A likeness, why the difficulty?

[Chris Saper]

Hi Clayton,

I don't know I missed this thread!

I think all of the commments in this thread are very insightful, and the importance of subtlety in what comprises "likeness" is on the money.

I can speak from personal experience as I sat for one of Clayton's demos, and he carried on a conversation with me the WHOLE time, and kept me laughing. I kept thinking, doesn't he want me to try to stay STILL?!

Your daughter's portrait is gorgeousBTW!

[Clayton J. Beck III]

Hi Chris,
A lot of fun painting you. As you know, if I had asked you to 'sit still' then I never could have come up with the natural looking expression I think I captured.

I learned a long time ago that the likeness is less in measuring and more in arrangement. Many parts of the face are mobile and therefore unlikely to be measured well. Besides, if I want to do a still life, I'll set one up. The fun in painting is the relationship I have with my subject. Isn't that what it's all really supposed to be about anyway.

Thanks for contributing!
Clayton

[Thomasin Dewhurst]

Very lovely and energetic painting, Clayton. Wonderful composition and, again, great use of black in such a Franz Kline way. Splendid!