Me as a portrait painter?

Me as a portrait painter?

Of course, like every child, I was asked sometimes “what do you want to be when you grow up”? Did I ask myself the question: Me as a portrait painter?

But what is a portrait painter? the English Dictionary says: an artist who paints portraits


Drawing as a little child?

Sometimes I visit websites from other portrait artists and read the information they give about themselves. Often like: “I was already drawing as a little child, or I was born with brushes in my hand”. That annoys me and I do not know exactly why. Is it that difficult to write something more original?

Continue reading “Me as a portrait painter?”

Portrait painting from observation

Despite of the fact that I often do portrait painting from photography, I really must emphasize again, that portrait painting from observation is important. Study as much as you can from a life model sitting in front of you.

Training your drawing skills is fundamental. Accompanying a study I made last Tuesday night. I used Terra Rosa (Winsor & Newton) mixed with a little bit of Burnt Umber (Rembrandt Talens.)

Continue reading “Portrait painting from observation”

Oil painting technique.

oil painting technique
Oil painting technique. Acueducto romano . Chelva, Spain.
Acueducto romano. Chelva, Spain.

This post is about brushes for oil painting technique. As you may have noticed, recently I was able to dedicate more attention to landscape painting. It took a long time; I was too busy with my portrait commissions. The surroundings of the town of Chelva, where we live, are beautiful and very picturesque. There are countless places asking to be painted. And that is what I do.  Continue reading “Oil painting technique.”

Value contrast in portrait painting

value contrast in portrait painting

Flipped value contrast in portrait painting

An entire book can be written about value contrast in portrait painting. I have also read a lot about it myself. But an image explains more than so many words. That is what at least I always think.

So here are my simple examples. A few times I apply this proven method of flipped value contrast in portrait painting. I do this to obtain a dynamic value contrast in a painting. It is based on a very simple rotation principle. Continue reading “Value contrast in portrait painting”

Portrait painting and inspiration.

portrait painting inspiration

Sometimes I wonder why I want to paint a good portrait. Where does that fervour come from? What about my  portrait painting and inspiration. I’ve never been able to answer that question. And it should stay like that, I guess. That everlasting urge, that gruelling passion; I have learned to live with it. It was not always an easy road. More than once, I was jealous of people without any ambition. Continue reading “Portrait painting and inspiration.”

Peculiar portrait commissions.

Peculiar portrait commissions.

After twenty-five years of commissioned portraits there are many anecdotes I can tell. I have had some peculiar portrait commissions.

I have met a lot of people. Occasionally there was something special about a job, like the two times I got an enquiry for a female nude painting. In the first one, the client was the model´s husband; the client making the other request was the model herself. She wanted to give the portrait as a present to her husband on the day of the wedding.  Continue reading “Peculiar portrait commissions.”