Experimenting with Mediums in Portrait Art with Harvey Chan

Opus Resource Library

This January, we're exploring the world of portraiture in our series "Beyond The Face."

Portraiture asks us to see beyond the surface and explore what it means to truly see ourselves, others, and the spaces we inhabit.

Through the human form, we discover new perspectives not in subject, but in the act of creating.

By experimenting with how we capture the figure through different materials, approaches, and perspectives, we break the boundary between form and meaning.

In this installment, we speak with artist Harvey Chan to learn about experimenting with mediums in portrait art.

Artist Q&A with Harvey Chan

What materials do you use for your portrait work, and how do they influence your process?

Canson Mi-Teintes paper for chalk pastel, Canson watercolour paper for water soluble pen or graphite pencil, and Arches Oil Paper and primed canvas for oil colours.

How have your material preferences evolved over time? Have you switched to different brands or types of materials, and what prompted those changes?

Most of the time my surface changed as I switched between different drawing or painting mediums. And sometimes I would apply medium to a particular surface, in the case of mixed media approach with layering effects.

Artwork by Harvey Chan

How do the materials you choose influence the texture and depth in your portraits? Are there particular techniques you employ to maximize the potential of these materials?

Depending on the tool (stick, pencil or brush) which applied the medium to the surface, I can create unlimited possibilities of textures and depth. Opacity and transparency are typically characters that I would consider.

Can you discuss a specific instance where the choice of a particular material significantly impacted the outcome of a portrait?

Every medium has its specific limitation in terms of how forgiving it is in the process of the development of a portrait.

For example, chalk pastel definitely provides the ultimate freedom for me, because it’s a drawing and painting medium at the same time when being applied to a textured surface like Canson Mi-Tiente or sanded paper. The result is always a hybrid of being linear and painterly.

Artwork by Harvey Chan

Have you experimented with unconventional materials in your portrait work? If so, what drove you to explore those options, and what were the results?

I have always been curious about exploring different art materials on various surfaces with unusual tools.

I guess I realized the abstract component (mark-making /textures/gestural energy...etc.) of a drawing or painting seems to play a significant role in helping the audience to get engaged with a piece of art, other than the image and concept.

What have you discovered about your artistic process through the use of certain materials, and how has that shaped your approach to portraiture?

The drying time, transparency/opacity and compatibility among various art media definitely affects my selection of medium/media and of course the scale of my work too.

Are there any materials that you find particularly challenging to work with in portraiture? How do you overcome these challenges, and what impact does it have on the final aesthetic of your work?

I found acrylic paints could be challenging due to its quick drying nature. And thank god we can use a retarding medium, and I can also slow down the process by building up the intensity of the colour with multiple glazing of transparent colours.

How do you balance the technical demands of certain materials with the expressive goals you have for your portraits?

I found it’s helpful to handle the learning curve by keeping the image simple and small if I am going to experiment a new medium.

For portraits, it’s much easier to work with a face of higher tonal contrast, opposed to a reference with soft lighting. For creating portraits from imagination, I have a lot more freedom to take risks as I work with a new medium or surfaces.

Artwork by Harvey Chan

Do you consider the sustainability or ethical implications of the materials you use? If so, how does this influence your material choices in creating portraits?

In most cases, I choose my art materials based on what I have been exploring at the time and the length of the session.

When I was in the spirit of risk taking, I would be more random with my selection of mediums, so that I would face some challenges and get out of my comfort zone.

Harvey Chan

Harvey Chan is an award winning, Vancouver based artist (originally from Hong Kong), specializing in the human form. Since graduating from Ontario College of Art, he has been working as a professional illustrator and art educator.

Visit Harvey Chan's Instagram

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This January, we're exploring the world of portraiture in our series "Beyond The Face."

In this installment, we speak with artist Harvey Chan to learn about experimenting with mediums in portrait art.

Artist Q&A with Harvey Chan

What materials do you use for your portrait work, and how do they influence your process?

How have your material preferences evolved over time? Have you switched to different brands or types of materials, and what prompted those changes?

How do the materials you choose influence the texture and depth in your portraits? Are there particular techniques you employ to maximize the potential of these materials?

Can you discuss a specific instance where the choice of a particular material significantly impacted the outcome of a portrait?

Have you experimented with unconventional materials in your portrait work? If so, what drove you to explore those options, and what were the results?

What have you discovered about your artistic process through the use of certain materials, and how has that shaped your approach to portraiture?

Are there any materials that you find particularly challenging to work with in portraiture? How do you overcome these challenges, and what impact does it have on the final aesthetic of your work?

How do you balance the technical demands of certain materials with the expressive goals you have for your portraits?

Do you consider the sustainability or ethical implications of the materials you use? If so, how does this influence your material choices in creating portraits?

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