Jimmy Law

View all artworks by Jimmy Law

My painting style and technique is self taught.

In December of 2010 I decided to approach my painting differently. I was very accomplished as a realistic painter, technically my work was great, but my work was stagnant it lacked enegry.

I changed the way I approached my painting and started by moving away from using small brushes. Some of my brushes now range between 6cm and 15cm in width. I forced myself to refrain from performing perfectly controlled detailing strokes with small brushes and instead focused on performing bold, strong and deliborate strokes using large brushes. I often load my brushes with paint so that it would run if I applied enough pressure onto the canvas. I also forces myself to simplify and lessen the number of strokes as to not get caught up in trying to create every little detail. My aim is to give the viewer just enough information and let the viewer fill in the detail, complete the painting so to speak. I aim to create energy and movement in my work. Most of my work are currently done in a fairly neutral palette with subtle use of colour and feature strong use of black, white and greys.

I started working on a larger scale. My canvasses are often of a 1.5 meter to 2 meter format.

In most of my work I really try to fill the canvas. In other words, the faces of my portraits fill most of the canvas. Not much negative space is left and instead, huge, larger than life faces looking back at the viewer. This, along with strong use of contrast, composition and the gritty, expressive style of my work makes for rather dramatic images.

I have been doing portraits of Hollywood actors and celebrities, focusing on the ones I love most, but also ones with a classic look and feel to them, actors like Jack Nicholson, Marlon Brando, Christopher Walken, James Dean and Marilyn Monroe to name but a few.

I am now also focussing on portraits of totally unknown people. While the faces aren't so well known, the focus and the aim remains the same, dramatic with expressive energy and often pieces that leave the viewer with more questions than answers. Some of my most recent pieces draw upon my own life experiences and relationships.

I constantly challenge myself in my painting and while I feel confident in the style that I now work in, I will keep intruducing new ways and techniques of pushing this style forward and developing it even further.