Portrait in Oils
Artist, Illustrator: John Potter - Escape Key Graphics
This portrait of Albert Einstein sits somewhere between illustration and fine art. I am comfortable with that ambiguity. Most of the painting is acrylic, with some final touches in oils. The techniques I used here are the same ones I rely on for murals and other paintings.
I did not focus on strict accuracy. Instead, I combined features to create the Einstein we all recognize. The man himself, but simplified and distilled. This piece started as a palette knife painting. That part was not going especially well, but I liked where the piece was heading overall, so I kept going and switched to brushes.
I gave his hair a kind of nuclear glow. That was a small homage to his career as a physicist. The glow felt right for someone who helped unlock the power of the atom.
If you need an expressive portrait for a publication, a private collection, or a themed space, contact me. I enjoy work that asks for character and a interpretive touch rather than strict likeness.
PORTRAITS:
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- Illustration: Find custom illustration, book covers, illustrated maps, and architectural rendering.
- Fine Art: Browse original paintings and drawings, the Custom Halftone Series, and murals.
- Graphic Design & Motion: See my graphic design work, plus motion design and animated illustrations.
- Maps by industry: Illustrated maps tailored for boat shows, resorts, marinas, real estate, transit & parking, towns & cities, parks, and wayfinding.
- Other project types: Also available: cover art, vehicle & vinyl wraps, proposal renderings, and street art.
- Techniques: Explore work in vector, isometric & axonometric, painting, black & white, GeoData, overhead, and halftone styles. Recently I have also begun to use AI for some specific solutions.
- Software: Primary tools: Photoshop, Illustrator, SketchUp Pro, and InDesign. Motion work uses Premiere Pro & After Effects.