About the Artist

William J. Rushton is a native of Birmingham, Alabama, and a recent graduate of Colorado College. He is currently in his third year at the Charles Cecil Studios in Florence, Italy, where he studies portraiture using the sight-size method of drawing and painting. This type of training, which strives to emulate the technique of great artists such as Titian, Velasquez, and Sargent, facilitates observation and selection. Portraits are drawn mostly life-size and always from life, without recourse to photography or artificial lighting. Repeatedly viewing the subject and its representation at a distance, the artist moves forward only to add or make adjustments to the paper or canvas. Consequently, the portraits—in charcoal, pastel, or oils—bear a notable likeness to the models themselves and, while somewhat impressionistic at close range, gain clarity and strength when viewed from afar.

William is available for commissioned portraits in charcoal or pastels. The subject must be available to sit for his or her portrait and will be able to watch the image develop through multiple sittings.