ABOUT ME


Eempolder Soest The Netherlands
Landscape near Soest. Watercolor – Ben Lustenhouwer. 1984.

I was born and grew up in Soest, The Netherlands, 1951.

In 1990, I moved to Spain with my wife, the sculptress Helma Vanrens, and our daughter Karen. We first settled in Paterna and later in village called Chelva.

Editing a video
Editing a video

For over 25 years, my working life has been filled almost daily, with portrait commissions. In recent years an idea grew that I should share my portrait painting experiences and knowledge. Ultimately this is what I did. About ten years ago I started teaching and later, making video tutorials.

Since then much has changed. In the past I found myself only behind the easel. Now part of the day I also spend behind a computer. I am in touch with people from all over the world who want to learn portrait painting. Every few days I write my blog posts and in addition, sometimes for weeks on end I am filming and editing videos. When I started this portrait-painting-internet project I had no idea that it would become such a success. Nor had I expected that I would enjoy it so much. It gives me great satisfaction to be able to help others improve their painting skills.

 

49 Replies to “ABOUT ME”

  1. Luckily for me , out of all the videos and advice on Youtube I happened to pick on yours my friend , in particular an excellent step by step process of painting a portrait from a photograph . I too moved to Spain some 11 years ago and recently a Norweigian couple with two young grandchildren , after seeing some of my work shown locally asked me to paint a potrait of said grandchildren from a single photograph . Trouble is I’ve never attempted a portrait before and the photograph is , well , not of the standard I would have liked . However I don’t want to disappoint my friends . Wish me luck !
    P.S. I shall be following your advice to the letter !¬

  2. Great Mr.Lustenhouwer! Found your portraits wonderful! Particularly the way you keep colors neat,clean & fresh. Happy to note that you too, like me,use photographs to paint portraits! But tell me ,how do you arrive at the out line drawing before you paint? Do you use tracing papers or enlargers etc? or is it free hand that you draw? warm regards! c.s.pant

    1. Hello.
      Usually I draw from enlarger sometimes I from hand, but than I use charcoal. Grid and tracing paper are useful as well

  3. Great Mr.Lustenhouwer! Found your portraits wonderful! Particularly the way you keep colors neat,clean & fresh. Happy to note that you too, like me,use photographs to paint portraits! But tell me ,how do you arrive at the out line drawing before you paint? Do you use tracing papers or enlargers etc? or is it free hand that you draw? warm regards! c.s.pant

    1. Hello.
      Usually I draw from enlarger sometimes I from hand, but than I use charcoal. Grid and tracing paper are useful as well

  4. Ben,
    Many thanks for making this information available to those of us who did not have the opportunity to attend art school or private lessons. Your videos and work are very well done and full of useful information. Please keep up the good work!
    Thanks
    Bill

  5. Ben,
    Many thanks for making this information available to those of us who did not have the opportunity to attend art school or private lessons. Your videos and work are very well done and full of useful information. Please keep up the good work!
    Thanks
    Bill

  6. You are quite the inspiration Mr. Lustenhouwer. What amazing work and informative videos. Refreshing insight like yours does not come along very often. Thank you for making your methods so accessible and uncomplicated.

    -Lindsey

  7. Your point about faces being recognizable in school group photographs even though it is impossible to pick out detail is probably the best portrait advice I’ve ever heard. I’ve been drawing for decades, consider myself a decent draftsman, but portraits are something I still struggle with(though I’ve seen some breakthroughs the last few years), so I thank you very much for the tip!:)

  8. Your point about faces being recognizable in school group photographs even though it is impossible to pick out detail is probably the best portrait advice I’ve ever heard. I’ve been drawing for decades, consider myself a decent draftsman, but portraits are something I still struggle with(though I’ve seen some breakthroughs the last few years), so I thank you very much for the tip!:)

  9. You are an inspiration. I’ve watched many of your tutorials via YouTube and have realised in your efforts true skill and warmth in your work. I have recently taken up drawing and painting again after a lapse of far too many years. Thank you for sharing your skills with us amateurs and professionals alike. I shall be following your every move to improve on my own.
    Best wishes and please keep producing your excellent demonstrations.

  10. You are an inspiration. I’ve watched many of your tutorials via YouTube and have realised in your efforts true skill and warmth in your work. I have recently taken up drawing and painting again after a lapse of far too many years. Thank you for sharing your skills with us amateurs and professionals alike. I shall be following your every move to improve on my own.
    Best wishes and please keep producing your excellent demonstrations.

  11. Hi sir ….. Just now i have watched your YouTube video. Its wonderful…..amazing…….. Best wishes……………& Thanks.

  12. Hi sir ….. Just now i have watched your YouTube video. Its wonderful…..amazing…….. Best wishes……………& Thanks.

  13. Quiero acusarle recibo y agradecerle el envío de su PDF “Quick approach wet-in-wet”, tan claro y útil como todos sus consejos. Le sigo desde hace tiempo porque me gustan mucho sus retratos. He dibujado y pintado desde hace años, pero tengo más de ochenta años y aún me considero un aprendiz. Sus tutoriales me ayudan mucho. Perdone que no le escriba en inglés pero, estoy seguro que, tras su larga estancia en España, me podrá comprender perfectamente. Le deseo fervientemente que sigan sus éxitos para el disfrute de todos sus “fans”. Un cordial saludo.

