Who's using acrylics?

I've given my students an assigmnent to copy a portrait. The original painting has to be in the same medium the student is using, and those working in acrylic are finding that oil portraits are much more easily found than those done in acrylic.

Let's see if we can find some talented/trained artists/illustrators who are using acrylic to paint portraits or faces. Comments welcome! Here's what I've found.

First a few of mine. These are all pretty quick demos and studies.

Jamesha

blue hair

James with squirrel

Sophie

Brooke

James

Orange

1. Satchel Paige by John Thompson. Beaut. In the Society of Illustrators 43rd annual this illustration's medium is listed as acrylic. I've left a message for JT asking about the other portraits on this page.
5/15 Update: He has another website, http://www.johnthompsonpaintings.com/?p=674 where the size and medium of each painting are mentioned. He said he does not use retardants or mediums except to alter the effect--not to extend open time.


2. James Ransome
is an illustrator who I believe works in acrylic (again, SI annual info).


3. Sebastian Kruger works in acrylic. Mostly celebrity portraits, and frequently shows a lovely balance of loose brushwork and tight finish. Here is a good blog post on his work.


4. Jody Hegwill:


5. Joe Sorren's work is more stylized than traditional portraiture; his handling of the medium is pretty spectacular and worth checking out.


6. Andrea Ventura's medium is "mixed" but I am guessing acrylic paint is a big part of it.


7. Here's one by A.F. Branco I found on artistdaily.com


8. Stephen Bennett! BIG acrylic portraits. This one is 80x64 inches. Here's his website, and here is an article about him with good images (easier than the website to look at).


9. Helen van Wyk wrote a book called "Acrylic Portrait Painting" which is available on Amazon. She's an excellent teacher.

A little watercolor.

5 New Portraits.

Shaffer Gallery opening March 1

 Bertha Station. 18x24.

 Cortona Nocturne. 16x16.

 Italian Summer. 22x28. SOLD

 Morning Quiet. 24x20.

 Pearl District Matrix. 18x24.

 The Pink Villa. 24x30.

 Portland Afternoon. 30x32.

 Solstice Crossing. 36x24.

 Sunlit Sidewalks. 18x14.

West Side Twilight. 24x30.

Baker & Spice Show

Hillsdale, January 9 - February 18

Hawthorne Bridge, 6x8" 

Crossing the Ross Island Bridge, 20x16"SOLD

Shown here is a small study for the large painting on display. 

The Art Studio (Eduardo)

Wilson/Rieke Hill, Moonrise. 6x8"

Morning Quiet (Broadway at Clay). (24x18)

Morrison Bridge. 6x8"

Sunlit Sidewalks. 18x14"

The Red Door (Kirbister Museum, Orkney). 16x20"

Train Tracks at SE Salmon. 12x16"

Two Trees at Sitka. 6x8"

Sophie. 14x11. SOLD

Sunday Morning (Starbucks, 2nd and SW Taylor). 36x36 SOLD

Ship on the Willamette. 20x16. SOLD

Multnomah Starbucks (shown in unfinished stage) 24x36

Corot Moment on Terwilliger. 6x8

The "Face to Face" show

Here's my painting. I had some photos to work from, but still have not met Jen in person. I do not know if this is a good portrait of her or not. I made a lot of changes from the photos.

William Shearer. Orkney.

When I was in Scotland last summer, Peter and I went to this shop for some provisions. Peter knew the proprietor, a descendant of the original shopkeeper, and when we saw him he had his arms full of colorful gardening gloves. They are the grass seed supplier to all of Orkney and Shetland.

He took us upstairs where they had bags of grass seed, including some from Oregon State!

Some lovely old biscuit tins on the shelf upstairs.
Mr. Shearer eventually asked me what I do in America (besides being an artist). "Color consulting," I said. He looked puzzled, so I said, "For example, say you wanted to repaint the front of your shop and you didn't know what color to use, I would choose colors for you."
"Funny you should say that," he said. They had just gone through the process of applying to improve an historic storefront, and needed new tile and paint colors picked out within a couple of days. Even when I am on vacation I can't turn down a good color project! P and I spent the afternoon getting samples and putting together a plan.

Samples. Green like the fresh-cut silage. Anthracite like the slabs of ancient rock on the Orkney shores. Blue-gray like the haze on a cabbage leaf. The light blue we didn't use.

After. In the office inside they have photos like this of the shop and employees dating back decades. I am so glad they kept the old lettering on the facade.

What a great memory. I hope I get to go back someday.