Self Portrait
 

Here is a quick self portrait I finished up in about a week for an exhibition at the the Art Students League here in NYC.

34 by 24 inch, figure is life size. oil on wood panel.

David, this is awesome! Excellent brush work in form value representation.

Wish you success and commissions resulting from the exhibit.

Just beautifully handled! David, what made you opt for the lowered gaze instead of the more traditional gaze at the viewer?

David, you're perfect! That's an exact and honest portrait.

It's a wonderful painting; I wonder if you could share something about your approach or technique, or how you lit yourself. Enzie has already asked what it is all about, but I do like the austere composition and quiet somber palette.

Congratulations on your show! When is it open to see?

Garth

David
Stunning! Your sense of value control is wonderful!
I wanna see more!
Best
Tony

Dear David,

Just beautiful. Your portrait is solid and sensitive, as I find all your work to be. Thanks for sharing.

This cannot get more lifelike. The image is there...living, breathing.
Very impressive.

Congratulations.

David,

This is my favorte of your work so far. It really is an honest, straightforward portrayal of yourself. It's direct, but also symbolic--of a man, a person, an artist--whatever you see in it. I like it because it is not contrived, and you have pared it down to the essentials. Because it s simple, the minimal color scheme works well. Elegant!

Wow, David - I continue to be amazed by this portrait. I've seen it in person and it just takes my breath away. One of the things that impresses me the most is the control you have over the wide variety of colors on your palette. Furthermore, your drawing skills are enough to make everybody else go home and beat our heads against the wall.

Actually, you are starting to be a little hazardous to my health with all this breathless headbashing. :)

Congratulations on this powerful painting, David!

David,
that's also what I think.( and Alex says it better than I could in english)
I like the quiet and meditative athmosphere which comes from the lowered gaze. I like when I feel the time in a painting, the length of the pose, the length of the act of drawing/painting...
I also love your backgrounds, this one is no exception.
Congratulations on a beautiful portrait!

Mischa, Thanks form and value is something I'm always trying to figure out. Thanks for the well wishes on the exhibition

Enzie, Thanks as well, I tend to paint myself looking away from the viewer as opposed to my other paintings that usually have the subject confronting the viewer, I think its something unconscious I do when I paint myself.

Garth, Thanks, truth is my goal in what i do. I usually light everything from above I like how it shows the cast shadows.

Tony, Thanks I'm digging what your working on as well. If i get out to California I'd love to check out your studio. I was in LA briefly on my way to Australia last April and it was an interesting place.

Chris, it was nice meeting you at the PSoA show this year, nice demo btw, i don't know how you painted in that darkness. I'm gong to be in Scottsdale in march, maybe we can meet up for drinks.

Carlos, Thats the best compliment i've ever gotten. Thanks so much.

Alexandra, Thanks, less is more. :)

Linda, I'm glad that you made it back to AZ, espec, after that cab that we got you. LOL
Thanks for coming over to draw. Can I post the photo Holly took. :) I have Tanya coming over again tomorrow night, cause I wasn't feeling well when we drew her and that ginger tea, yuck! I enjoyed hearing your process and goals. Try not to dang your head on anything or I'll buy you a helmet. or some ginger tea I hear it works miracles.

Marina, Thanks so much. It was nice meeting you as well at the Portrait shin dig, if only briefly, those conferences are pretty intense, I was being pulled in a million different directions. I may sit out next years, stay home and just sleep for the weekend. :)

Fabulous painting, Dave.

Good to have met you at PSoA, however briefly.

--TE

Sure, so long as:
1. you don't appear to be showing me up too badly with the drawings we did, and
2. I appear to be looking Fabulous and not ghastly in the photo. You might have to Photoshop something. :)

Great stuff David, thought provoking, controlled and lifefull (I think it is a word)

Did you use the same palette as you did in Oz? Looks as though it is. Another great example of the artist language of light and shade.

David, I always enjoy seeing your work and this one is no exception. It's not only beautifully painted, it has great emotional charge.

I hope all's well with you and yours.

This is a very good painting. The serious honest expression is very sensitive. I love it. You must have worked from a photo. How did you get the photo?

Tom, It was cool meeting you as well, that conference really is a whirlwind.

Linda, I'll try to post the photo this coming week, I'll blur stuff out if you want.

Hey Ngaire, How are you doing? Thanks for the kind words. I'm using essentially the same palette as before, I've added a few new colors but not sure about them yet, I was given so much paint at the PSoA show, that I'm been experimenting with but not very scientifically. LOL Most of the time I forgot what was what. I miss OZ, I'll be back there hopefully in 08, this time in Melbourne, Adelaide, and Sydney. Working everything out in the next couple of months.

Gary, Hows it going? Haven't talked in awhile since my days of being banned at OAG. :)
I miss OAG, Richard has been very helpful lately with my search for a perfect painting medium. He is an encyclopedia of paint medium knowledge. Thanks for the kind words as well.

Linda, thanks, honesty is what I'm after, warts and all. even if I look tired from trying to learn how to paint and chasing Lucas around the apartment all day. I did use a small black and white photo for the eyes mostly, but didn't really stick to it. I found the mirror to have so much more information, the background is made up based on my studio walls that I use as a background for most of my work.

I'm off to visit Dan Greene's studio in North Salem to watch a demo tonight, it should be really cool. I'll try to report back later on it on another thread.