Moria start to finish

Marvin Mattelson · 09-30-2004, 10:42 PM

On my website I just posted a 36 step progression of the portrait painting I demonstrated during my two week workshop in Atlanta this past August.

You can see that as the painting of Moria develops, it goes from general to specific. I feel this time honored approach of working large to small creates a genuine sense of aliveness and immediacy in paintings.

Working from life provides an artist with the opportunity to try to catch lightning in a bottle. It's never not thrilling.

Illustrated below are examples of the beginning and the end. Here's the link to view the whole enchilada: http://www.fineartportrait.com/workshop_demo_2.html

Jimmie Arroyo · 10-01-2004, 01:13 AM

Marvin, thank you very much for the time taken to put this together. While I was going thru the pics, I thought, "It doesn't need more than this", then you put more time into it, and it looks so much better for it.

It is greatly, greatly appreciated.

p.s. I didn't hit the mega-millions this Tuesday, so I won't be able to take your class, hopefully one day.

Linda Brandon · 10-01-2004, 11:47 AM

This is one of my favorite paintings of yours, Marvin, and I'm really looking forward to seeing this develop step by step on your website.

I'm glad you mentioned the thrill of painting from life. It is one of the most potent endorphin-producing activities available to humankind. It is a highly addicting activity with long-range benefits as well.

If those of us who do this a lot keep mentioning this fact - "painting from life can make you happy" - to other artists, we will see a lot more good painting from life and less copying from bad photographs.

Namaste,
Linda

Patricia Joyce · 10-01-2004, 02:59 PM

Marvin,

This is really fun for me to study. I have printed all your progressive images from your website and keep looking at them. To a beginner like myself it is good to see how the "drawing" does evolve and how "easy" it is to rework edges, etc. The whole process is so fascinating. I am soaking up everything at my painting class but can't wait to attend your workshop in January!! I am VERY excited

Linda,

I would love to experience the rush of painting or drawing from life. I am having withdrawals because the CIA cancelled their life drawing classes in the evening. Do you think in all of Cleveland I could find a group of artists who get together and work from life??? So discouraging...

After the first of the year I may try to organize something myself.

Thanks again, Marvin for taking the time out of your busy schedule to share this process with us and with all who view your website. It is invaluable to us

Linda Brandon · 10-01-2004, 05:54 PM

Hi Pat,

Don't wait to form a group. Get a model, put her/him on a podium in a room with a single light source, and get started. Personally, I have decided to bite the bullet and pay for a model to come for two hours a week. The benefit of not having other artists around include my total control of the situation, and when I say, "rotate your head to the left a bit", danged if the model doesn't go and do that. Power! Control! On the other hand, you can't blame another artist for taking the best spot.

You may be very lucky and have relatives or friends who will sit for free. I am budgeting for my modelsbecause I feel it's very important to do this.

It took me a long time to feel good about painting from life, just because I was so bad at it at first, and I would go home and hit my head against the wall. When things go well, it is tremendously exciting to see a recognizable head developing on the canvas. It absolutely knocks your socks off. It's a little like seeing your newborn child for the first time. "Oh! So that's what you look like! I've waited so long..."

Marvin, meanwhile, probably skipped the head-banging stage and went right to the endorphins.

Marvin Mattelson · 10-01-2004, 09:58 PM

Jimmy, you really hit the nail on the head. During the workshop my students would say, "What else could you possibly do to it to make it better?" For me, the process takes on a life of it's own and the painting keeps coming to life more. If only there was just one more pose!

Pat, I'll bring this painting with me to Atlanta in January. I think you'll be very surprised to see the extent of the subtle nuances that photography just can't capture. Everyone who sees my originals comments on how much better the actual paintings look.

Linda, I thought it was banging my head that caused all those endorphins.

Patricia Joyce · 10-01-2004, 11:55 PM

I can't wait, Marvin! Already have my flight booked! This required breaking my piggy bank, but heck, I can't think of a better way to spend my money right now!

Linda, I do have a niece who has volunteered. I think I will try it with her a few times and see how it goes. She is 13 and adorable!! And she has girlfriends who might love the idea of "modeling" for an artist!!! Their moms and dads might get some nice drawings too!! I love the portrait drawing from life I did in classes last year. But come to think of it, having just you and the model would be great! I'll let you know what I do. I have allot of drawing to do before January, just to be able to have my sketchbook and pencils out while Marvin's class paints!!!

Jimmie, I'm disappointed tohear you won't be in Atlanta in January. Maybe his next workshop.

Marvin Mattelson · 10-04-2004, 10:09 PM

Thanks for the kind words Sharon.

For me the process of painting from life is a continuum of approximated statements followed by smaller and smaller route corrections. Errors errors, everywhere, to be negotiated. Everything is always changing, so in order to succeed the larger truths must be discovered, first and foremost. Huge rewards await those who can successful negotiate the twists and turns. I agree that far too many portrait painters are way too willing to settle for the nitpicked accuracies. That's all that photos can offer. The challenge of working from photos is to not settle, but strive to bring the type of awareness one is privy to when painting from life. Experience from life painting is the only way.

Rob Sullivan · 10-21-2004, 11:25 AM

Thanks for taking the time to put this comprehensive step-by-step together. It is a fantastic teaching tool, to be sure.

If you don't mind, I'm going to recommend this link to my students. Not only will it be invaluable for them to see your process, it may actually give me a little more credibility as their teacher, being a former student of yours (okay, I'm joking about the latter.... a little).

Wonderful job, sir.

Rob

Ngaire Winwood · 10-21-2004, 07:47 PM

Dear Marvin

As a student, I couldn't think of a better way to show the steps of painting a portrait especially, when we live oceans apart from each other.

Your generosity in placing these steps here and on your web page is such a great mentoring and educational benefit to students like myself, that I wished I had a printer so I could put them on the wall to study.

I truly thank you for this pleasure and education.