Blog

One of the things I’m working on right now is to paint with more impact. If artists are like filmmakers, then our models are the actors. An accomplished actor is trained to use his or her facial expressions to help carry the story. Our models may not have that skill and under any circumstance couldn’t hold a convincing expression for two or three hours. However we artists can learn the anatomy that produces those expressions.

One of my mentors once told me “attack your weakness.”  As part of that effort, I got a copy of Gary Faigin’s book, The Artist’s Complete Guide to Facial Expressions, and spent six months copying the illustrations (complete with anatomical notes) into my sketchbook. This exercise has proven invaluable in learning to understand and capture the fleeting expressions that cross a model’s face. I try to share some of those insights with students. NOTE: there’s still room in my September workshops.

Here’s a recent painting inspired by news of the persecution of Christians in North Africa. I “modified” the model to give her the brow of distress. 

"Persecuted" Pastel