Portraits in the Audience

At the Portrait Society Conference, everyone is a model—wittingly or not—including a member of the audience near me.

This sketch uses a limited palette of gouache: Light Red by Shinhan Pass, and then the rest by M. Graham: Yellow Ochre, Ultramarine Blue, Ivory Black, and Titanium White. (Links take you to Amazon pages).

Sargent's Technique and Temperament

John Singer Sargent's grandnephew, Richard Ormond, speaks with veteran portrait painter Michael Shane Neal about Sargent's technique and temperament.

Michael Shane Neal and Richard Ormond, gouache

Here's an extended lecture by Richard Ormond about Sargent's work during World War I.
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Sketched live at the Portrait Society Conference in Washington, DC

Ormond has authored many books on Sargent, including John Singer Sargent: Figures and Landscapes 1908–1913: The Complete Paintings

Side by Side Demos

The Portrait Society Conference features many painting demos, where the artists paint models in oil during a 2-3 hour period, commenting as they go.

Daniel Gerhartz demo at the Portrait Society

Two cameras record the painting and the model, and project the images side by side, so you can really see what the artist is seeing. Here's a demo by Daniel Gerhartz.

Later, Jeff Hein painted Matteo Caloiaro.

Name Inflation

Hanging out with legends of the portrait painting tradition: Michael Shane Neal (standing) and Everett Raymond Kinstler.

This followed a presentation that discussed Howard Chandler Christy, James Montgomery Flagg, Charles Dana Gibson, and John Singer Sargent. Hmm, I think I need a third name.

Three-Hour Portrait

The opening event of the Portrait Society Conference is the Faceoff, where 15 artist paint from 5 models over a 3 hour period.

Joseph Daily by James Gurney

I had the pleasure of painting Joseph Daily, a portrait artist himself. I worked in oil, 12 x 16 inches.

It was fun to work next to another artist I admire, Mario Robinson, who recently published an excellent book on book on classical portrait painting in watercolor.

Business Breakfast

We're at the Portrait Society Conference in Washington, DC.

I paint two guys discussing business over breakfast. I using black and white gouache in a watercolor sketchbook. (Link to video on Facebook)