“A Portrait Lives Forever”
M A X R E N W I C K
East of the Canvas
M A X R E N W I C K
Max Renwick is a talented portrait artist based in Beverley, East Yorkshire, where he was born and raised. Bilingual, with an English father and Parisian mother, Max discovered a passion for painting while studying Politics at university in Leeds and taught himself to work with oils. Drawn to the depth and nuance of the human face, he developed a particular talent for portraiture. Working primarily in oils, Max combines traditional techniques with a contemporary approach to capture the character and emotion of his subjects. Based in his East Yorkshire studio, he continues to refine his craft through personal projects and commissions.
Alla prima.
Impression Over Perfection
From £2.500
This style of painting primarily relies on the alla prima (or "wet-on-wet") technique, using a limited palette. Unlike traditional methods—where layers of paint are meticulously built up over the course of months—this approach aims to complete a painting in just a few extended sittings. New layers of paint are applied and blended while the ones beneath are still wet, allowing for quicker, looser work and the ability to build thicker layers directly into one another.
If an area of the painting isn’t working, the paint is wiped away and redone, rather than simply painted over. As a result, paintings created in this style tend to feature freer, more confident brushstrokes, producing a bolder and more expressive final result.
The key difference with alla prima is that it leans less toward photorealism and more toward impressionism—capturing the essence of a subject rather than replicating a photograph. This means highlighting prominent details to create a visually engaging, artistic interpretation of the portrait. In practice, this results in softer gradients and textures, smoother facial features, and subtler contrasts, often giving the final piece a more youthful, playful feel.
Indirect painting.
Refined, Realistic Detail
P.O.A
This second approach to portraiture follows a more traditional and methodical painting process, using a broader range of techniques to achieve a highly realistic, detail-focused finish. Unlike alla prima, this method requires multiple sittings, allowing each layer of oil paint to dry before new layers are applied. This gradual buildup creates greater depth and dimension within the image.
By working in layers, the artist can create sharper contrasts between light and shadow, as well as more subtle tonal variations that bring out the finer details of facial features. This technique also adds more nuance to the texture of skin, hair, and eyes. As a result, the finished portrait tends to be less interpretive and more faithful to the original reference image.