Person of the Year

Nelson Mandela Pope Francis edward snowden

Pope Francis: The People's Pope

Time Magazine, Person of the Year

A lot of times before I start a painting, I see it finished in my head. With the Pope, I let it happen organically.

Sketch

My paintings tend to have a lot of detail, but don’t let that fool you—the details are only the final touches. The most important thing is the drawing, and once I have that to my satisfaction I focus on capturing light and establishing strong values. I create a limited palette and use only those colors for the duration of the painting.

Work in process

From there I just painted what I was feeling. I paint by stacking and layering my brushwork similar to sculpting with clay, but building form with values, structure and most importantly capturing light.

Work in process

Many artists can draw a decent likeness of a well-known face, but the challenge is to capture not just the likeness but the character of the person. Capturing this truth, or essence, is, for me, the most important factor in considering a portrait successful or not.

Work in process

Mixing color digitally is done basically the same way it is done traditionally, only easier and quicker. I enjoy finding a thumbprint on a painting or seeing loose hairs from a paintbrush entombed forever in the art. I purposely leave brush marks visible, knowing that as long as the lighting and values are correct, the painting will still have a very realistic look and quality alongside its traditional feel.