Thanks Ilaria
When I copied his painting I tried as much to copy his technique as the likeness.
I found that the paint was mostly applied thinly in this portrait, but he had played with the shape of the individual strokes, almost like he did his drawings in charcoal and maybe more visual in his pastels. The stroke itself is a motive. Stroke of Genius, if you like.
To Carry out this copy I painted in many ways, using brush, palette knife and my fingers, so it was a really fine experience and, yes I believe that I learned something.
You know perhaps that his grandmother was Italian, this would explain his sense of beauty.
Allan