Finished Work In Progress: Portrait in Memory of Scott Helvenston

Portrait in Memory of Scott Helvenston

Portrait of Scott Helvenston, Oil on Canvas, 12x16, Summer 2005
Scott Helvenston was one of the four contractors who were ambushed and killed in Fallujah, Iraq, March 31 2004. (click here to learn more).

With any portrait, it's important to have a focus before you begin. I felt it was important to make sure that this would be a portrait that could instill happy memories, and could transcend the memories ensued by March 31, 2004.

This was a commissioned portrait. I was given several different photos for ref erence, from which I pieced together the best captured expression, lighting, angle, etc. There are so many variables just in terms of getting a likeness in the physical sense, and then there are so many other aspects to take into consideration as well. I feel this changes with every portrait I do. This could really go in several directions, but in the case of this particular portrait, there were a couple main issues that came up while painting this that I thought I'd touch on because they are issues that come up occasionally with other things at different times as well.