Lady in Orange - Original

"Lady in Orange" was inspired by the beautiful intricate tile patterns found in the Middle-East, and how beautiful traditions (such as tile-making and mosaics) can both stand out and be a part of modern society. 

With that in mind, I begun to plan a drawing with detailed, repetitive, tile-like patterns that would be placed behind the woman in the foreground. The honey-comb of tile designs are laid out in high contrast against the "modern" woman's long, very dark, wavy hair and bright green shirt. 
 
Her head is turned, giving the viewer a profile angle of her face that shows off her arched, pierced nose, her high cheekbones, large eyelids full of turquoise and green eye-shadow, and her ear - featuring a mini version of the tile pattern behind her - an homage to the tradition and craftsmanship of the past. 

The colors used in this piece were also intentional. The warm orange paper stands in contrast to the subject's dark hair, bright green shirt, and all of the various tile patterns around her. Many warm tones are also found in the subject's skin, and with the paper already a warm color, rendering the skin was a matter of finding where the shadows and highlights should be.  

Overall, "Lady in Orange" is a stunning representation of both tradition and modern times through the inspirational lense of Middle-Eastern tile patterns. 
 
"Lady in Orange" was drawn with colored pencils on 187 lb. Canson Orange Colorline paper, completed in March 2019.