Small Portraits Collection

Moon and Stars

Looking for reference photos for portraits, I try to select not just interesting faces but fresh perspectives.

I love the tight crop here that lends itself to more attention to the freckles and the eyes. It was hard not to go overboard and add a thousand freckles— and although sometimes that’s appropriate, I tried to give this composition a little more interest by focusing on just a sweep of color across a moon-shaped face.

8"x10" acrylic on hardboard

Silver Streaks

Was the first painting to start a consecutive 12-day portrait challenge.

Silver Streaks is perhaps something I aspire to but have yet to fully embrace. That is gorgeous aging that doesn't disguise those tell-tale traits that we often admire on others but frequently mask in ourselves. 
It's telling that it wasn't all that long ago the latest trend in hair dye was gray... but the very best colorists couldn't really capture the sheen and brilliance of a naturally derived silver.

Although here most of the silver reads as blue, this beauty is not afraid to show it.

8"x10" acrylic on hardboard

Overhead Perspective

They say that a true headshot needs a little something extra— a hand element. Have you heard this? Now whether or not that’s true is just a matter of opinion, but this one’s got that bit of Ça pourrait être une main.

In some cases that seems to be just the ticket to a new point of view.

8"x10" acrylic on hardboard