Painting landscape has been a popular art form in many cultures for centuries. While most of us cannot afford original masterpieces, modern reproductions and print allow us to bring them into our homes.

Painters of Landscape

While few of us can afford paintings by the greatest landscape artists like Monet and Constable, reproductions give us an affordable access to their works to enhance our decorating schemes.

Amateur painters often chose landscape as a subject matter as they may not have access to decent studio space and therefore can more easily paint in situ. This was not always the case and the first Impressionist to take their easels outside were viewed as rather unconventional, as artists before them would have painted inside from memory or sketches.

Painting landscape is an art tradition common to many cultures, and it goes hand-in-hand with the popularity of the genre. This was especially the case in Japan, North America, the Netherlands, France and Great Britain until the latter part of the twentieth century as other forms of artistic representation, such as Surrealism and Cubism, for example, grabbed the artists and critics’ attention. Nowadays with the advent of video and installations landscape artists are becoming a rare, rather obsolete breed.

With all this being said, let’s note, however, that most people still rather like landscape paintings. They usually convey a sense of emotional connection to the subject matter, which does not necessarily occur when one looks at a portrait or still life. This is particularly the case when the painting in question reminds of times past.

A number of very famous landscape artists became well known for concentrating on specific areas. In some cases it could almost be tantamount to obsession if you consider that Paul Cézanne, for instance, painted around eighty versions of the Sainte-Victoire mountain located near his home in Provence, France. He wanted to represent it as it looked to him throughout the year, with different weather.

In the seventeen century Holland saw the first European painters representing seascapes, Vermeer and Rembrandt. Since this time there has been a noted recurrence of sky and water themes for some landscape painters, like for instance the well-known English artist JMW Turner. Turner was fist noted for his representations of the sea and skies in violent storm conditions. This said his later works point to the future development of abstract painting by blurring the previously clear line between the water and the sky. French artist Claude Monet’s developed his technique for painting landscapes involving water by doing so in close proximity to his subject matter, which would sometimes involve painting from a small boat. American painters Homer and Wyeth, both renowned landscape painters, were also noted for the admirable way they managed to represent the effect of light on water surfaces.

Portraits are photographs, sculptures, paintings or any artistic representation in which the person’s expression and face is predominant. Portraits display the intensity of the personality, likeness and the current mood of the person. A self-portrait is achieved when the artist creates or captures a portrait of her or himself. Some unidentified samples were believed to be during the middle Ages.

Portraits are photographs, sculptures, paintings or any artistic representation in which the person’s expression and face is predominant. Portraits display the intensity of the personality, likeness and the current mood of the person. Photography is not generally a snapshot. Rather, it is a composed image of someone in stillness or in a kind of still position.

Portraits almost, if not always, show the person that is looking directly at the photographer or painter. The reason why the subjects are often looking at the direction of the artists is to be able to engage the person or the so-called subject to the viewer or the audience successfully.

The earliest portraits recorded in history were “funeral portraits” and not the self-portraits of emperors and kings. The paintings came from Egypt and were the only paintings that survived from the Roman period aside from the frescos. The art of creating a portrait flourished during the time when the Romans started sculpting.

The sitters demanded for realistic portraits and even unflattering sculptures. In the 14th century, portraits had a draw back in favor of the idolized symbol of what the person would look like. True portraits with the superficial appearance of individual persons made a come back during the middle Ages in Europe, particularly in France and Burgundy.

One of the most famous and the best-known portrait in the world is the “Mona Lisa” by Leonardo da Vinci. The Mona Lisa is a painting or a portrait of an unknown woman. The man thing that brought intrigue to her portrait, is the way she smiles, grins or if she’s smiling at all. Studies show that she is a pregnant woman at that time. This is due to the wardrobe she’s wearing, which is indicated as a type of maternity dress before. Thus, these are still speculations that are yet to be proven.

Moreover, a local named Gerard Jourdy found the oldest known self-portrait in the year 2006. The portrait was found along Vilhonneur grotto near the Angoulene. The portrait is thought to be around 27 thousand years old.

Self-Portraits

A self-portrait is achieved when the artist creates or captures a portrait of her or himself. Some unidentified samples were believed to be during the middle Ages.

The portrait photography is a famous worldwide commercial industry. Many people are happy to have “professionally-made” family portraits in order to hang them inside their homes. This kind of photography is also intended for special occasions such as weddings, graduations and other certain events.

Hence, people had already created portraits even before photography was ever invented. In fact, the so-called “daguerrerotype” was popular during the 19th century because of the large demand for cheap portraiture. Several studios opened throughout the world in order to cater to the growing population and demand for such portraits and photographs. Thus, photographic techniques eventually developed throughout the passing years.

Portrait Painting

A portrait painting is a variety in painting. The painting’s intensity is to depict the appearance of a subject that can be a person or a thing. The inner essence of a subject is released when the artist executed the portrait very well. Thus, this is only about the physical likeness.

The Principles of Painting Portraits

Portraits are being painted for many various reasons. Most of the reasons are listed below.

• Painted portraits were created in order to preserve the individuality of somebody for the upcoming generations, particularly before the beginning of cinematography or photography.

• Portraits were created so as to recreate, in a modern setting, the customs of conventional portraiture.

• In order to extend or develop the essential painting skills.

• The artists create a faithful remembrance of somebody now absent or dead, as a type of souvenir.

• Portrait painting is done in order to make a written record of the artist’s reply to the living existence of the person.

• Portrait painting is done in order to achieve a resemblance of the sitter’s facial appearance.

• Painted portraits are made in order to represent the necessary nobility or dignity of the subject.

• Portrait painting is done so as to explore the character or innermost qualities of the sitter and for psychological purposes.

• Portrait painting is done in order to establish a community image. This is by highlighting the sitter’s condition, stylish looks, or individual behavior.