This book on the Golden Age of Art explores the methods and materials used by the great masters from both the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. It focuses on the most difficult subject on earth to paint, the human face. These pages are the accumulation of knowledge gained through observation and countless visits to art museums and hundreds of books on the subject in a quest to find the secrets of successfully painting the human face in the style of the great masters. Without the benefit of any formal education in art, I have spent my last forty years on a mission to answer the question “How did they do that?” What is represented here is what I wish I could have read before I picked up my first brush.

Born in Racine, WI. BBA from UW-Oshkosh in Marketing. One decade in medical sales and 3 decades in printing sales. Self-taught artist with not so much as a single art class. Traveled the world in search for the secrets of the old masters. Exclusive focus on artists from the Golden Age of Art [17th century Dutch/Flemish] with particular emphasis on Johannes Vermeer. After many trips to both the Netherlands and Italy, came to the conclusion that just four colors could be used to paint any face: titanium white, Naples yellow, alizarin crimson and olive green. Every painting I ever painted used only those four colors. My fascination was the way that light creates defined shadows on the human face. After countless hours of applying those four colors on wooden panels, as opposed to canvas, I believe I have finally achieved a 'method' for success.

Livestream: MTM's First Friday with Tom Griffith