Big Self-Portrait, 1967-68.

This is an acrylic on canvas self portrait of Chuck Close by Chuck Close. His style of realistic paintings portray a wide variety of subjects including friends, family, fellow artists, and himself. This one in particular is one of his first self portraits. I chose this one because I was intrigued by his cigarette, bold black frames, mustache, and unique facial features. This portrait would pass as an actual photograph.

Jon, 2004

This piece was created by Dryden Goodwin. Jon is a watercolour made from a photograph. I chose this piece because of its simplicity and composition. The image doesn't contain many components or distractions. All that the viewer is given is a completely blank background and a subject who isn't fully colored in. What the artist intends us to automatically experience is a look into a man's emotions.  The image reflects the subjects anxiety in his unknown situation. Overall, this is a piece that can truly make me feel jealous over the artist's artistic ability.

Alfred Brendel, 2005

This is a portrait of Alfred Brendel by Tony Bevan. The artist purposely tries to force our eyes into focusing on Alfred's face and only his face. The red lines that appear on Alfred map out his unique facial features. The bold area at the bottom of the portrait serves to intensify the presence of the subject. Overall, this is a memorable piece and it teaches us ways to capture the attention of the viewer.

"Thomas Ades" by Philip Hale 2002

This is a portrait of "Thomas Ades," by Philip Hale created in 2002. I chose this piece as soon as I saw it mainly because I was bothered by it. The way Ades poses is unique and unconventional because of how odd his fingers and feet are positioned. I can’t help but think that this guy has no control over his body. The glass of water sitting close to the edge of the translucent table kept teasing me every moment I stared at it. I kept visualizing in my head of the glass falling off the table and shattering all over the floor. I couldn’t even read this man's facial expression. Is he sad? Is he tired? Who knows... but for the most part, this painting looks extremely realistic. At first, I thought it was an actual photograph of Thomas Ades, but it turns out to be an “oil on canvas” painting.