Contemporary Realism Portrait Painting Inspiration > Anna Toberman is an American portrait and figurative artist working in the Chicago area. She works in oils, charcoal and pastel mediums to achieve a creative vision that expresses accurate representation and a keen interest in the human condition and spiritual development, both in commissioned work and personal projects.
Anna is a signature artist of the National Oil & Acrylic Painters’ Society, and she has won several awards and honors in national and international exhibitions.
On the Portrait Painting “Light and Lace”
By Anna Toberman
I have collected antique clothing for many years because I love its intricacy, workmanship and design. I had an idea to feature some of these garments in my art work. My portrait painting “Light and Lace” originated from a photo shoot in my home.
The model is a family friend who is a fashion design student. She arrived for our session with a vintage wavy hairstyle, and I asked her to pose in some early 20th century garments. Late afternoon light streamed through my windows and illuminated the lace design of an 110-year-old blouse, the model’s glistening hair and her beautiful, expressive face. When all of these elements came together, I knew this would become a painting.
I worked on a lead-primed linen covered panel and drew the composition directly in oil paint from a photo reference. I don’t use solvents, but I paint in thin layers with a small amount of linseed oil based Oleogel. The details of the lace blouse included some translucent and small open areas that exposed flesh tone, and for those, I painted in warm white paint over a base of light brown. I used bristle brushes for the lace and the hair, and synthetic mongoose brushes for the softer areas in the face.
To check my drawing and values, I frequently by take in-progress photos with my phone that I can examine in grayscale and flipped to make sure I can see any errors.
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