David Tanner

Awareness Post 12/19/25

David Tanner is a contemporary representational oil painter from Richmond, Virginia who is creates a variety of pieces and has accomplished shows, plein-air events, national awards, and educational outreach. His work spans figure, landscape, portrait, and narrative scenes, unified by strong light, thoughtful composition, and skilled oil technique. He often implies story without over-telling by using figures, light, and gesture to guide the viewer. He skillfully shapes light to create depth and mood rather than just depict subject matter.

Education & Training

• BFA in Illustration, Virginia Commonwealth University (1991).

• Studied traditional painting techniques in workshops with Nelson Shanks (Philadelphia) and Robert Liberace (Washington, DC), key figures in the atelier/memory-based realism movement.

Professional Roles

• Taught oil painting at Visual Arts Center of Richmond since 2001; elected Master Teacher in 2006.

• Long-time instructor, demonstrating the skills and lineage associated with atelier-style training.

CV Highlights

1990s

1991 — Receives BFA in Illustration from Virginia Commonwealth University.

Visual Arts Center of Richmond

2000s

• 2001 — Begins teaching oil painting at the Visual Arts Center of Richmond.

• 2006 — Elected Master Teacher at the Visual Arts Center of Richmond.

• 2006–2008 — Shifts focus from commissioned portraiture to figurative and plein-air painting.

2010s

• 2011–2012 — Paintings honored in the Portrait Society of America “Member’s Only” Competition.

• 2012

  • His Self-Portrait wins 1st Prize in American Artist magazine’s annual competition and is featured on the cover of the September 2012 issue.

• 2014

  • David’s work featured in American Art Collector “Artist Focus” (Dec 2014).

• April 2015 — Five-page interview on his working methods appears in PleinAir Magazine.

• 2015 — His work continues to appear in Fine Art Connoisseur and other print features (ongoing).

2016

• November 2016 — Interviewed for PBS TV’s “Virginia Currents”.

2018

• His painting First Draft earns a Certificate of Excellence in the Portrait Society of America’s International Portrait Competition.

• Beginning of expanded honors from Portrait Society competitions through 2022.

• Featured Morocco: The Marketplace in Marrakech and other travel-inspired works publicly discussed (contextual feature).

2019–2022

• 2019 — Online magazine Realism Today publishes his article on narrative in figure painting (publication year listed as 2019).

• 2011–2022 (cumulative) — Fourteen of his paintings are honored in the Portrait Society of America Member’s Only competitions.

• 2020 — His Fiddler On The Balcony is awarded “Select 50” in the Portrait Society’s 2019–2020 international competition cycle.

Exhibitions (General / National)

• Oil Painters of America (juried exhibitions)

• Salon International (juried exhibitions)

• Plein-Air Richmond

• Bath County Plein-Air Festival

Year around display at the Crossroads Art Center in Richmond, VA

Publications & Media

• Featured in American Art Collector (“Artist Focus,” Dec 2014).

• Five-page interview in PleinAir Magazine (April 2015).

• Interviewed on PBS TV “Virginia Currents” (Nov 2016).

• Article authored by Tanner on narrative in figurative painting for Artist’s on Art (Nov 2018).

His website

Late Afternoon On Lake Como, Oil on Linen, 32 x 40 in.

Afternoon At The Lighthouse, Oil on Canvas, 20 x 16 in.

Afternoon In Provincetown, Oil in Canvas, 40 x 30 in.

I really like his pieces because he beautifully captures landscape pieces which incorporate buildings. I love how his compositions have interest diagonals and lines that make the the viewer's eyes see all the little details of the piece. He also good distinction of foreground, middleground, and background as well as a light source that really makes the pieces seem alive as if I'm in the scene. I want to use these techniques in my own pieces to make a stronger and more realistic piece.