5 Things I Learned From Meeting My Portrait Painting Hero

When your favourite teacher acknowledges that even at their experience level, they are ultimately still a student forever striving to be better, that to me, is wonderful encouragement for the rest of us on a different part of the artist's path.

For losing edges in portraits I recommend doing so in the features that move around like eyes (this also allows you to put a sweet sharp highlight into the eye which I love to do), and the mouth. When you make it sharp edged, it doesn't look alive because we have micro movements in mouths and eyes

As a guy that always wanted to paint, but never knew how, you give me hope!

Oh my gosh, I got so much out of this video, like you got out of your workshop. How nice it is to hear that at any level you still deal with the same things with commissions. Also, I loved the way you described how we should look at gestures of our subjects, which will capture the feel we want in a portrait. And, not focusing on wrinkles in a suit, but the important thing in a portrait. I could go on and on. Excellent video.

I'm always surprised when i don't see thousands and thousands of likes and comments in a day! You're still somehow a hidden gem of artistic knowledge 💎

Wow, that take about painting from photo is so dissuasive now, that I understand. Everything is crisp in a photo, as opposed to the real view, through our own eyes. I gotta take that into account. Thank you.

Great take. I feel like a lot of people(even myself) overlooks this. Getting into the culture and talking to even your peers is a great way to get a different perspective on things. I tend to get isolated painting so much. 😅

I thought it was ironic that you told the story about your teacher having gotten carried away with his model's sleeve, when you have that Sargent book in the background. As you know, one thought that dogged some of Sargent's paintings, including the one of the cover of the book is that he occasionally got more interested in the dress than the portrait. Lady Agnew is a case in point. The face is beautifully handled, but in some ways the dress is more of a focal point. Not only is it spectacularly painted, but there is a bit of a peep show going on, though I had to have that part pointed out to me in a video of a master copy. (Speaking of Sargent, he had the luxury of being with many of his models over long periods of time. And one can often tell just what he thought of them as people, while also what they thought of him. And the results are not always flattering to either. sargent paints a lot of his models with rather judging expressions, as befit their class, possibly.)

I just started oil painting today. You are a great teacher and I am trying to absorb as much as possible. Thank you for making this content!

Always look forward to your videos.

Great reflections and generosity of thought. Thanks so much, Chris!!!!!

Every time I watch your videos I am reminded that I need to practice more. Artists have the power to transform our experience in this life.

Thank you so much for sharing your experience. What a wonderful summary of such vital tips in portraiture. This is fantastic!

i just called my library and ask to buy it. Michael Shane's book "My Point of View" so more people can read his book!

Thanks for sharing Michael’s stories and these tips, good insights. That might be a goal for me next year, to get to an artist workshop. Sharing one of my own tips: I kept putting off one artist workshop I really wanted to attend until the guy finally just retired 😱 lol DON’T WAIT, these opportunities don’t last forever.

It was a pleasure to watch this story of your's Chris, thanks man.

What a great video... Thank you for sharing.

the best video ever, thank for sharing 🤗

Thank you coach

great video and instructions! thanks a lot!