Realism

By definition, "Realism" is an artistic technique that seeks to represent something (be it an animal, an object, a plant) with extreme fidelity. In other words, the result of a realistic painting is indistinguishable from the reference image itself. Ultimately, in addition to artistic competence regarding light and shadow, color and proportion, realism demands profound powers of observation and interpretation of the inspiring scene.

Note: It is important to clarify that photographs almost always present lighting interferences and, therefore, shadows that fall on things. Such natural interferences in a photograph, even camera dust, may or may not be part of the realistic result. Example: when painting a plant of a specific species, whose pink color needs to be faithful, the professional must observe whether a possible yellow wall in the background, when reflecting the lateral sunlight from a window, changes the original pink of the plant. Depending on the desired result, the artist has the responsibility, in the absence of another point of reference, to "adjust" the interfering colors of the wall that fall on the main object of the work.

Imagine the case of a pet: even if they are of a certain breed whose specimens are very similar, their owner (client), when commissioning a realistic painting, wants, in addition to the basic characteristics, the gaze, the expression, a mannerism, a quirk, a scar. For the owner of the animal or an object, they are unique, transcending the mere image or biological species.

It is up to the artist to converse and understand what should be captured in the result. There may be hundreds of similar roses, but the specific memory of one, being the inspiration for a particular realistic work, linked to a broken petal, a tiny stain, a birthmark, even a drop.

In short...realism is not just meticulous painting technique, but capturing the "spirit" of the scene and understanding that anything painted is unique, regardless of the apparent banality of the reference image. This respect for meaning/history precedes the entire process in my work.

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Regarding my work ethic: in the case of commissioned artworks, given the unique nature of each piece, as described above, I do not reproduce or sell the piece. Only the painted, printed, and sent unit to the client will be the existing one, a one-of-a-kind copy.

If your esteem relates to a simple bottle cap, through my realistic painting, it will become, let's say, the only bottle cap in existence, because it will be YOUR bottle cap.

Below are some of the best realistic works I have painted over the last few years.