Search for 3D

People are SO different, but then again they are not. A face is almost mathematical. For a good portrait, the distances of each part from each other are important. The eyes are in the middle, exactly between crown and chin. I therefore approach a face very technically. I look for the right dimensions. Furthermore, I divide the face into planes. Dark and light are essential. The aim is to suggest as much 3D as possible on the flat surface. Just as you draw a cube, a portrait has to be spatial. I find this control over the makeability of a portrait interesting. I never paint a photographically exact portrait, that is not the challenge for me. With a smooth, robust stroke, I search until I find the right three-dimensional form with which to bring the portrait to life. It is a quest that never gets boring.

Reinier, oil on paper, 30x40cm, 2021