Moria start to finish

Marvin Mattelson · 09-30-2004, 10:42 PM

On my website I just posted a 36 step progression of the portrait painting I demonstrated during my two week workshop in Atlanta this past August.

You can see that as the painting of Moria develops, it goes from general to specific. I feel this time honored approach of working large to small creates a genuine sense of aliveness and immediacy in paintings.

Working from life provides an artist with the opportunity to try to catch lightning in a bottle. It's never not thrilling.

Illustrated below are examples of the beginning and the end. Here's the link to view the whole enchilada: http://www.fineartportrait.com/workshop_demo_2.html

Jimmie Arroyo · 10-01-2004, 01:13 AM

Marvin, thank you very much for the time taken to put this together. While I was going thru the pics, I thought, "It doesn't need more than this", then you put more time into it, and it looks so much better for it.

It is greatly, greatly appreciated.

p.s. I didn't hit the mega-millions this Tuesday, so I won't be able to take your class, hopefully one day.

Linda Brandon · 10-01-2004, 11:47 AM

This is one of my favorite paintings of yours, Marvin, and I'm really looking forward to seeing this develop step by step on your website.

I'm glad you mentioned the thrill of painting from life. It is one of the most potent endorphin-producing activities available to humankind. It is a highly addicting activity with long-range benefits as well.

If those of us who do this a lot keep mentioning this fact - "painting from life can make you happy" - to other artists, we will see a lot more good painting from life and less copying from bad photographs.

Namaste,
Linda

Patricia Joyce · 10-01-2004, 02:59 PM

Marvin,

This is really fun for me to study. I have printed all your progressive images from your website and keep looking at them. To a beginner like myself it is good to see how the "drawing" does evolve and how "easy" it is to rework edges, etc. The whole process is so fascinating. I am soaking up everything at my painting class but can't wait to attend your workshop in January!! I am VERY excited

Linda,

I would love to experience the rush of painting or drawing from life. I am having withdrawals because the CIA cancelled their life drawing classes in the evening. Do you think in all of Cleveland I could find a group of artists who get together and work from life??? So discouraging...

After the first of the year I may try to organize something myself.

Thanks again, Marvin for taking the time out of your busy schedule to share this process with us and with all who view your website. It is invaluable to us

Linda Brandon · 10-01-2004, 05:54 PM

Hi Pat,

Don't wait to form a group. Get a model, put her/him on a podium in a room with a single light source, and get started. Personally, I have decided to bite the bullet and pay for a model to come for two hours a week. The benefit of not having other artists around include my total control of the situation, and when I say, "rotate your head to the left a bit", danged if the model doesn't go and do that. Power! Control! On the other hand, you can't blame another artist for taking the best spot.

You may be very lucky and have relatives or friends who will sit for free. I am budgeting for my modelsbecause I feel it's very important to do this.

It took me a long time to feel good about painting from life, just because I was so bad at it at first, and I would go home and hit my head against the wall. When things go well, it is tremendously exciting to see a recognizable head developing on the canvas. It absolutely knocks your socks off. It's a little like seeing your newborn child for the first time. "Oh! So that's what you look like! I've waited so long..."

Marvin, meanwhile, probably skipped the head-banging stage and went right to the endorphins.

Marvin Mattelson · 10-01-2004, 09:58 PM

Jimmy, you really hit the nail on the head. During the workshop my students would say, "What else could you possibly do to it to make it better?" For me, the process takes on a life of it's own and the painting keeps coming to life more. If only there was just one more pose!

Pat, I'll bring this painting with me to Atlanta in January. I think you'll be very surprised to see the extent of the subtle nuances that photography just can't capture. Everyone who sees my originals comments on how much better the actual paintings look.

Linda, I thought it was banging my head that caused all those endorphins.