The Beauty Beyond Perfect: What Makes A Face Memorable?
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Hello Reader, This week I begin a new portrait painting course, and as I've been preparing lessons, I've found myself thinking about faces and what makes them memorable. There are formulas for drawing and painting portraits. Artists learn proportions, measuring techniques, and guidelines that help us place the eyes, nose, mouth, and ears in roughly the right locations. These "maps" are incredibly helpful. They give us a place to start and help us understand the landscape of the face. But the interesting thing is that the people we remember most often don't fit the formula perfectly. Think of Angelina Jolie's famously full lips, Julia Roberts' wide smile, Owen Wilson's distinctive nose, or Barbra Streisand's unmistakable profile. If every face fit the textbook ideal, many of the people we recognize instantly would look far less interesting. The map helps us understand what is typical. The art comes from seeing what is unique. As portrait artists, our goal isn't simply to paint eyes, noses, and mouths in the right places. Our goal is to look beyond the formula and discover what makes each individual who they are. What is the expression they wear when they're lost in thought? How does the light reveal their character? What feature catches your attention first? In many ways, portrait painting is an exercise in truly seeing another person. I think this applies to life as well. It's easy to compare ourselves to some imaginary standard and focus on the ways we don't measure up. Yet the very things we worry about are often the things that make us memorable, recognizable, and uniquely ourselves. The weathered saddle tells a richer story than the brand-new one. The old barn has more character than the freshly painted shed. And people are much the same. Perhaps beauty isn't found in perfection at all. Perhaps beauty is found in the stories written across our faces, in the things that make us different, and in the courage to be exactly who we are. Over the next five weeks, my portrait students and I will be exploring the map of the face, but we'll also be learning to look beyond it—to see the individuality, character, and humanity that make portraits come alive. And honestly, that's my favorite part. Follow along in my weekly newsletters to see what we create Here's to seeing the world with artist eyes, Leslie |
Watercolor 365
Hello Reader, Last week, I wrote about the faces we remember and how the features that make us unique are often the very things that deviate from the "ideal." This week, my portrait students and I are painting a young girl. At first glance, you might think a young face would be easier to paint. After all, there are no deep wrinkles, laugh lines, weathered skin, or years of life etched into the face. The skin is smooth. The transitions are soft. The features are delicate. But in many ways,...
Hello Reader, I've spent the last few days settling back into my cabin in Northeast Washington for the summer. After a busy year of travel, teaching, exhibitions, and deadlines, it feels good to once again be surrounded by the forests, mountains, and water that inspire so much of my work. Yesterday I was finally able to sit down and paint. As I watched the light move across the landscape outside my window, I was reminded of a question I hear often from artists: Why do some landscapes seem to...
Dear Reader, Summer is one of my favorite times to paint. The light seems to linger a little longer, colors feel richer, and there is something about slowing down and stepping outside that helps us notice the beauty around us. I'm excited to share my upcoming summer watercolor offerings! Whether you're interested in learning to create expressive portraits, glowing landscapes, or strengthening the foundations that make paintings successful, there is something for every stage of your watercolor...