Virgil Elliott is one of only 24 artists worldwide to be certified by the American Portrait Society. He is a highly sought fine artist, portraitist, teacher, lecturer, art show judge, and writer. Virgil has spent his career at the forefront of the revival of representational art. His atelier is located in Penngrove, California.

Virgil’s education in the arts began at a very early age under the guidance of his mother – a school teacher and an amateur artist. His training continued with the now sadly defunct Famous Artists School correspondence course that featured art instruction by famed illustrators such as Robert Fawcett, Albert Dorne, Austin Briggs, Steven Dohanos, Harold Von Schmidt and others. By his late teens, he was an accomplished draftsman and competent oil painter.

Unfortunately his training in the fine arts at the colleges and universities he attended led to disappointment and disillusionment. The art education program at these institutions centered on modern art styles that did not embody the style and craftsmanship of traditional representational art that Virgil was keenly interested in. Resolved to become a better artist following the traditions of the Old Masters, he endeavored to teach himself from that point onward. He sought out old manuscripts to study and traveled to view Old Master paintings in museums around the world. He applied himself to constant practicing his drawing and painting skills.

Eventually, the lessons Virgil learned over the years were distilled, refined, clarified and compiled into his authoritative book: Traditional Oil Painting: Advanced Techniques and Concepts from the Renaissance to the Present. It was a project that spanned over twenty years. His book was finally published in 2007 by publisher Watson–Guptill. Earlier this year, an updated version of Traditional Oil Painting was released and published by Echo Point Books.

It’s an honor to have the opportunity to share this in-depth conversation with Virgil Elliott. His firm conviction and devotion to the pursuit of quality in creating art is evident from the very start of this impassioned conversation.

Mentioned in the show:

Virgil Elliott’s Website: https://virgilelliott.com

Traditional Oil Painting Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/959891544070003/

Book: Traditional Oil Painting: Advanced Techniques and Concepts from the Renaissance to the Present: https://amzn.to/2XObLNu

Book: Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry into Values, by Robert M. Pirsig: https://amzn.to/2KX3aTr

Andrew Tischler’s Creative Endeavor podcast episode featuring Virgil Elliott: https://andrewtischler.podbean.com/e/episode-2-virgil-elliott/

About the Artful Painter:

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