1. the human figure and internal conflict
Introduction: The main aspects I looked into was the use of colour in regards to skin
and human figures from a variety of artists. I looked at the more modern artworks of
Jenny Saville and Lucian Freud and their creation of skintones by blending unnatural
colours. The two also hold a theme of internal conflict which I mirrored on a
personal level in my works.

2. Lucian Freud
Freud creates pale colours and
skin tones, yet does not shy away
from adding pinks, greens, and
blues as shadows. The way that
he exaggerates shadows
demonstrates his paintings
depth. As for brushstrokes,
Freud uses a sole colour per
stroke, and does blending prior
on the palette. This allows for the
highlights to be layered on top at
a later time so he can work to the
colours he desires. PortraitofHerMajestytheQueen,LucianFreud,2000

3. Jenny Saville
Saville’s pieces are extremely
conceptual as all pieces tend to
hold a form of the human body in
exaggerated and outrageous
poses. The body fat is either
stretched or hung to cause the
viewer to feel uncomfortable. In
the painting to the right, bodies
are squished together to create a
feeling of entrapment and
focuses the viewer to make a
statement about the bodies,
being they are the only
characters in the painting.
Shift, Jenny Saville, 1996-97

4. FREUD
and
SAVILLE
Very similar concepts in fat disposal and the way it hangs off of a body frame. Saville,
however, takes advantage of using a female model to even make the breasts, a
sexualized part of anatomy, sag and look ‘unattractive’. Another approach she takes is
the use of unnatural colours. Her use of blue leaves a cool undertone of the whole
painting. Freud, on the other hand, uses a more muted palette, but centering the figure
in the middle of a seemingly vast, empty room allows him to achieve the desired mood
Saville had achieved with blue.
Leigh Bowery (seated), Lucian Freud, 1990
Prop, Jenny Saville, 1993

5. THEMES of FREUD and SAVILLE
While the faces of the two figures in the pieces are
not the focal point, they are still visible. The
concept of the nude figures already relays an idea
of fragility and vulnerability. By having so much
skin visual, including the face, the audience looks
at the emotions of the figure in the portrait rather
their own selves.
Leigh Bowery (seated), Lucian Freud, 1990
Prop, Jenny Saville, 1993

6. ● Dark, muted
colours with
posed body
language- mood
stiff and
strained
● Figure looks lost
● Still- no
movement
● Audience feels
upset and
disappointed-
similar to the
character
● Composition features
bodies squished and
crowded- provides
discomfort
● Flesh stretched and almost
gnaut
● Causes audience to
sympathise with the figures
● Blues and round, thick flesh-
provides mood of disgust
● Body language seems non
apologetic
● Conflict between artist and
audience
Both painters made the conscious decision of having their figures look away from the camera or close their
eyes. However, while both characters appear tired, the message they convey is very different.. Saville’s
paintings, as an contemporary artist, make a statement about our society in modern day by willingly making the
fat the focal point. Freud’s is more narrative and his characters seem simply exhausted with themselves.
Shift, Jenny Saville, 1996-97
Prop, Jenny Saville, 1993
Leigh Bowery (seated), Lucian Freud, 1990

7. The page to the left displays my exploration of colour using
concepts from Freud and Saville.
Transcript Notes:
THUMBNAIL 1
● Looking at variations in Saville’s flesh paintings
● COOL undertones- bodies pale and washed out
● Mimic second body on the left- yellow tone
● Shading with blues and oranges
● ALTERATIONS: added purple and oranges for contrast
○ Did not blend with layer of white or pale yellow
THUMBNAIL 2
● Mimic first body on left- really pale colouring
● Shading with greens, blue, yellow
● Attempt to stay with light main colours
● Attempt to shade with less blended colours
● My colours ended up more unrealistic than Saville’s

8. The page to the left displays my exploration of colour using concepts from
Freud and Saville.
Transcript Notes:
THUMBNAIL 1
● Pale values shaded with primarily cool colours
● Skin appears cold
● Dislike of use of purple, however, blending was ideal
● Inspiration taken mainly from Jenny Saville
THUMBNAIL 2
● More adaption of Freud- exaggeration with oranges and green
● Bold and not blended all the way
● Inspiration taken mainly from Portait of Her Majesty the Queen (2000)
JENNY SAVILLE (R)
● Use of solid
blues
● Yellow-
green
contrasting
to shade
● Lightest
value: white
with blue
LUCIAN FREUD (L)
● Lots of blues- applied
as undertone in
backdrop
● BOLD orange as
warm shade
● Greens and Reds as
darkest values
● Warm focal point,
Cold background Passage, Jenny Saville, 2004
Portrait of Her Majesty the Queen, Lucian Freud, 2000

9. The page to the left displays my exploration of colour using
concepts from Freud and Saville.
Transcript Notes:
THUMBNAIL 1
● Started moving toward individual investigation. Reference
itself of Saville’s does not have the cold undertone that
most of her paintings have.
● Pinks and bolder warm colours inspired from Freud.
LINE OF THUMBNAILS
● Less of artist - more of individual investigation
● First thumbnail in line similar to first thumbnail in page.
○ Blends into standard ‘flesh colour’
○ Nostalgic feel
● Second thumbnail in line
○ Sinister and dark mood
○ Lots of red
● Third Thumbnail in line
○ Very plain
○ Blends too much with background
○ Personally dislike it

10. Hold On 18” x 24”
Oct. 18, 2015
As stated in my introduction, I took the previous
painter’s methods of creating flesh tones and focused on
a powerful concept of internal conflict.
The mood in several of Saville and Freud is one of
melancholy. The nude portraits they paint are not that
of ‘perfect bodies’. The two artists have created
paintings based of off heavier characters being the focal
point, bringing attention to the internal conflict one may
feel from viewing their own body. They freely drawing
portraits with the flesh sagging, and exaggerate the
shadows and folds.
The concept of the drawing is to provide the audience
with a feeling of unease. Not only this, I wanted the
composition to mimic something individuals who are
familiar with body negativity to identify and sympathise.
The personal significance to me is the pain and self hate
that I have experienced when looking in the mirror. I
wanted to take this internal conflict and recreate it in
this piece.

11. The hands hold more of Saville’s
colours than Freud. The strong
blues were meant to mimic her
cold undertones. The hands
were placed and coloured in
order of importance for the
concept. The three triangles of
colours theoretically are of the
order the audience will see. The
hand in the middle will most
likely take the attention first,
and then the attention will be
drawn by the other colours and
movement of fat.
In terms of flesh, I used warmer colours
like red and shaded with a contrast of
green, similar to Freud.
Conceptually, I mimicked the concept
of pulling and sagging of fat as in both
of the artists.