Chuck Close uses a grid to transfer his subject from a photograph to a painting or print. By breaking the larger image down into its smaller component parts, he is able to make decisions about the nature and properties of the various colors that he uses in his works.

Chuck Close's paintings are labor-intensive and time- consuming, and his prints are more so. While a painting can occupy Close for months, it is not unusual for one print to take upward of two years to complete, from conception to final edition. Close insists on a decidedly interactive and "hands-on" approach to the creation of his prints. He carves linoleum blocks, draws on and applies acid to his etching plates, and personally directs all the intricate handwork involved in pulp-paper multiples.

Chuck Close’s Alex (1991) 28” x 23 ¼” Chuck Close’s Leslie (1986) 54 ½” x 40 ½” “I build a painting by putting little marks together – some look like hot dogs, some look like doughnuts.”

Chuck Close’s James (2003)Chuck Close’s Kiki (1993) “I discovered about 150 dots is the minimum number of dots to make a specific recognizable person. You can make something that looks like a head, with fewer dots, but you won't be able to give much information about who it is.”

Chuck Close’s Self Portrait (2003) 22” x 17 ¾”

Chuck Close’s Self Portrait (2002) 31” x 25” “I always thought that one of the reasons why a painter likes especially to have other painters look at his or her work is the shared experience of having pushed paint around.”

Chuck Close’s Self Portrait (2000) “I think most paintings are a record of the decisions that the artist made. I just perhaps make them a little clearer than some people have.”

Chuck Close’s John (1998) 64 ½” x 54 ½”

Chuck Close’s Emma (2002) 64 ½” x 54 ½”

Chuck Close’s Lucas Woodcut (1993) 46 ½” x 36”

Chuck Close’s Phil Spitbite (1995) 28” x 20”