Drawing and painting from models is part of my regular art practice, so I have accumulated a lot of figure and portrait paintings over time. For a few years from 2018 to 2020, I helped to setup and monitor figure drawing drop-in sessions at Agitator Cooperative Gallery, and I also had the experience of being an occasional volunteer model, as well as on a few occasions a replacement model in case the model could not make it or got cold feet. From 2015 to 2020 I took portrait and figure painting classes at the Lill Street Art Center https://lillstreet.com/department/drawing-painting.
I first started to take classes in figure drawing at the Drawing Workshop, a two-teacher art school, and I started to take figure painting there as well from 2005 to 2007. I also attended the drop-in figure drawing sessions held at this small art school. I took more classes at The School of the Art Institute (SAIC) in their continuing education non-degree program from 2007 to 2010 and then classes in the degree program from 2010 to 2013.
Figure and Portrait paintings based on a model are generally not treated or regarded as the type of original artwork and paintings that artists sell or people seek to buy, but they serve as a good means to practice and refine skills that can be applied to make original paintings, or can serve as the basis for such paintings.
Working on a portrait for a three hour painting session, looking carefully at the face of a model for such a long time constitutes a close study of the human head, its features individually and how they all interrelate. The first step involves with a brush or charcoal sketching in the outlines of the head and face, neck and shoulders. The next step is often to determine what areas will have the lightest values, where the cast light is strongest and what areas are in shadow. Once the artist decides that the basic form of the head and facial features, as well as the tilt of the head (most people never maintain their heads completely level and straight, as may be required for an official photo), then color is applied.
Working on a figure painting for a three hour painting session is often done in stages. First, an artist decides where to place the figure on the canvas, and how large the figure will be on the canvas, which may often result in cropping, leaving out some parts of the body because they cannot fit, or the artist does not want to paint a very small figure or work on a very large canvas. Once the artist is satisfied with the outlines of the figure painted in by brush or with charcoal are fairly accurate, large blocks of color are added.
I am available for commissions. If you would like to have your portrait painted or drawn or a relief print made contact me!
