Iban Man

It has been a while since I'd painted a portrait (It must be more than 2 or 3 years ago?!!) I'm definitely more comfortable in street scenes, landscapes, boats, etc. I guess it's a personal preference, I find portrait difficult especially when I often can't get the likeness of a person.Having said that, a local gallery in my hometown (Kuching, Sarawak in Malaysia) got my business card from my mom and they e-mailed to invite me to take part in an exhibition. The exhibition is to be held in conjuction with the renowned Sarawak World Rainforest Music Festival this coming July and the theme of the exhibition is "Our People, Our Culture". So, I guess I have to paint a portrait or at least something to do with the people of Sarawak.So, I painted this... This old man is from the Iban ethnic group. The largest tribe in Sarawak. You can read all about them and their lifestyles here. Many of them are now living in modern facilities and lead better lives than thier ancestors who were once the infamous Borneo headhunters and pirates.


Full sheet of Fabriano Artistico, painted with W&N, Rembrandt, Schmincke, M.Graham, Holbein Artist Watercolour paints.Hope you like it. Comments and critiques welcome as usual. I will probably paint a few more paintings and choose a couple of better ones... stay tuned... :)