Michael J. Deas
Painting in oil on wooden panel, Michael J. Deas built the portrait with an underpainting and multiple layers of opaque and transparent paint to develop color and depth.
Michael J. Deas examined and photographed a modern replica of Gálvez’s uniform, incorporating its details into the final layered oil-on-wood painting.
Michael J. Deas layered opaque and transparent paint over an underpainting to establish form, depth, and color for the final oil-on-wooden-panel portrait.
Award-winning illustrator and master realist Michael J. Deas drew on decades of experience and a passion for history to create meticulously detailed portraits of Benjamin Franklin, Bernardo de Gálvez, and Thomas Jefferson for this project. “It was both a privilege and a delight to step into history, exploring the colonial period and bringing its characters to life,” he recalls.
Largely self-taught, Deas began his career illustrating novels and children’s books, and over 25 years has created some of the Postal Service’s most celebrated stamps. He has earned multiple gold and silver medals from the Society of Illustrators, including two for stamp designs, and the Hamilton King Award. Over the years, clients have included TIME, Columbia Pictures, Reader’s Digest, Random House, HarperCollins, and Sports Illustrated. Today, Deas works from his studio in the historic district of New Orleans.
Additional Stamps By This Artist
2019George H.W. Bush
