Inspiration by artists such as Chuck Close, Robert Vickrey and Gottfried Helnwein have influenced my own style of painting. The knowledge gained from these artists is in response to their approach to composition, color and process. Some paintings focus on filling the composition with the head while using simple colors in the backgrounds that create a specific feeling for the piece. In others, a scene that further tells the story of the sitter. Chuck Close chose to paint by working his way down the canvas, fully rendering areas as he went. This is also the same manner in which I paint so to find another artist who worked this way further validated my work. Helnwein uses color to help convey more solemn moods within his work. This proves how color can help dictate the feel and mood of a piece which is something I considered in my own work. Vickrey’s style is referred to as “magical realism” because of how dynamic and whimsical his work is while still maintaining precision. This can compare to my own work because I purposely over saturate colors to further enhance particular features of the face, almost to make them come to life. The focus of my work is to display an individual’s personality. This is exhibited by painting distinct mannerisms, expressions and characteristics. Studying the history of portraiture, I discovered painters would also examine the sitter’s inner stares and moral attitudes. These aspects helped to showcase the uniqueness of the sitter which I found relevant today in my own work.
