Who is Alpay Efe?
Efe is a contemporary German artist of Turkish descent, born in 1987 in Oberhausen, Germany. He graduated from the Düsseldorf Academy of Fine Arts in 2012.
He is known for his modern oil paintings, and especially for his portraiture, which stands out for its innovative style and vibrant colors.
He has a large following on YouTube, where he shares his creative process, techniques, and tips. His online popularity is bolstered by a strong presence on other platforms such as TikTok and Instagram.
Rembrandt's First Collaboration
Alpay Efe has recently added another achievement to his list.
He is the first artist invited to collaborate in the 125-year history of the Rembrandt brand .
Efe is pleased to mark this moment, which is exceptionally special to him, with his modern interpretation of the traditional portrait palette: The Modern Portrait.
A breath of fresh air for every artist
At first glance, it seems that the unique appearance of his works is due to the delicate abstract brushstrokes. In fact, however, the perception of his paintings is primarily influenced by the subtle differences in the primary colors he uses.
Alpay argues that there’s no way our portraits can look fresh and modern if we choose colors that have been used for this purpose for centuries. In other words, using the same traditional colors results in the same old-fashioned look for the paintings.
It is precisely with the interesting combination of paints in The Modern Portrait set that we, too, can transform our paintings.
What's included in "The Modern Portrait" set?
Now that we’ve admired the luxurious box and the mini print of Alpay’s version of “Alice in Wonderland,” hand-signed by him, let’s move on to examining the paints.
Each of the ten colors has been individually selected from its color family with a specific purpose in mind.
White
Alpai contains titanium white made with safflower oil. Safflower oil, as it is also known, is pale and yellows much less than linseed oil. In portraits where a lot of white is used, this helps preserve the original colors for a longer period of time.
We discuss the different types of white paint in more detail in another article.
Black
Alpay admits that it’s a bit contradictory to include black in a portrait palette. For him, however, the “fear” of black is unfounded, and it is an indispensable tool for creating contrasts and contours.
Brown
Burnt sienna, although a very useful color, has been replaced here by the much more versatile oxide red. This rusty shade is much more saturated and vibrant, as can be seen when mixed with white and other colors.
Yellow and Orange
Through a simple experiment, we find that monochromatic cadmium orange cannot be obtained from yellow ochre and cadmium red, even with the addition of another yellow. Cadmium yellows and orange, made with a single pigment, are the brightest and most saturated versions of these colors, and it is no coincidence that they are included here.
Green
Another color that is often overlooked is green, since it is a secondary color. Yes, we can get it from blue and yellow, but not in the captivating emerald shade of phthalocyanine green that we find in Efe’s collection.
Red
When used on its own, the red violet is an exceptionally beautiful purplish red. When combined with blue and white, it creates a unique shade of lilac that we could not achieve with cadmium red. Mixed directly with ultramarine, violet can be used for deep shadows.
The colors mentioned are complemented by the trio of yellow ochre, ultramarine , and cadmium red, which are typical for such a set.
Consistency
Last but not least, a major advantage of Rembrandt Alpai highlights their uniform and not overly thick consistency, which allows them to be used directly from the tube. Mixed colors can be achieved easily and quickly, which is of paramount importance to a professional artist.
Here is Alpay’s personal account of the product:
Who is "The Modern Portrait" intended for?
This set can be a fresh addition to your personal collection or a convenient solution for teachers and students when conducting art workshops, courses, and classes.
With *The Modern Portrait* and the muse that Alpay Efe has given us, we are just one step away from surpassing our creative limits!
Author: Martina Petrova
