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Talking Models

Talking Models

The biggest thing art schools get wrong

James Gurney's avatar
James Gurney
Feb 18, 2025
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It has become the common practice in art schools and ateliers to have the model hold as still as possible for a portrait study.

While it may seem easier to paint someone who is holding still, the resulting likeness lacks animation and personality. Portraits painted from expressionless models on the verge of sleep look inert and lifeless, no matter how mu…

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