“Self Portrait” (2025). Louis Cooper. Oil on wood panel. 20″x16″ Working on achieving a likeness and realism, but with a more chromatic palette. “Self Portrait” (2025). Louis Cooper. Oil on wood panel. 20″x16″
“Self Portrait” (2025). Louis Cooper. Oil on wood panel. 20″x16″ Another quick self-portrait, on wood panel. Sketch in graphite and background painted on Day One. Portrait painted on Day Two. Total painting time five or six hours. I’ve been watching Sky Art’s “Portrait Painter of the Year.” Inspired by how those artists create their portraits in four hours, I’m trying to work quickly. This of course...
“Self Portrait” (2025). Louis Cooper. Oil on wood panel. 20″x16″ Self portrait on cradled wood panel (ran out of canvases). It’s different painting on panel. Less “tooth” and less absorbent. So the paint slides around a bit instead of sinking in. This makes it harder initially; but as the painting progresses, additional layers adhere well to bottom layers. This painting, however, was not painted in multiple...
Susan” (2025). Louis Cooper. Oil on canvas. 24″x24″ A quick two session sketch in oils. Still working from graphite to darks, to midtones, to highlights. More or less a direct painting style with some additional glazing. Need to work on increasing chiaroscuro and expanding my palette. My direct paintings risk appearing a bit two-dimensional (Susan would say “cartoon-like.”) Perhaps that’s a function of the speed with...
“Sleepy” (2025). Louis Cooper. Oil on canvas. 24″x24″ Working on less traditional portrait poses and developing my backgrounds. I continue to work quickly (and impatiently) typically finishing a painting in a matter of hours and just a few sittings. At some point I need to learn to take the time to really “lick down” the important areas of the portrait. Right now, all of it is expressive with visible brush strokes and...
“Thinking” (2025). Louis Cooper. Oil on canvas. 24″x24″ I haven’t created the right set up to properly photograph my paintings, especially the finished ones. They are consistently low quality, with reflections and speckles, which I try to clean up using a noise reduction filter but, invariably, I lose a lot of the detail — subtle colors and reflections. Anyway, here’s my latest portrait of Susan. She was...
“Miss Demeanor” (2025). Louis Cooper. Oil on canvas. 36″x24″ A rather impatient “sketch in oil” of Susan. Impressionistic dress and hair. Not enough attention to detail in facial expression. I think the initial drawing was better than the painting. Glazes applied quickly and without giving enough attention to preserving the detail or values of the drawing. The end result is not perfect, but I’m not in the...
Art for Art's Sake
Self Taught, I am nobody .... nobody's perfect
“Fish Hat” (2013). Louis Cooper. Oil on Canvas. 20″ x 16″ inspired by the Afarin Sajedi self portrait Self Portrait (2009-2011). Afarin Sajedi http://afarinsajedi.com/
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“Very Special Zu” (2013). Louis Cooper. Oil on Canvas. 20″ x 16″ inspired (copied) from the Brooks drawing (with Suzy’s face of course) “The Very Special Sister of Mary” (2005). Scott G. Brooks. Mixed Media on Paper. 13″ x 10″ www.scottgbrooks.com
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“Suzy on Fifth Avenue” (2013). Louis Cooper. Oil on Canvas. 20″ x 16″
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“Contessa Zu” (2012). Louis Cooper. Oil on Canvas. 20″ x 16″. inspired by the portrait by Boticelli “Simonetta Vespucci” (1485). Sandro Botticelli. Oil
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