Backstory, Rob Sussman: Based off a quick sketch, this was my deepest exploration of graphite to date – pushing the tones as I exaggerated the features, integrating the levity of content into the process, and relaxing a bit to allow for a certain, simple harmony of elements.
My sons have been the center of my life for 20+ years, lighting up my existence and offering great feedback (when they can be bothered). A couple teachers at Otis and SVA, my girlfriend, my mom, lots of amazing friends. Some favorite illustrators are Drew Friedman, Chris Ware, Zoe Matthiessen, Henrik Drescher.
The best advice that I’ve been given is to work from Life a lot. A lot of Life drawing sketches because that’ll give you a good solid knowledge of reality, but at the same time work from your imagination and try to be honest and genuine with your vision. Own what you do.
His portraits have a sensuality to them and he clearly knows how to do a more traditional portrait (that can be stunning to observe) with excellent paint technique, volume, and creative use of color. Mostly, I see the creations, the people, the personalities, the vibe, the time he captures and the core or heart of his subjects. As a spectator, I am “let in” on how Torres’ cares for his work and his subjects. He creates an atmosphere while capturing the heart and attitude of the characters that we see around us but might not closely observe. By Chris Bonno
My favorite medium is oil painting but I also do a lot of color pencil, marker, acrylic, oil, pastels… a little bit of everything. I always end up with oils or sometimes I just do everything in oils from the start.
The best advice that I’ve been given is to work from Life a lot. A lot of Life drawing sketches because that’ll give you a good solid knowledge of reality, but at the same time work from your imagination and try to be honest and genuine with your vision. Own what you do.
