Filippino Lippi portraits - my grid drawing and a grid watercolor. Filipino Lippi self portrait in a St. Peter scene in the Brancacci Chapel, Florence, Italy,

Filippino Lippi portraits - my grid drawing and a grid watercolor. Filipino Lippi self portrait in a St. Peter scene in the Brancacci Chapel, Florence, Italy, c. 1481-82

This was a lesson I gave perhaps in 2007. The portrait is a detail from a larger painting of his. The students, (all adults), were not happy with me. Too exacting, 'not creative.' 'we want to be loose'. I had worked hours and hours the night before in preparing the materials for the students to work with. One student, who had been taking class for years, told me the next week, that it was the  last class for the season. Later I heard that was it. Even later came the feedback from the student that their project had turned out well.

A recent grid watercolor of an acquaintance by their high school friend prompted me to go digging for this.

I don't know how much the Old Masters used grids for portraits. They certainly used them to enlarge their small drawings for the large wall and ceiling murals.

This was inspired by the work of Chuck Close. Perhaps I'd just seen a tv interview with him for a new book or exhibit. I don't remember now.

Info on the painting: conflicting info - I think this source also suggests that this is a portrait of Botticelli. Find the story here.

http://www.travelingintuscany.com/art/filippinolippi/brancaccichapel.htm