Fine Art Portraiture

Enough with the TV news! Back to the easel! Lately I have been reading more about the resurgence of portrait drawing and painting. As an artist, I have always loved the life long pursuit of portraiture. It's always a challenge of capturing not only likeness of the viewer but also the personality and character. This resurging art form rides the current wave along with figure painting which is presented in a more realistic fashion as well as through some impressionistic painting techniques. Actually portraiture really never left the art marketplace. It just laid dormant for awhile quite often becoming the victim of the economy. However, there are more and more schools and workshops arising in the art instruction marketplace. Classical painting techniques are becoming all the rage and many savvy collectors are becoming aware and searching for excellence in this genre of painting.

However, painting the portrait does not come easy. This is not "add water and stir". It takes plenty of study and practice especially with drawing skills, understanding color theory, and compositional elements in painting. There is one other important factor: an undying commitment to learn the art of drawing. How well you draw will determine how well you draw and paint the portrait. Life drawing has to become a weekly event. There are local and national arts organizations that often sponsor weekly drawing classes as well as those that are non-instructional.

Keep in mind that success in this art form requires study and practice. And it's not only practicing the ability to draw but to also understand the various planes of the formation of the human head. Many of those starting out in portrait drawing and painting try sculpting the head in clay in helping them understand the interlocking forms of the planes that eventually make up a likeness.

So it all comes down to work and practice. Want to get better in drawing and painting? Keep drawing and painting...daily. I'm reminded of that famous line by the ancient Greek artist, Apelles: "nulla dies sine linea". That's Latin for "not a day without a line." It was also a posted sign in Leonardo daVinci's studio in Florence.

Sam D'Ambruoso is an artist living in Middlebury CT. For over 21 years, he has held painting workshops in Italy and the USA and also teaches portrait painting. New portrait classes forming for October. For more information, call 203-758-9660.