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“I spent most of my teenage years in my room, drawing and listening to music. I probably still feel most comfortable in that state.”
The Artistic Journey of Andreas Liss
Andreas Liss, an artist and managing director of an advertising agency, resides in the historical city of Braunschweig, Germany. His academic journey led him to explore the fields of design and illustration, earning his credentials from the esteemed Braunschweig University of Art. It is perhaps his predilection for portraying the feminine form that sets him apart, an inclination perhaps borne out of an introverted youth and a desire to comprehend the enigmatic.
With roots stretching to Indonesia, Liss’ parents endowed him with a unique perspective in a predominantly German rural community. This sense of alienation, coupled with typical adolescent uncertainties, catalyzed his retreat into a world of artistic introspection and music.
To this day, the sanctuary of his private world is where Liss thrives the most. The sketches and illustrations that have stemmed from his countless hours of solitude have been a continuous thread throughout his life, carrying over into his career.
An unexpected discovery catalyzed Liss’ immersion into the world of art. In the spring of 2021, he happened upon a post by A.J. Alper on Instagram, introducing an innovative platform, Museum by Sktchy. It’s a space where individuals can share their photos, inspiring artists around the world to translate them into paintings. Liss found himself drawn into this vibrant community, enveloped by the spirit of shared creativity and mutual encouragement.
Since his foray into this encouraging artistry, he has manifested his talent in over 700 portraits. With each stroke of his brush, he continues to explore, evolve, and etch his unique narrative into the world of art.
Andreas Liss: The Artistic Pursuit of Photographic Precision
From the echoes of his early aspirations to an embodiment of an artist, Andreas Liss maintains a perspective on his work that deviates from conventional notions of artistry. Rather than identifying as an artist immersed in the throes of a creative process, he characterizes his craft as the meticulous reproduction of photographs through the medium of paint. His work, he contends, is an exercise in patience and precision, devoid of intentional artistic flourishes, propelled merely by an intrinsic love for painting.
In a self-deprecating quip, Liss refers to his method as “dilettantism at its terminal stage”. Paradoxically, his relentless pursuit of accurate reproduction has inadvertently led him down the path of personal style development. This unexpected emergence of a unique aesthetic in his work, he conjectures, might be a natural byproduct of his approach. Yet he amusingly postulates that what may be perceived as an artistic style might merely be a manifestation of his limitations—suggesting that an increased skill level would yield even more realistic renditions.
Among his most significant influences, Liss counts the distinguished alla prima painters such as John Singer Sargent and Anders Zorn. Primarily, he utilises the hues from Zorn’s palette, accentuated with occasional infusions of blue. However, his admiration also extends to the contemporary works of Torsten Wolber, Margaret Chen, A.J. Alper, and several others, whom he discovered via the Museum by Sktchy platform and now avidly follows on Instagram.
Manifesting Beauty through Captivating Portraits
Andreas Liss demonstrates a profound fascination with feminine beauty, evident in his concentrated attention to female visages within his oeuvre. The enigma of beauty continually captivates him, serving as both an inexhaustible source of inspiration and a subject of contemplation. Although Liss maintains an agnostic stance toward spirituality, he frequently finds himself grappling with themes such as faith, religion, and the divine. His personal convictions may negate any conventional belief system, yet the essence of beauty manifests to him as a miraculous phenomenon.
Liss articulates this connection with beauty through his art, preserving an innate sense of youthful innocence in his approach. His intimate sketches could be interpreted as affectionate missives addressed to beauty, each one a testament to his perpetual admiration.
Among the numerous portraits he has crafted, one stands out in particular. This piece is a depiction of Becka Regan, an esteemed online artist and one of Liss’s preferred subjects. Measuring 50×50 cm and rendered on hardboard, this portrait marks his largest to date. Regan, herself a painter and photographer, is not a personal acquaintance of Liss. Yet, they maintain an occasional correspondence on Instagram, where she has offered him numerous invaluable tips related to oil painting. Despite Liss’s modest assessment that this is not his best work, the portrait resonates deeply with him due to the evocative melancholy it conveys.
Liss finds his bliss amidst an environment steeped in creativity, often enshrined within the company of his two cats and the immersive melodies of music. At times, his auditory landscape is punctuated by the spoken words of a podcast or an audiobook. His studio space is adorned with shelves brimming with sketchbooks—a necessary condition given the prolonged drying time required by his chosen medium of oil paint. These sketchbooks, scattered all around, encapsulate the essence of Liss’s sanctuary—a haven where he both cherishes and expresses his love for beauty.
Andreas Liss: Embracing the Richness of Oil Paints
Andreas Liss, renowned as an alla prima painter, masterfully executes his artwork in a single session that spans two to three hours. In this immersive experience, only an interruption to the creative process could be considered a distraction. Yet, he has discovered that even potential disturbances such as engaging in phone conversations or conversing with friends present in his studio, fail to break his concentration or dilute his artistic expression.
Liss’ aspiration to harness the richness of oil paints had been a constant companion in his artistic journey, a goal long poised on the horizon, seemingly elusive due to its perceived complexity. In reality, he discovered, the complexity was a myth. The upheaval of 2021, which ushered in an extended period of remote work, catalyzed a bold move. Liss, like many others discovering or reigniting their creative passions during the pandemic, plunged headfirst into the world of oil painting.
Prior to this transition, Liss honed his skills using an array of mediums. Acrylics formed the core of his oeuvre, while ink, pencil, fineliner, and ballpoint pen lent diversity to his portfolio. Even textile colors found their place in his artistic experimentation.
Liss derives profound satisfaction from his current practice. While he remains constructively critical of his final paintings, it is the immersive love for the process that fuels his artistic drive. A constant yearning to elevate his work, combined with the tantalizing promise of the next masterpiece, ensures that Liss continues to create purely for the love of painting. His genuine passion and commitment to his craft continue to shape his artistic narrative, with each painting revealing the evolution of his distinctive style.
