As I continue painting the portraits I have discovered the most relaxed approach to the painting process. This is John Roach, he's a US Navy veteran who served three tours of duty in Vietnam. John was raised in military family so we had a lot to talk about before the portrait began. As you can see from the photos I have posted, John is a direct individual. His direct gaze was something that I wanted to capture in the painting. The next step in the painting process will be to loosely lay in the jacket, shirt and tie. I don't draw on the canvas before painting, instead I proceed directly with the oil on canvas. I find this brings a direct and fresh approach that is reflected in the power of the finished painting. I will post the progress of John's portrait as it develops. By the way John is the 19th veteran in the "Portrait of American Veterans Project". Also I always paint the glasses after the portrait is almost complete, so check back and see how John looks with his glasses. I will contact the 20th veteran soon and schedule his portrait session.
