The Human Element

Due to the degree of realism in my work, it can be difficult to see the human element and what went into creating each piece. There is an assumption that because it looks real, it must be copied, but that isn’t the case for many artists. After being called a “human copy machine,” I decided to pull back the curtain and show my creative process. So this is my (maybe a little too) honest summary:

Step 1- Take 1000 photos to find that diamond in the rough.

To be frank, I am a TERRIBLE photographer (but then again, that could be because I use a flashlight for lighting and camera phone), but give me some time and I can luck into the perfect shot to use for a painting.

Step 2- Start in center for no other reason than oils take forever to dry, so this makes things easier.

Have you ever mopped a floor and trapped yourself in the center of the room? Yeah, I did that on my first oil painting. I had nowhere to rest my hand to keep steady. That is why I always start in the center.

Step 3- Make sure the colors work together.

Though I work one section at a time, I always go back to color correct. Paintings are always evolving so what seemed to work before, may no longer work as you get further along in the piece.

Step 4 and 5 - Cover the solid areas of the canvas to trick yourself into thinking you are a lot further along than you really are.

I call this “Stretching your legs.” Sometimes the details get a little too tedious and you feel like you aren’t progressing very fast, so you need to “stretch your legs” and cover some ground to get a small sense of accomplishment.

Step 6- Conveniently discover a better use for your makeup brushes to get that wispy look.

I use tiny paint brushes that are meant for detail work, but I use them on entire paintings. It creates a crispness to the lines which has become part of my individual style, but that technique wasn’t what I needed here, so I had to improvise. I needed a round, fluffy brush and makeup brushes were the perfect tool for the task.

Step 7- So close, yet so far. Rework and refine details.

This is the part I refer to as “getting stuck.” It’s when you spend more time tweaking and correcting what you’ve already done than progressing further on the painting. Spend too much time here and you’ll drive yourself crazy so set a goal, meet the goal, and move on.

Step 8- Congratulations, you left the hardest part for last! Now stay right here forever and pick at it.

I tell myself I won’t do this, but I still do it. Every. Time. Sometimes this means that I let the painting sit for a while until I get the nerve to take it on. This is when my mantra comes in: “Don’t eff it up, don’t eff it up, don’t eff it up…”

Step 9- One final, fine tuning. Sign your name twice because you misspelled it the first time. Aaaaand done!

Yeah, I can’t believe I did that, but hey I am only human.