Bio Alan was born in 1968 in Hudson, NY and lives in the lower Hudson Valley Region. He attended Parsons School of Design in NYC and Rhode Island School of Design 1986-91. A few of his influential instructors were illustrators, Julian Allen, David Passalacqua, William Clutz, Richard Rockwell and Nicholas Jainschigg.
After college, he was employed by St. Martin’s Press, a book publisher in NYC while illustrating on the side and eventually became an Associate Art Director of the mysteries imprint. During this period, he was introduced to the portfolios of top name illustrators of the day and was fortunate to work with and learn from them.
In 1996 he became a full-time freelance illustrator working for notable clients such as The New York Times, Rolling Stone, Business Week, and Simon & Schuster. During this time he received awards and recognition from The Society of Illustrators, The Dimentional Illustrators Inc, Communication Arts, The New York Book Show and American Illustration. A highlight in his career was illustrating a pop-up book by bestselling author Stephen King, titled “The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon” published in 2004.
Alan’s passion for painting has made him venture further in the field of fine arts exploring various methods of oil painting inspired by the palettes of Frank Reilly and Daniel E. Greene. He has been fortunate to attend Daniel’s Greene’s oil portrait demo/classes held in his North Salem, NY studio and considers Daniel’s work and teachings a major influence in his paintings.
Caravaggio, Velazquez, Jacques-Louis David, and painters from the Dutch Golden Age such as Michiel van Mierevelt, Vermeer and Rembrandt are among some of Alan’s admired artists.
Recently, his work was chosen as one of the finalists in the ACOPAL’s Exhibition of Contemporary American and Chinese Realism. Also, three of his paintings was selected to be included in The Connecticut Society of Portrait Artist’s Faces Of Winter 2012 Exhibit honoring Master Portrait Artist Daniel Greene.
Alan is a member of The Portrait Society of America, The Connecticut Society of Portrait Artists and Oil Painters of America.
Shop Fees
Head & shoulders $1,200
Half figure (includes hands) $3,000
Three quarter figure $4,500
Full length $5,500
Charcoal drawings start at $200
All figures are approximately life size. Smaller than life size is available upon request. The approximate delivery date of the finished portrait will be agreed upon and become part of the commission agreement. For each additional figure on the canvas add 50%. Prices for inclusion of pets and/or intricate background elements will be quoted upon request.
I stretch my own canvases and use only high quality linen and traditional archival oil paint.
1. Initial Consultation. This is the first step in the creation of a portrait and the time during which artist and client discuss the style of portrait the client has in mind. This can be accomplished either on the telephone, email or in person.
2. Photographic Session. I can shoot reference photos or work from existing photos. Photographs of the subject(s) are taken at a location chosen by the client. Occasionally, more than one photo session may be necessary.
3. Reviewing the Photographs. From the photographs, the artist will choose a limited number of pictures to present to and review with the client. The client will help select the photographs which best capture the subject, both in likeness and in personality. I am willing to paint posthumous portraits, but before I can commit to it, I need to see the reference materials to ensure a high quality portrait.
4. Preliminary Sketch. A preliminary sketch will be sent to the client for approval of the composition of the painting. Often small, unforeseen changes in the pose or background are necessary once the painting is in progress. The artist reserves the right to exercise a certain amount of "creative license" in determining what changes, if any, should be made to the painting once the painting process has begun. A 40% deposit is collected when the portrait is commissioned, with the remaining 60% due when the portrait is completed.
6. Approving the Finished Portrait. The artist is willing to make minor adjustments to the painting as long as these changes do not result in a change of expression or pose, or alter the lighting or composition in any significant way. Upon approval of the portrait, final payment is collected, and the portrait is delivered.
