7 Quotes by William Dobell

A sincere artist is not one who makes a faithful attempt to put on to canvas what is in front of him, but one who tries to create something which is, in itself, a living thing.

I am always worried whether I am doing my best work.

So long as people expect paintings to be simply coloured photographs they get no individuality and, in the case of portraits, no characterisation.

The real artist is striving to depict his subject’s character and to stress the caricature, but at least it is art which is alive.

I paint as I want to with no holds barred. I am more contented lately than I have been for a long time about my work. But not dangerously so.

Honing a thing down until you can still get through with economy, that’s power.

I never wanted to be commissioned to paint portraits. I like to choose my own subject and make a character study from it.