Chuck Close born 1940 is an American photorealist specializing in close-up portraits and self-portraits. Close is one of the very few modern realists or photorealists who focus on the human face. In 1988, in mid-career, Close was paralyzed due to a blood clot in his spinal column. He regained partial use of his arms, and was able to return to painting after developing techniques which allowed him to work from a wheelchair. All of Close's works are based on photographs he takes himself. Close always follows the same guidelines in planning a painting. The source photograph is a tightly cropped...
tilts toward yellow and flesh tones at one extreme, and deep purples and blues on the other.

In brief, Close's exploration of color has been equally thorough and systematic. He began by imitating black-and-white photography, then pioneered a three-color process akin to that used in commercial printmaking. Since 1986, Close has used oil paint as his primary painting medium, and currently favors brushwork that mixes colors in a lively, seemingly playful manner, so that each square in his grid is like a miniature mosaic. He is presently one of the most remarkable and well-known artists of the 20th century.