A portrait career only from live sittings.

[Alexandra Tyng]

Here's another artist, Paul DuSold, who paints only from life. He is well-known in my neck of the woods for his portraits (and still life). Here is a link to his website:

http://www.pauldusold.com/

[Michael Georges]

And Sharon, you make a good point. I started out -only- painting from photo reference, and frankly it became a crutch from which I am still limping away from.

We all generally have, or are currently, or may in the future, paint from photo reference. I have seen though, that drawing and painting from life has improved my work and my understanding of what I am seeing and translating even when I work from photos. It is a tool, but one whos limitations must be understood.

And like I said in my reply, this market is only going to get harder and more competitive as cheaper alternatives flood in from China and Russia and effect the "perception" of not only portraiture, but original art, in the public eye and mind.

Some will see the difference and appreciate it...but the vast majority, I believe, will not.

Thus, we all have our work cut out for us.

[Stanka Kordic]

It is very important to keep raising the bar no matter how difficult it is. It has never been easy to make really splendid works of art.


This is what its all about, Works of Art. In the end, the way to get there is unimportant. We are painters, first and foremost. Portraiture is secondary. I agree with the notion that a background of life drawing/painting is crucial. Its helps one to see color. After learning to do this, suddenly the world is full of color. Purples, greens, beautiful grays all jump around. The coolness of that shadow, the warmth of that light....as you stand waiting for your change, it is seen.

We need to learn to see, so that we can express that in paint, in our own language.

I paint from life when possible for my own use, but folks, I would never complete a commission from start to finish this way. Studies, fine.

Here's why: Language stops. I'm in that magical place called the right side of the brain where the last thing I want to do is speak. Then, my sitter falls asleep because of course, I'm not speaking. I prefer to struggle, to explore, to sigh, to mutter, to swear, on my own with no one there. It takes me a looooonng time to finish a portrait because I often agonize over my own expression. Not so much the technical aspects, but because I want it to be Real, I want it to breath as only Art can.

Trust me, I'm no expert at anything, but I have to be ME.

Thank you for seizing the day Sharon. I appreciate the fire.

I'm off to the wilds of the UP in MI with my sketchbook to see the world anew...

[Michael Georges]

I think it is lovely that we are all guided by our own unique "truths" in our art. From high realism to abstract in style, monochrome to violent color it truly "takes all kinds".

Art is the marriage of "expression" and "skill" or "application". All of us fall in different locations on the scale of each - some "express" what they see, others what they think, still others what they feel, or combinations thereof, and all at a level of "application" that is appropriate to them and their art.

There is a line from one of my favorite movies - Joe vs. the Volcano. Meg Ryan's character is talking about life:

"My father says that almost the whole world is asleep. Everybody you know. Everybody you see. Everybody you talk to. He says that only a few people are awake and they live in a state of constant total amazement."

Living, and then expressing, in a state of "constant total amazement" is what artists do, or should strive for, IMO.