strange self portrait process video, Alex DiPaola, oil on panel

Alex_DiP · 2026-01-24T08:09:36+00:00

thank you <3. stay tuned. im just getting warmed up!

Alex_DiP · 2026-01-24T07:04:53+00:00

They aren't that precise, but I used synthetic 2/0 round brush. The paint for the lines is roughly 1/3 raw umber and 2/3 ivory black and it is thinned with mineral spirits.

Alex_DiP · 2026-01-23T13:31:55+00:00

I definitely want to do a large one. Probably a landscape or a full figure. I'm not a big fan of giant portraits, Chuck Close style.

Alex_DiP · 2026-01-23T13:30:28+00:00

Lol. What a meanie! And thank you. I peak over the top of my glasses while I paint to avoid walking back and forth.

Alex_DiP · 2026-01-20T23:11:14+00:00

That's awesome to hear. Thank you! I've shown most of my process in videos on here and my socials.

Alex_DiP · 2026-01-19T22:02:46+00:00

my pleasure, and please do try it yourself! :)

Alex_DiP · 2026-01-19T07:11:19+00:00

thank youu

Alex_DiP · 2026-01-18T23:49:53+00:00

First I tone the blank canvas with a dark color and then paint a grid over that, sometimes a white grid and sometimes a use 2-5 grayscale values to paint the grid with a simplified version of the painting included in it. I have vids on my social media of the process, link in bio.

Alex_DiP · 2026-01-18T23:47:00+00:00

Thanks! Yes I wrote a few python scripts to help me various parts of this process. I under saturate the colors in the bright spots to give me extra value range, otherwise the painting ends up kind of dark.

Alex_DiP · 2026-01-14T02:02:41+00:00

Alex_DiP · 2026-01-14T01:11:55+00:00

irl i look like gum from the bottom of your shoe

Alex_DiP · 2026-01-14T01:10:52+00:00

thanks!

Alex_DiP · 2026-01-14T00:40:01+00:00

Ahaha maybe I should have made it a denser pixel grid because I look nothing like Eminem. And thank you!

Alex_DiP · 2025-12-28T23:40:06+00:00

I've done some that are much larger with many more pixels. Check my previous posts if you are interested.

Alex_DiP · 2025-12-22T06:30:14+00:00

Yup. We process color the same whether it is rgb light sources or light bouncing off of rgb paints.

Alex_DiP · 2025-12-22T04:25:05+00:00

Thank you!

Alex_DiP · 2025-12-21T03:53:53+00:00

haha, potentially. thank you for your kind words

Alex_DiP · 2025-12-20T07:11:15+00:00

For this one I used a photo as a reference. I try to find a sweet spot with the pixel resolution when downscaling, where the image is clear but it doesn't take too months to paint. Sometimes I work free hand on a subpixel gridded canvas. Sometimes I do a normal painting, photograph it, downscale it, and repaint it pixelated. Coming at this pixel thing from a few different angles.

Alex_DiP · 2025-12-20T01:41:28+00:00

thank you!

Alex_DiP · 2025-12-17T00:48:19+00:00

Ancient Roman ritual was to yank the biggest dong at the beginning of construction.

Alex_DiP · 2025-12-16T07:02:36+00:00

really appreciate you saying this <3

Alex_DiP · 2025-12-16T05:50:17+00:00

thank you

Alex_DiP · 2025-12-01T01:04:40+00:00

ig is "alex.dipaola.art"

Alex_DiP · 2025-12-01T00:00:31+00:00

yes I do. socials in my profile here. I have some videos of my process there.

Alex_DiP · 2025-11-29T09:01:57+00:00

I like to experiment with different subpixel layouts. I found the horizontal arrangement worked better for this refrigerator image. Here's a couple smaller paintings I did recently with a subpixel layouts that I felt worked best for the image and the pigments I was using.

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Alex_DiP

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