Portrait Painter Yair Shoshani: The Key to the Resemblance Is In the Small Details
The portrait, in Latin ‘retractu’, is a painting or effigy mainly of a person. In art, a portrait is the representation of the human figure, mainly the face. It is three-dimensional when it is a sculpture, or two-dimensional if it is a drawing, painting or photography. In the portrait, the predominant elements are the face and its expression. Also, the portraits may even show the physiognomy, personality and even the person’s state of mind.
Here, portrait painter Yair Shoshani, will share the secret of achieving resemblance in portrait painting.
The key to the resemblance is in the small details
“If you want to achieve the resemblance in your portraits, then you have to know that the secret is in the details”, indicates Yair Shoshani.
The painter argues that in every portrait you must look for the characteristic features of the model and highlight them. However, he suggests that you should not expose them in excess. If you give a greater accent on the characteristic features of a model, you will achieve a caricature, not a portrait.
Shoshani maintains that if you can manage to faithfully identify and reproduce the basic elements of the face, such as eyes, eyebrows, nose, and mouth, you will be able to capture the soul of the portrayed person.
In order to achieve this, the key is to focus on the details of each of these important features of the face and obtain a result that is as similar as possible.
From Shoshani’s articles about portrait art, we shared the paragraphs which explain how to pay attention to these important elements in order to ensure the greatest resemblance:
• Eyebrows: You must pay attention to the angle that the eyebrow forms, as well as its dimension with respect to the size of the eye.
• Eyes: Shoshani claims that the eyes make 70% of the resemblance in the portrait. So, you must pay attention to the shape of the eyes, the formology, basic lines of the eyelids, ends of the eye, and the iris.
• Nose: Shoshani shares that the lights and shadows of the nose (the volumes) are the key. The painter indicates that you should pay attention to the direction of each line that makes up the nose and its relationship between the eyes.
• Mouth: The shape of the corners and their location with respect to the parting line of the lips are the two most important details you must take care of.
About Yair Shoshani
Prominent portrait painter from Santa Monica, California, Yair Shoshani, takes pride in creating portraits of both, adults and children of any age by taking the best out of each portrayed person and capturing it on canvas with great tenderness.
By using watercolor as his main painting method, the subjects of his portrait paintings appear to be lost in their own thoughts.
Among Yair Shoshani’s other watercolors, which are not portraits, those dedicated to water are which stand out the most. These are paintings in which human figures are immersed in the water, swimming, resting, and enjoying a placid dip. A realistic work, in which he manages to capture the movement of water with great precision. A work in which this artist shows the control he has of this technique.
Inspired by the artworks in his grandfather’s collection, Shoshani creates artworks since the early age of 14. He holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in History of Arts from The Art Insitute of California.
