Most recently, Eric Fischl - one of the bad boys of contemporary figurative painting, has carved for himself a niche in the portrait arena. Like Lucian Freud his are straight forward painterly symbols - much more than they are portraits of the sitters. Though these portraits maintain a historic integrity they say much more about the viewer being voyeur, the sitter being victim and the painter being executioner. . . 03

A professional portrait painter may, in the process of creating a portrait, discover himself in the evolving portrait. But a portrait is only successful if the viewer of that portrait is so taken by the subject portrayed that the portraitist is no longer relevant to the experience. - 01

Being "interested" in portraiture is not enough. You have to take the time to analyze the hairs sprouting wildly from the ears of an old man and notice the number of wrinkles lighting up the face of a young child or the scrawny bone protuberances of an anorexic’s futile search for freedom beyond their greying skin. If you are not ready to paint “what is” or even less paint your expression of what is painfully known as reality then you are not ready for portraiture.. When the body of a dead man still makes you cringe and a baby’s bottom still makes you coo let's hope that dimples are not your favourite thing to paint. - 01

In the business of portraiture you must come to grips with the idea that 75% of your life is spent satisfying everyone else’s need to recognize the subject in a portrait. The rest of the time is spent hoping that this last 25% is enough time to make your portrait more than a snapshot. - 01

A physical likeness is never enough. A portrait should represent who the subject is in relation to the world which has spawned that individual. - 00

Group portraits are rarely successful because they are too often made up of individual figures who’s unique qualities fade into a fog inadvertently emanating from the most dominant person in that group. Like value systems, individual personalities, rarely overcome the overpowering personality characteristics of an aggressive individual who needs to dominate in order to survive. - 00

If you haven’t captured the personality of your portrait subject, getting a likeness is meaningless. - 00

The status of portrait painter has always been suspect. The genre is often considered a sub category of the lesser art of figure painting. Anti-portrait people “portray” this activity as “prostitutional”, i.e.: one which earns you money in exchange for services rendered. . . Basically, the efforts of a portrait painter put them in the category of a professional who actually has money in their pocket. . . the very problematic situation accusers secretly wish for themselves. Naturally, admitting to this would lose finger pointers the status of “whining struggling artist” - which they have put much effort into becoming. -99

Portraiture often demands being alone in one’s studio and actually producing results. In the world of those who would “be” artists, this infers that "work" is involved - and that, to some, is simply not acceptable . - 99

Critics of portraiture seem unaware that most painters of the past, portraitists as well as others, strived to become recognized working professionals. That a painter or sculptor would take the time and effort to apprentice, to practice, to work and to forge ahead toward a goal of self-sufficiency is an old concept -much older than the mid-nineteenth century practice of following whatever ism is “in” and whining the "starving artist" mantra rather than "wining" the celebration of success. - 99

A painter of people prefers to pass unnoticed; to be left alone to notice. - 99

I become completely absorbed with the incredible discovery that is the personality before me. - 98

Most portraits are horrendous, some are good, a few excellent. Fewer still ever reach the level of masterpiece. - 97

To paint a portrait is to present to the world the grandeur, the fallacy, the power, the weakness, the beauty, the ugly the incredible impossibility that we are. For this to ever come to pass, leave your studio and sit in a busy park for the next five years. For the first year observe and will yourself to see. If you can resist drawing during this time and, if after having survived this period of "lent", you still wish to or crave to or passionately cannot wait to beign to draw then begin the observation and eventual seeing of the human form as viable network of communicable parts of a mesmerizing whole. For the next four years and more, sketch, sketch and sketch even more. Once you have achieved this feat, you will be appropriately trained in the art of “learning to paint portraits”. For only then, will you now adapt your “unique” observations to the art of rendering the human form at its most incredible. . . the portrait. - 97

Though many request their portrait painted, few truly wish it done. What they crave is to have it look like a photograph, but . . . thinner. - 97

A portrait with neither likeness nor soul, isn't... - 96

Seeing likeness in a portrait is to recognize the craftsman in the artist. Finding soul, is to discover the artist... - 96

A portrait's breath should make you shiver, its eyes, shudder. . . - 96

A physical likeness is not enough in the painting of a portrait. A portrait should represent who the subject is in relation to the world from which, into which and out of which that life is molded and transformed. - 95

Most artists anxious to try portraiture... should follow their initial instincts: take two aspirins and forget it. - 95

Dignity, in all forms of humanity, as well as the ability to transcend the obvious and to convey the inner most soul of a subject is what ''matters". - 95

A good portrait results in the meeting of two souls; that of the subject and that of the viewer. Once the painter or sculptor has introduced the two, he or she should step back and intrude no more in that communion. - 86

To paint a portrait I must know of the gentleness of some, the suave elegance of others and the evil of again others - and yet remain separate from the emotional impact of all of them. - 83