Portraits by Brushstokes

[Michele Rushworth]

This sounds like one of those ubiquitous Chinese-painted portrait websites that are cropping up all over the internet. There's also a sign at one of our local frame shops advertising this sort of thing, too.

It's my understanding that they're really paintings and really are hand done on canvas. The images are emailed to China and are painted by any one of a bunch of artists sitting in a long row in an assembly-line-like setting.

I don't know anyone who's ever tried it, to see what the quality looks like of the actual commissioned pieces. Might be worth it for the price to commission one and see how they actually turn out.

[Garth Herrick]

Sharon,

I get it that the sample above is painted by skilled artisans on an assembly line. It would be interesting to see the reference photo to check the drawing fidelity, etc. Overall it looks very skilled, technically. the transitions, hues, values and edge control are quite something. I am wondering about the likeness in the eyes and mouth. As a forever image on the wall, that smile and look would bother me.

But, is the BrushStrokes portrait sample really paint or a digital creation?

A good friend in Colorado, I roomed two years ago with at the PSOA Conference, Russ Steuber, is a master at "painting" digitally from a photograph resource. The brushwork looks strangely similar to that in the BrushStrokes sample when viewed as close as they will let you see it. I did a few screen shots of the sample, and cropped a few of Russ' biker painting (to be followed in the next response).

Look close and tell me what you think. Are the sample blow ups actually paint or sophisticated digital paint software. You may notice that the paint is quite smooth with zero canvas or support texture, nor any 3-D texture, as advertized! I suspect it's just digital and no paint in this case, which may be deceptive advertising.

Garth

[Garth Herrick]

Here's some samples of my friend Russ' painting, which is purely digital and a manipulated photograph. I love what he does!

Garth

[Michele Rushworth]

While some of these might not be real "paintings" as we think of them, a lot of them really are.

The general feeling among the portrait people I've talked to is that this type of work will take a lot of the business at the very low end of the marketplace but will not affect the high end (we hope!) As I said to Gordon Wetmore at dinner at the PSA conference when we were discussing this very question, "Increased sales of Volkswagens won't affect sales of Mercedes Benzes!"

There is a value in having a personal relationship with an artist that can develop the concept and pose along with the client.

How many of the judges you've done, Garth, would go for this type of solution? My guess is none.

[Garth Herrick]

Originally Posted by Sharon Knettell

Garth,

The picture that I cropped had the actual canvas texture. It was a higher resolution picture than the compressed one I showed.

I will attach some close-ups later.

The lower priced level is usually where portrait artists unfortunately start out at.

But Sharon, do agree with me there is no "canvas" evident in the cute boy and girl sample above? In this case I contend, it's just smooth digital paint.

Gosh, for $620.00 I could copy Apotheoun full size! Should I go for it?

Garth

[Allan Rahbek]

Originally Posted by Garth Herrick

But, is the BrushStrokes portrait sample really paint or a digital creation?
Garth

It looks like this is a photo, printed on a canvas, that has been treated with brush and oil paint in the larger areas, leaving the small details almost untouched. Notice how the white background is painted around the shapes but never into the hair.

[Mischa Milosevic]

Sharon are you saying that photo copyists, living in the west, Europe, must lower their prices and or join Art Royale? Or are you saying that the photo copyists are overpriced?

I seem to recall someone saying that the true artists of today when competing in portrait competition should compete by on the spot from life portraits. Is there someone knocking at the door?

It is my honest belief that if an artist knows his/her craft and can prove this, by painting from a life setting, that artist has nothing to fret about. A master artist has/is worth his/her weight in gold.

Whether an artist is charging extreme prices by copying a photo is the case in question here. One must be careful what one decides. I think the gravy train is soon to end and how will one prepare is another question.

[Garth Herrick]

I met Yuqi Wang this past weekend at the PSOA conference. He is friendly and unassuming, and took an interest in discussing Marina Dieul's drawings (and even mine). I even bought his substantial retrospective monograph book right out of his hotel room.

He talked at length of the rigorous training artists go through in China. To say the least this benefit is more than evident in his own work.

So looking at these Chinese photocopied portrait examples, we can also see it is self-evident these artists have immense technical skills and training. It is a shame they cannot develop a voice here beyond copying photographs. They might all become beacons like Yuqi Wang.

Yuqi sounds pronounced as "you-chee", by the way. I am glad to have met him!

Garth

[Garth Herrick]

Originally Posted by Sharon Knettell

Garth,

Can you describe, the training he had and how long it took in as much detail as you can remember. I would love to know. Did they do Bargues, fabric studies, casts, figure studies?

Well all I really remember as an impression is they do at least a year of rigorous cast drawing studies, at the threat of a wip, before they are elegible to learn color and classical painting techniques with equal intensity and harsh critiques.

I don't know if I heard this correctly, but I would not be surprised. My Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts seemed half as rigourous at the time I attended, so in a way I could relate to what he was telling me.

Garth

[Allan Rahbek]

Originally Posted by Sharon Knettell

I called the company and they said they were hand painted in oils, not a digital print. ".

This is an extract from the "Brushstrokes" site.

"The Making of a Brushstrokes