Summary
Ella Fitzgerald Speed Painting by contemporary artist Bart Carels. This bold jazz portrait celebrates the elegance and energy of the First Lady of Song.
Title: ‘Lady Ella’
Artist: Bart Carels
Year: 2020
Process
This Ella Fitzgerald speed painting was all about keeping things loose. No tight edges, no fine details — just rhythm, flow, and feeling. After all, Ella’s voice was effortless and smooth, so the painting needed to reflect that.
I started by blocking in the composition using a black marker. No details here — just making sure everything was where it needed to be. I sometimes switch it up with charcoal, pencil, or paint, but for portraits like this, I prefer a solid base layer. Faces are tricky, and a small misplacement can throw everything off.
Once the outlines were in, I jumped straight into the hair and face. I mixed Magenta and Yellow, then added a bit of Cyan and a touch of Ivory Black for the darker tones. Her dress is mostly Magenta with Cyan, plus deeper blacks and lighter whites for contrast. The glow in the reference photo pushed me to lean into the redder tones.
For the skin, I mixed Magenta and Yellow for the mid-tones. Adding Cyan and Black helped shape the shadows. For highlights, I used more Yellow and finished with Titanium White. Throughout the piece, I never used a brush smaller than size six — intentionally skipping small details for a rawer look.
This piece joins my collection of music inspired speed paintings. If you enjoy expressive portraits with a musical edge, make sure to explore the rest of the collection.
Painting Specs
- One-of-a-kind artwork
- Medium: Mixed Media on Paper (black marker & acrylic paint)
- Size: 24x32cm / 9×12 inches
- Color Palette: Cyan | Magenta | Yellow | Black | White
Availability
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