Category: Art Rauf Likes

John Falter’s father once told his son that he would never become an artist until he published a cover for The Saturday Evening Post. John Falter did it 122 times.

For me, the difference between an illustration and a full-fledged painting is like the difference between a TV series and a film. Think about how such illustrations were created in the first half of the 20th century. Just imagine: all these works were done in just a couple of weeks, maybe three. There wasn’t much more time—after all, they were illustrating current events. He would create a large drawing, around 30×40 inches, which was then photographed and converted to CMYK. The artist had to understand well what would inevitably be lost in this process and what, on the contrary, might “pop”—primarily in terms of color and contrast. There was no post-correction on a computer because computers simply didn’t exist. In short, working as a magazine illustrator was a unique profession.

And these weren’t just illustrations for stories—they were also illustrations as stories. An artist can convey a lot through details, the style of the drawing—essentially, through what’s “between the lines.” If you look closely, his paintings are full of such messages.

Similar posts are grouped under the tag #artrauflikes, and on beinginamerica.com in the “Art Rauf Likes” section, you can find all 143 (unlike Facebook, which forgets—or rather, ignores—almost half of them).

Today, I am showcasing the paintings of German artist Torsten Wolber. He studied graphic design and illustration and worked as a teacher for nearly 30 years before dedicating himself entirely to oil painting in 2020. His Facebook and Instagram pages are filled with useful videos, and he offers courses, sharing his experience in every way he can (see comments)

His works blend classical portraiture, Impressionism, and expressive realism, creating a unique and instantly recognizable style.

I’ve been reading how others write about artists—what a bore! Birth dates, schools attended, influences, genres… Either it’s completely unnecessary or it’s all evident from the paintings themselves. Just show the art—no need for all the fluff. So here you go—look, enjoy.

I’ll leave links to his Facebook and Instagram in the comments.

Posts like this are grouped under #artrauflikes, and you can find all 142 of them in the “Art Rauf Likes” section on beinginamerica.com—unlike Facebook, which conveniently forgets (or ignores) almost half of them.

Here is the translation with the style preserved and HTML markup intact:

(ENG) Today, I introduce Marc Dailly. Creativity is often defined as the ability to recognize patterns and break them—to disrupt the usual order and create something new. Take the rules of composition and do the opposite. Need contrast? Render everything subdued. But. It requires sheer talent to make all this truly turn out great. And Marc Dailly succeeds.

Posts like these are grouped under the tag #artrauflikes, and on beinginamerica.com, under the “Art Rauf Likes” section, all 141 can be found (unlike Facebook, which forgets (overlooks) about almost half).

(ENG) Today, I’m introducing Marc Dailly. Creativity is often defined as the ability to recognize patterns and break them—to disrupt the usual order and create something new. Take the laws of composition and do the opposite. Need contrast? Make everything muted. But. It takes extraordinary talent to make all of this work brilliantly. And Marc Dailly pulls it off.

Posts like this are grouped under the hashtag #artrauflikes, and you can find all 141 of them on beinginamerica.com in the “Art Rauf Likes section—unlike Facebook, which tends to forget (or ignore) nearly half of them.

(/ENG)

An intriguing artist, Yao Zhi (姚治), also known under the pseudonym Huihuabiji, has captured my attention. It seems this alias is a sort of nickname. I had to do a bit of investigative work since the internet is full of misinformation. In Facebook groups, these works are often credited to Yao Yi Zhi, a partially Belgian artist, who is a real person but not the same individual, leading to confusion about their biography.

On the gallery website of this other Yao Yi Zhi, it’s clear that their style is entirely different—none of the charcoal sketches are present there. Additionally, Yao Zhi’s Instagram lacks the works shown on that gallery site, making it evident that this is a mix-up. Such things often happen with Chinese names.

Occasionally, the name Huihua Biji pops up, but that appears to be a creative misinterpretation by an audience unfamiliar with the nuances of Chinese naming conventions.

Yao Zhi primarily works with the dry charcoal technique (using charcoal pencils). On YouTube, searching for Huihuabiji or 姚治 reveals videos showing the creation process of some of these artworks. While they’re essentially sketches, they exude a unique atmosphere and are fascinating in their own right.

Thanks to Lana Denis for the lead.

Similar posts can be found under the hashtag #artrauflikes, and the Being in America website features all 140 works in the “Art Rauf Likes section—unlike Facebook, which tends to overlook nearly half of them.

Adam Clague is an American impressionist painter with a particular fondness for mandarins at Christmastime! His wife, Andrea, is also an artist and definitely deserves a dedicated post someday. The light in his paintings is stunning, and his studies are truly fascinating. I’ve selected a few pieces that caught my eye.

Similar posts are grouped under the hashtag #artrauflikes, and all 139 can be found in the “Art Rauf Likes” section on beinginamerica.com (unlike Facebook, which tends to forget—or overlook—nearly half).

Meet Jie Gao, a Chinese-American artist primarily engaged in game design, though he also has remarkable works in oil painting (which is why he’s on my radar), particularly in portraiture. As a beginner, I find his paintings fascinating to study—they’re very “informative” in terms of technique.

Posts like this are grouped under the hashtag #artrauflikes, and all 138 can be found in the “Art Rauf Likes” section on beinginamerica.com (unlike Facebook, which tends to neglect—or outright ignore—nearly half of them).

David Cheifetz primarily explores still lifes, urban landscapes, and unconventional portraiture featuring female models paired with various insects. His works stand out for their remarkable texture, vivid colors, and a masterful play of materials. The paintings often have a mysterious quality, frequently illuminated by candlelight, creating a captivating atmosphere. There’s a striking resonance in his art through the contrast of richly detailed elements against abstract backgrounds.

Posts like these are grouped under the tag #artrauflikes, and the full collection of 136 entries can be found on beinginamerica.com in the “Art Rauf Likes section—unlike Facebook, which tends to neglect nearly half of them.

An intriguing Polish-Norwegian portrait artist, Kesja Tabaczuk, has gained recognition for her series that dominates nearly all her public works, tentatively titled “Serious Girls with Birds.” If a bird isn’t present in the painting, it’s implied. Quite an impressive list of accomplishments by the age of 35.

Similar posts are grouped under the tag #artrauflikes, and the “Art Rauf Likes” section on beinginamerica.com features all 132 pieces (unlike Facebook, which neglects nearly half of them).