Recent charcoal demo
 

Just wanted to share with you these photos, which I received recently from one of the Art clubs here in Long Island, where I was invited to do a demo.

Here is another one
 

"You have to fall in love :) with your model!!!!!"

And another one
 

Enough of talking.....

And finally
 

Three of us: him, him-self and me

Here is the close up
 

which I posted earlier

Igor, your workshop looks as if it was fun and instructive, and I'm sorry I missed it.

You're the second instructor I've encountered who advises artists to "fall in love with the model". I'd love to hear more of your thoughts about this. Do you really feel it makes for a better painting? If so, why? Does it interfere with "honesty" or "objectivity"?

Welcome to the Forum, by the way.

Best wishes,
Linda

Dear Linda,

Thank you for your reply.

About "falling in love" there are no two ways about it, for the sake of a great portrait we must look at each sitter "individually". Facing a new challenge of "discovering" the person, his/her individual features and character, that's what I call "falling in love". Let's just look at the masters of the past. An old, unrefined outcast would be treated by the artist gently and with the same attention as a young and beautiful woman.

That you can see in the works of Kramskoy, Repin, and more recently Annigoni, and many, many others.

When people ask me, "Who do you prefer to paint -children, women, men?" I simply answer "I love people". When they ask me "what is your style?" I answer "That depends on the person". I wouldn't paint a little girl the same way as an 80 year old man, or the hands of a piano player and the hands of a truck driver. Each portrait will have an individual approach, where the compositions and even the brush strokes wouldn't be the same. We have to search inside the person, and the only way to do it successfully is to get fascinated by this person. I believe, that this is what makes us, the portrait artists, different from let's say "non-artistic" people, is the ability to see others with passion.

Very nicely put, Igor, and I agree with what you wrote.

Linda,

Thanks for your reply,
I can see that passion in your work.

Best,
Igor

Interesting concept and a question.
 

Recently a rash of family pictures and a self portrait have achieved some new recognition and self awareness. Sage advice had suggested the familiar and beloved might not be the best to practice with, as they can be very frustrating for the very reason you are suggesting to fall in love. The intimacy not realized can break a novice, but I belive when the basics are established you must understand, have interaction and portray that uniqueness of the individual.

The very best of my work, whether I actually do know them, are constantly discussed for their personality. That is not achieved by being aloof.