Chairman’s Letter
The primary purpose of the Portrait Society is to find and maintain open pathways of communication from artists to artists. We all know how isolating the creative life can be, so by banding together and sharing our ideas, thoughts and experiences, we all benefit and can grow.
Naturally, our four-day international conference event, The Art of the Portrait, is central to this mission and through the years, I have witnessed our individual islands of separation merge into a strong and mutually supportive family. However, during this present COVID-19 health crisis, we have had to delay our meeting until late August. So, in this time of social distancing, let’s look back at a few artist/members’ tips that were shared this year in the “Inside the Studio” section of our Facebook pages.
Chairman’s Letter
shares her tips with us on She says, “Lace is such a joy to paint. When painting intricate fabric, you must get out of your own way and just remember
Michael Shane Neal in his studio. to paint what you see. Abstracting it makes it less overwhelming. I always paint the skin first and then the lace to make sure that the skin is even in color as well as the form of the figure underneath being convincing with the lights and darks. Then I paint with thick paint for the lace to make it more sculptural on top of the skin. I use several different light shades within white lace and only use white at the end for little pops of highlights throughout.”
Having worked as an artist for over 30 years, Michael Shane Neal recently found a great solution for delivery of largescale paintings. “In looking for something a bit nicer and reusable than a number of other throwaway paper or plastic options, I found a great solution to wrapping up a large painting for hand delivery,” he shares. “These great industrial laundry bags can be found on Amazon for about $15 USD. I’ve used it twice, and it’s great! It has a drawstring at the top and should last a long while.”
Recycling materials has become a large part of our daily lives and has a studio tip on “Hate that sludgy mess your mineral spirits turns into
Adam Clague shows how he layers gloves for cold weather outdoor painting.
make it extra challenging to paint outdoors, winter gloves give much-needed warmth, but their bulkiness can hinder the dexterity you need to handle a brush. I use multiple layers that give warmth while also providing good control of my brush,” he says. “The first layer is a nitrile glove, which acts like another layer of skin. The second layer is a fingerless wool glove. The final layer is a thick wool sock. I poke my brush handle through the sock. The only thing between my fingers and the brush is the nitrile glove, so I have good control while the multiple layers keep my hand toasty warm.”
I have used this method for years very successfully and describes it well. “When I am finished painting for the day, I store my (with gratitude for my accommodating wife). The leftover piles of paint do not freeze, but the cold slows down the drying so that they stay fresh much longer,” Daily explains. “Over time, this saves me from wasting a lot of expensive paint. In the morning, I take the palette out of the freezer about an hour before painting.”
A process I have been using for years is the incorporation of a when I paint because I am able to put a mid-tone value paper underneath the glass. I then hang a drape behind the model with the same mid-tone value as well as toning my canvas with the same value. This way when I see a color on the model, I can judge it against the same toned background and match it on my palette.
New ideas bring better results and lift the spirits. I hope you can see the benefits of joining our family, and if you haven’t already, there is always room for more, visit www.portraitsociety.org.
And one more thought, I believe creating fine art is one of the most important and “essential” tasks a person can undertake, it not only enriches and stimulates our culture at large but it reveals a steadfast faith in our collective future. So even in this disrupted social time, we can make a difference.
Edward Jonas, Chairman