      1. Hola Ben. Me alegra mucho saber que hablas español, me gustaría mucho saber si tienes un tutorial explicativo de la paleta de oleos y los pro.mix ? No se como aplicarlos en el retrato. Un saludo Marcela

  14. Hola, tengo una duda aunque me gustaría que me aconsejara, como fijar el dibujo a carboncillo sobre el lienzo antes de pintarlo con oleo para que a la hora de pintar no se mezcle el carboncillo o grafito con el oleo, me podría decir por favor, ¿cómo lo fija y que material utiliza para fijarlo?

    1. Hola Jorge. Yo uso goma laca pare fijar dibujos. La goma laca se vende en las tiendas de bellas artes, preparados para usar. Pregunta allí también la forma de aplicar. No con un pincel sino con el aire de tu boca. Y muy ligera la capa.
      Un saludo.
      Ben

  15. Congrats Ben. I found your tutorials very useful and inspirational. I paint too, landscape, still life, to portraits. Your way of teaching is clear and straight, what it makes a good way to memorise lessons. Thank you for the tips. All the best, Daisy

  16. I found your videos on the vast YouTube universe. It was just what I was looking for! I love your palette colors and transparent glaze colors.
    Also I love the Photoshop approach and how to get a projection accurate. I always had challenges with that.
    Thank you and glad you found this avenue to share your knowledge.
    Gail
    Sarasota, Florida

  17. Hola Ben, solo hoy tuve contacto con sus videos y quede maravillado de la forma tan simple que los explica. Estoy incursionando en la pintura pues nunca lo había hecho a pesar de ser arquitecto y ahora viejo quiero aprender algo de esto. El mejor regalo que he recibido es su libro, mil gracias y espero poder darle el mejor uso posible. Mil gracias.

  18. I am fascinated by your work! I love painting although I consider myself a beginner because I only started painting two years ago. I love painting in acrylics, watercolour and pastel, but I am not good at any. (I can’t paint in oil due to health issues) I love people and animal portraits. I watch all your videos in YouTube. Do you have any online courses?

    1. Thank you for your kind words. I have two long tutorials but not a continuing online course.

      1. Bu cevaba bayıldım. Ayrıca sanat yetiniz ve bunları en iyi şekilde paylasmaniz harika . Çocukluğumdan bu yana birebir teknik eğitim şansım olmadığı için kendi kendime görsel kaynaklar ve teknolojinin kiymetlilerinden yani sizlerden besleniyorum sanatimda. sizi keşfetmek çizim kagitlarima en büyük hediye oldu.

  19. Ben, I discovered your UTube channel just today, and your painting and teaching skills are so right on. As a young girl I started in oils, but about 30 years ago discovered watercolor and have only recently have the desire to again try oils. You are easy to listen to, and I appreciate you sharing your knowledge with me.
    Thank you so much. From Tallahassee, Florida

  20. I discovered you and your tutorials on YouTube and what a great discovery it was.
    I have been living in Spain since 1964, first in Madrid and now in a small village in Guadalajara since my retirement.
    When younger, I painted a lot but then life took over and I stopped for business reasons. Now that I am retired, I am trying to start painting again and your videos and techniques are helpful and inspirational.
    I am having some difficulties trying to download your videos and use the Flux player but I think I will understand it in the end.
    Thank you for your clear and easy instruction.

  21. Gracias, Maestro! I ran into your videos by happenstance today and enjoying learning your tips and techniques. I’m re-learning to paint and draw and it’s wonderful to have your content as guidance!

  22. I was so happy to discover your YouTube videos during The Pandemic in 2020.

    I began painting only a few years ago and to my great joy I discovered Portraits!

    Your videos have been both entertaining and instructive.
    Thank you!

    I hope you and your family stay well and I am looking forward to your next video.

  23. Hi Ben,

    Hope this finds you are well. I’ve been painting for about three years after retiring from a legal career. About a year ago I discovered your web presence and have been watching and learning from your videos, by which I’ve absorbed so much of your portrait techniques!! I find that your explanations and demos speak simply and effectively. Thank you. I wish I could attend one if your classes but Covid and distance (I’m located near Philadelphia, USA) make that very difficult.
    Please keep up the good work, and I hope to view new videos soon.
    To show you your influence after only a few years of painting, I’d like to send you a photo of my latest double portrait, which used your palette and much of your technique (also Andrew Tischler teachings). But alas, thus form does not allow attachments🥴. Maybe at a later time😁🧑‍🎨

  24. MR. BEN, THANKS FOR DOING THESE TEACHING VIDEOS.
    VERY INFORMATIVE FOR THE COLOR MIXING AND
    DIFFERENT APPROACHES. LIKE RENOIR YOU ARE
    THE CONSMATE CRAFTSMAN. BACK TO THE DRAWING
    BOARD, LIFE IS SHORT , ART IS LONG .
    YOU ARE A TRUE ARTISTIC TREASURE..

  25. friend Ben ik heb jaren lang iconen geschilderd nu voor t eerst, 5 honden en een vrouw en portetten en ik ben zo bly dat ik van u leren kan met mn laptop, jammer dat ik te oud ben om naar u te reizen en mn bucket lyst waar te maken tuinwerk en schilder lessen , zon en wandelen in de natuur , elas op 80 blyf ik maar liever thuis. het aller beste en heel veel bedankt INA LOUISE in cyprus

  26. Hi Ben. Are you offering any in person workshops in 2022 or 2023? I’d love to meet you in person and take one of your workshops. Thank you.

    1. Hi Danette. I am not planning any workshops this year. Plans for 2023 are in the making.

  27. Hi Ben: II have always been sketching and drawing for fun. I decided to take a leap into oil painting. stumbled across your website last month and have been since been reading your blog. Your video tutorials on Youtube are by far the best that I’ve seen. Your explanations are very crisp and easy to follow. Thank you.

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