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20 of the Best Contemporary Portrait Painters

20 of the Best Contemporary Portrait Painters

Enjoy Curated Selection of Exquisite Artworks

Collective Pinterest boards are growing at a steady pace. With the number following a collection of artworks entitled Best Painted Portraits now exceeding 24K, it seems appropriate to highlight noteworthy contemporary artists.

We love art as much as you do. Wherever possible, links to the original artist websites are included in each pin. Because of the narrow-width Pinterest format, images may be cropped for maximum impact.

ClinicalPosters receives no compensation or profit from the promotion of fellow artists in this manner and promptly removes upon request any who do not wish to partici­pate. Direct interest in art commissions or purchases to the artists or their representa­tives. With nearly 2K pins in the Best Painted Portraits, every artist cannot be named here but there are some that routinely get repinned and others that are recurring personal favorites.

Contemporary Artist Biographies

Click respec­tive names to visit full image on Pinterest:

  1. Nick Alm (Swedish, b. 1985), nickalm.com
    Alm’s style borders between realism and representational figures. Not limited to tight portraits, subjects appear thoughtful, meditative, engaged, or playful.

  2. Casey Baugh (American, b. 1984), caseybaughfineart.com
    Whether figurative or portrait, nearly every mesmerizing painting by Baugh evokes a somber mood.

  3. Marcos Beccari (Brazilian), marcosbeccari.com
    Using watercolor, subjects of figurative and portrait paintings often appear to be lost in their own thoughts or gazing deep within the viewer’s soul.

  4. Patrick Byrnes (South Korean, b. 1984), patrickbyrnespaintings.com
    Patrick teaches drawing and painting at Grand Central Atelier, as well as workshops throughout the US.

  5. Lita Cabellut (Spanish, b. 1961), litacabellut.com
    Cabellut produces somewhat abstract mixed-media expressionist paintings with vivid textures and realistic portraits unlike any other artist.

  6. Steve Caldwell (British, b. 1971), stevecaldwell.co.uk
    Caldwell manages to depict realism within his acrylic portraits that reveal a surprise of complex textures upon closer examination.

  7. Gottfried Helnwein (German, b. 1948), helnwein.com
    Using oil and acrylic, Helnwein paints massive hyperreal portraits displayed worldwide. Included in his extensive collection are a large number of self-portraits and his family of children.

  8. Yunior Hurtado (Cuban, b. 1977), yuniorhurtado.net
    Now living in Lima, Peru, Hurtado paints mostly close-up vivid portraits of beautiful smiling people wering reflective sunglasses that provide a glimpse into the subject’s geography.

  9. Yasunari Ikenaga (Japanese, b. 1965), kenaga-yasunari.com
    Using a combination of mineral pigments, gelatin glue, and soot ink on linen canvas, Ikenaga delicately paints beautiful Asian female figures and portraits wearing detailed fabric prints in muted colors.

  10. Patrick E. Kramer (American, b. 1981), patrickkramerart.com
    Kramer channels his OCD into extremely detailed hyperreal paintings of people, landscapes, and still life.

To improve page loading, the remaining artists are on the following page.

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