A master of value
Andrew Cadima quickly rose to fame as an influential artist and master of oil paint.
The art of observing is one of the hardest skills to master.
To perceive something as significant and produce something new with that information is the essence of a creative mind. Artist Andrew Cadima uses the world around him as the ultimate inspiration for his creations.
Based in San Francisco, Cadima attended the San Francisco Conservatory of Music and worked as a composer for several years. One of his works, “Distance,” for trombone can be seen here performed by the University of Oklahoma Trombone Choir.
With no formal training, Cadima threw himself into oil painting about 8 years ago. While painting a still life is technically helpful, Cadima had a particular draw to portraiture, using himself as a main subject. In a video created for Artefex, he said,
“The subtle manipulations of different features that all come together to tell us how someone is thinking or feeling is just so wonderful and interesting. And just how extreme it can be or how subtle.”
He likes to think about the juxtaposition of the things people present themselves to be compared to the way they really are on the inside.
Cadima quickly became a painting sensation and has shown his work in galleries and museums all over the world as well as becoming a teacher, doing demonstrations and master classes.
A typical painting from Cadima is a single subject or object floating on an otherwise blank board. Each composition is a snapshot of a subject coming through to reveal only part itself, and sometimes it is greatly distorted. With his skillful brushstrokes, Cadima’s own likeness is often seen with extra eyes, noses, or mouths.
Taking his art to TikTok, he has started a series of paintings using only two colors. These videos are a masterclass in value/hue. With only two colors, he is able to manipulate the tones in each shade to bring fantastic faces to life.
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Less than a decade into his career as an artist, he is making a great impact on the art world and will continue to influence and teach his fellow artists.
Follow him on TikTok and Instagram @andrewcadima to see more amazing paintings and check out his website andrewcadima.com to see his portfolio and even buy one of his original works.