Nelson Mandela - A Portrait of Courage

This portrait of President Nelson Mandela, was initially created as a gift, but in the process of painting it, it truly began to take shape on its own. This was my very first large scale oil portrait, and took about 2-3 weeks to complete. What I like most about this painting is the expressiveness of his face, and also the vibrancy of his hair. The goal was to capture the solid courage that has been shown throughout Nelson Mandela's life, and the assurance in his face, as he stares, is truly inspiring to me. Nelson Mandela was an individual that lived through and overcame incredible odds and injustices, and led his country to a new era of freedom and courage, and I think that he is a role model that we can all admire.