A large painted life study, in oils. I named him ‘The Florentine’ simply because of the hair.
He had a long hairstyle that I’ve seen in works by Andrea del Verrochio and Leonardo DaVinci—both Florentines themselves. (30″ x 30″)
![life painting oils male nude](http://johnwhiteillustrator.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/flor_figure_paint_entire_900w.jpg)
![detail of life painting oils male nude](http://johnwhiteillustrator.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/flor_figure_paint_head_900w.jpg)
![detail of life painting oils male nude](http://johnwhiteillustrator.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/flor_figure_paint_head_chair_900w.jpg)
![detail of life painting oils male nude](http://johnwhiteillustrator.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/flor_figure_paint_hand_900w.jpg)
Progress Images
![life painting oils preliminary wash progress shot 1](http://johnwhiteillustrator.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/flor_progress_1_500w.jpg)
![life painting oils progress shot 2](http://johnwhiteillustrator.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/flor_progress_3_500w.jpg)
![life painting oils progress image 3](http://johnwhiteillustrator.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/flor_progress_2_500w.jpg)
![life painting oils male nude progress shot](http://johnwhiteillustrator.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/flor_progress_4_500w.jpg)
Life studies from the human figure are—in my view—absolutely the most challenging of all. And the most challenging part of that, for me, is getting those skin hues & tones balanced and right. That’s the real challenge. Men a little easier to paint, as they’re often more angular and muscular than women.
The lesser challenge then, is rendering the forms, and then achieving a good composition. But in these types of studies, which are academic/learning exercises, composition is a lesser issue.
Artist: John White
Media: Oil paint, Canvas