Category: Information

In all my years of studying art, I never paid much attention to Anthony Van Dyke. For years, I thought he was a cousin or a brother of Jan van Eyke who died in 1441. Anthony van Dyke was born on 22 March 1599 and he wasn’t Jan van Eyke’s cousin.  I grew a whole new appreciation for Anthony’s works when I visited The Frick Collection, located in New York City, in 2019.  

Artists will begin to see more than what we used to see after some months of training to become a draftsman. Perhaps, that’s what had happened to me on that fateful day. I remember that it was early Spring. It must have been late March or early April because I remember that people were still wearing winter clothes and the museum was a safe escape from the cold. I had gone to the museum to see a special painting exhibition of Giovanni Battista Moroni. 

There are many great paintings in museums around the world, and there are a number of famous paintings because of their historical value and all, but then there are some paintings that stand out to each artist. I have grown to admire a few artists and their paintings. And, I thought I would share them with you starting with this story.

New York City hosts a few paintings by Anthony Van Dyke. Here are 3 of my favorites. Click on the links to read more about them.  

• Lucas van Uffel – The Metropolitan Museum of Art 
• Portrait of Frans Snyders – Frick Collection
• Margareta de Vos – Frick Collection

In the spirit of educating a new generation of figurative painters, I will post a few easy to follow instructional content. If you are serious about learning, you should visit the nearest Ateliers, which have been springing up all over the world. In my mind, there should be more of these places.

If you are starting to paint human portraits or figure, you can purchase almost unreasonable number of oil paint. Well, you can, but I suggest starting with 2 basic colors: Ivory Black and Titanium White. With these two basic colors, your focus should be experimenting with the oil colors, thinner, and linseed oil. All these materials are listed below for your convenience.

Note: Instead of the Ivory Black, you can also use earth colors such as Burnt Umber or Burnt Sienna. The following is a sample underpainting.

Demo

One you have the basic material and a few brushes, you want to try drawing a face. Here is a quick oil painting demo on my Instagram Page. If you have questions, feel free to post your question as a comment.

Material Recommendation

• Titanium White without Zinc – (Williamsburg: PW6-Titanium White) – This pigment is considered completely non-toxic. Titanium became the most commonly used pigment since 1940s. Be mindful that this Winsor Newton Titanium White contains Zinc White, which has been known to be problematic in the recent years.

• Ivory Black (PBk9-Ivory Black: Lightfastness: Excellent) – Ivory Black is a misleading name since it’s no longer made using Ivory. The ones that are in the market is made from Animal Bones, and is referred to as Bone Black.

• Linseed Oil – Oil Holland Bleached Linseed oil. From all the linseed oil types I have used, I like this one the best.

• Gamsol -What is Gamsol? It’s almost an orderless solvent that replaced its hazardous cousins such as Turpentine. When starting to paint, you can use Gamsol to thin the oil paint, similar to how you would use water to think watercolors. This solvent, while it doesn’t smell as bad and advertised as being safer, you should take all the safety measures when using Gamsol.

Happy Painting!

Learning to paint for me started gradually when I arrived in New York City. The toughest part, I remember, was knowing where to go. Here are some good places that I know.

NYC Figurative Painting Academy, clubs, and Schools

The Art Students League of New York – Founded by Artists and Supporting Artists Since 1875: The League educates students in the language and process of making art in an environment where anyone who wishes to pursue an art education can realize his or her full potential. 

New York Academy of Art – The New York Academy of Art is a graduate school of fine art focused on progressive representational and figurative art

Spring Studio – Considered by many artists to be the best place to draw in New York City, Spring Studio is a professional art studio offering ongoing life drawing sessions 7 days a week.

The Society of Illustrators – Founded in 1901, the Society of Illustrators is the oldest nonprofit organization dedicated to the art of illustration in America. Notable Society members have been N.C. Wyeth, Rube Goldberg, and Norman Rockwell, among many others.

Salmagundi Art Club – Founded in 1871, the Salmagundi Club is one of the oldest art organizations in the United States. The Club offers programs including art classes, exhibitions, painting demonstrations, and art auctions throughout the year for members and the general public.

Art Terms

• Figurative Art – Description from Tate Museum
• Definition of Figurative Art from Wikipedia – Figurative art, sometimes written as figurativism, describes artwork (particularly paintings and sculptures) that is clearly derived from real object sources and so is, by definition, representational. The term is often in contrast to abstract art.

Oil Paint References

• Williamsburg Oil Colors
• Winsor & Newton Oil Colors
• Vasari Oil Colors
• Pigment Index
• Will Cadmium Always Be On The Palette?

Drawing References

• The Human Figure : Vanderpoel
• 3D Human Skeleton

Notable Art Links

• The Armory Show – Independent