The Machinery of the Portrait. From the Practice of the Viewer, Artist, and Teacher

Russian graphic artist Viktor Melamed, widely known for his work for leading domestic and foreign newspapers and magazines — The Rolling Stone, The New Yorker, and others — shares his reflections on the art of portraiture in the past and present, in high and popular culture, in painting and illustration. Approaching the creation of a portrait from a practical perspective and lifting the veil on the creative 'kitchen' of the artist, he unobtrusively raises the bar and invites us to think about how the image of a person is formed and perceived. This adds depth to his book and makes it valuable for both beginner and practicing artists, as well as for anyone interested in the psychology of art and perception. The second edition is supplemented by the author.