chancellor to Catherine of Aragon, and his father, while making his reputation as a soldier and commander, also held office in the royal household
Role in society
- He had become a soldier at an early age. In 1534 he fought in Ireland under his ‘cousin’, Sir John St. Loe
- His military career was to continue after his election to Parliament, for in 1549 he commanded a company against the western rebels
- After 1532 when he went to Calais with the King, Poyntz was often present at court for important state occasions
Death and Religion
- Died shortly afterwards on 27 or 28 Nov. 1556, leaving his wife as guardian of his four younger sons. His will, made earlier the same year on 26 Feb., provided against his eldest son, Nicholas, denying the others their inheritance
- He did not bequeath any money to charity or the Church. His religion, if any, was probably Protestant as he is said to have built his house at Ozleworth with the ‘stones pulled from the crosses in the parishes thereabouts’.
Role in Society, Family & Religion
Mclntyre, E. (1982). The History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1509-1558, ed. S.T. Bindoff. [online]. Available from: http://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/1509-1558/member/poyntz-sir-nicholas-1510-56#constituency [Accessed 15 October 2014]
Other found Portraits: & Drawings
Slight differences and similarities to my chosen portrait: defining age and realism for reference, including detailed explinations of my ideas and changes I need to make towards perfecting my portrait.
Castelli, J. (n/a). Poyntz Family. [online]. Available from:http://www.tudorplace.com.ar/POYNTZ.htm [Accessed 19 October 2014]
Nose,
Unknown artists. However, the artist 'Holbein the Younger' is known to have painted and drawn sevral portraits of Sir Nicholas Poyntz and I presume this applies to the above two also. The nose in my chosen portrait looks very similar to the above right image and I think this is the most accurate reference considering I can only find these three of the sitter. With the same stern look and static pose I presume they where all taken from the same moment or intended for the same one painting and sketched out in rough first. I will create my final nose with a downward slope from the nasal bridge towards the tip, the nostrils are in a horizontal line towards the tip and there isnt much of a dip in the infratip break. The nose also looks thinner around the root from the frontal bone and two side planesor (tear troughs). This will need to be translated in my sculpt as my models nose isnt as prominent and overall smaller, less defined than the Sitters.
Upper and lower eyelida, Brow bone and sockets,
There is a lip below the sitters eye on the lower eyelid and it is a definite feature in all three images (Whether this is because he is giving a stern gaze or he generally has a deep ridge in his frown brow is unknown). My model has sensitive eyes and adding a flat piece will only irritate them and create redness in the surrounding areas. Therefore I will have to use shadow and highlight with a contour palette and paints to create the illusion of a bulging lower lid. Although the sitter was a soldier and governor I think the image on the left is most accurate- to match my chosen painting at the top of the page, for skin texture and around the eye area. The painting is dated to have been painted in the mid 1530's and the sitters known birth/death is from the years of 1510 to 1556. This suggests the sitter would have been in his mid to late 20's in the painting. I dont think his skin would have been as sunken and haggered as it is in the above right image. However, I will create two very slightly raised flat pieces to accentuate the eye sockets close to the tear troughs because there is puffyness around the eyes that i'd like to bring forward. I will also create two flat pieces for the brow bones to draw attention and contour the frown and replicate that stern gaze in my portrait.
1510-1556