Photorealism

"A style of painting flourishing in the 1970s, especially in the U.S., England, and France, depicting commonplace scenes or ordinary people, with a meticulously detailed realism, flat images, and barely discernible brushwork that suggests and often is based on or incorporates an actual photograph."
- Dictionary.com

This is a picture of the original painting I just finished featuring the band Rush.

This is the composition I put together with photographs to

show the customer what the painting would look like.

Photorealism though tedious, has its rewards.  There is no better feeling of accomplishment than finishing a painting, taking a step back, and having it look exactly like the photo in my hand. 

This style has been a natural progression for me since I was a young artist (age 8).  I remember my mother trying to teach me how to draw from my head but I would get frustrated when the pictures didn't turn out the way I wanted them.  When I close my eyes and imagine a chicken I can see every feather and detail on that bird.  When I open my eyes and begin to draw the detail fades and my hands seem to stop communicating with my brain! Oh the frustration.

I soon learned how much easier it was to use a reference image to get the results I wanted.  After my passion for photography grew, so did my skill with the brush.  A development that has taken place over the past 15 years with a lot of focus, determination, and rigorous work. 

The painting above was commissioned by a customer as a surprise for her husband's birthday.  He is a  dedicated fan of the band Rush so I included a black and white image that I felt was very symbolic of the band and their musical legacy.  Along the bottom I included all of the the band's CD covers.