In this 7 hour instructional documentary, I really wanted to weave together my philosophies on painting as well as how I paint technically. In "Painting A Life", we get to know the subject, Jaece Lutece. intimately -- her thoughts, feelings and her life as I paint her. Painting, for me, is my way of understanding the world around me; a way of slowing things down to carefully observe life. It was really important to me that this film illustrates not just the step-by-step process of how I paint, but also depicts my patient search to understand my subject. To encourage a full understanding of the process, I completely vocalize my thoughts on how I use broken color to develop lifelike skin tone and how I use color temperature, value, texture and brushstroke to turn form. I also discuss how to train your eye to see these subtle color shifts and transitions. In my approach to direct painting (an integration of academic and organic techniques) I strive to demonstrate how we never lose sight of the model's emotional character. Included is a full discussion of my materials (brushes, mediums, paints, etc), how I prepare my painting surfaces, my studio setup and lighting, how I transfer my drawing to my painting surface, a brief introduction to my drawing process. The essence of this DVD is how I develop a full understanding and interpretation of what I see and synthesize that into a painting that captures the subtle character, emotion and life of the sitter. http://davidkassan.com