It’s so well executed: the bright-eyed sideward gaze and razor thin eyebrows. Teal-colored nails the right degree garish. A hidden expression behind a fantasy novel and an overall noir feel. “It was a process of learning when to stop, so as not to overdo certain details,” says Hiu Lim of her “Portrait of Christine,” created in Prof. John Nickle’s fifth semester illustration class.
Part of Lim’s process was to create a grisaille, a painting executed almost entirely in monochrome. “It was very helpful in establishing the values and the overall warmth of the piece,” she says. “The undertone helped bring a brightness to some parts of the skin and clothes.”
“Portrait of Christine” is on display on the third floor of the Pomerantz building. “I first saw Hiu’s work in the second semester and I am quite impressed by her growth as a painter,” says Prof. Nickle. “In just the fifth semester she is painting at a very high skill level.”
Says Lim “The painting was really a great learning experience.”