Portraits in Oil
We are all familiar with Leonardo Da Vinci’s portrait of the Mona Lisa and her enigmatic smile. Painted between 1503 and 1505, it has stood the test of time. Today our materials are even better, our colors richer and more permanent. Oil portrait paintings are forever. They are heirlooms to be passed down through generations.
As a portrait artist, I find that immortalizing someone in a painting is intellectually challenging and artistically fun. My subjects find it to be a relaxing break from their daily routines. We both enjoy ourselves as we create both a painting and a friendship. I love it.
All the portraits in this gallery I have painted in oils on canvas. Even the two that are monochromatic, George and Sam, are oil paintings. They are grisailles. A grisaille (/gri zai/) is a painting technique made popular during the Renaissance which consists of using shades of gray to create dramatic lighting and a pronounced sense of three dimensionality.