Skip's
Portraits
oil and pencil portraits from
photographs and attachments
| Home | Oil Portraits | Pencil Portraits | Photographs |
welcome
As a kid, I
was always the one in class who was chosen to do
artwork. I made signs, drew maps, and whenever
the teacher wasn't looking, chalked out my own
version of the comic strip "Pogo" on
the blackboard. I grew up to be a house painter,
with no formal training in art, but artwork is
still something I enjoy doing. I never thought I
would end up as a part-time portrait artist, or
doing oil portraits, or pencil sketches, but that
is how things evolved. It fit in well with my
love of photography, and was a natural step up
from taking photos of all of the pets and kids in
my life. I've included a small collection of
photographs on this site, but also have a
separate photo gallery at the link below for
betterphoto.com. The technology of the computer
has allowed me to do a portrait from photos sent
to me as attachments, and in return, my customers
can see the progress of the painting with photos
sent back from me. I can be reached at any of the
links below for e-mail, phone, or text messages.
Last updated: 9-6-08
oil
portraits
Titles
highlighted in blue are linked to larger images.
This
portrait of my daughter Julie is the only
original I have in my "private
collection." I keep it hanging at home, and
occasionally, someone new will visit and think it
is a photograph. It's a nice compliment. There
are some artists who actually superimpose a photo
on canvas, and paint over it, adding layers of
color and making it appear as a painting, but I
can't see the pleasure in that. By painting a
portrait from scratch, and going through the
effort of drawing in all the details before
painting, the finished product may not look
exactly like the photo, but if it captures the
essence of the person, I think it adds another
dimension not possible in photography. To see
more oil portraits, please click on the link for Oil Portraits.
pencil
portraits
Portrait of a Setter
|
Raymond
|
Portrait of a Cat
|
Every
good artist has a good eraser.
I
enjoy working with pencils as much as I do
paints, and pencil portraits are fun to do. They
make an inexpensive and unique gift, and since they don't
involve paints, I can work anywhere. I will be
adding more samples at the link for Pencil
Portraits.
photographs
Rainbow's End
I
began taking pictures as far back as I can
remember. My father taught me how to use a 4x5
Speed Graphic camera (the same kind depicted as
the logo of the New York Daily News), and built a
darkroom in the basement where we developed our
own black and whites. In the years since then, I
have taken thousands of photos. My favorite
subjects include the New York City skyline,
flowers, and colorful outdoor scenes. Sometimes,
I get lucky and find myself in the right spot at
the right time. The photo above was taken at the
Jersey shore, August, 2008, and captured one of
those moments. Click on the title for a larger
view, and a closer look at "The Rainbow's
End."
Site
links:
Oil Portraits
Pencil Portraits
Photographs
Home
E-mail Skip
(201) 406-3933
Skip's
other sites:
www.skipvanlenten.com
Skip has
written a number of stories about growing up in
New jersey in the 50's, most of which have been
published in the Our Town newspaper. You can find
a handful of them at skipvanlenten.com.
www.skipspainting.com
If you live
in the area of Bergen County, NJ, and need a
painter, you can reach Skip by e-mail. or by
calling (201) 406-3933. Member: Bergen County
Mastercraftsman Paint and Paper Association. He
specializes in interior painting and paper
hanging, with over 25 years of experience.
www.worldwidejam.com
Another
writing project of sorts, going back to the days
when we listened to music on 45's and LP's, and
looking forward to what might lie ahead for
musicians in the future.
www.betterphoto.com
Betterphoto.com
is an interesting site for anyone who likes
photography. It is a series of galleries from
different photographers, with a lot of
information and tips, and an opportunity to
comment on the photos. This link will take you to
Skip's gallery, which features some of his newer
photos. To return to Skip's Portraits, please
click the "Back" button on your
browser.
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