Young Man with a Fade, 36x48 inches oil on stretched canvas, by Kenney Mencher

 

 

$1,000 – Young Man with a Fade (36x48 inches, oil on canvas)
Available now: https://www.kenneymencher.com/shop/p/big-fade-beardo-36x48-inches-oil-on-gallery-wrapped-stretched-canvas-by-kenney-mencher-sm9zh

This painting is part of a special rotating series of large-format works I’m offering at a deeply reduced price for one week only. After that, the price returns to its original. If you’ve had your eye on my larger paintings, this is your chance to own one at a significant discount.

 

Young Man with a Fade was a real breakthrough for me. I painted it while living in Palo Alto, California. At 36 x 48 inches, it’s one of the bigger canvases I’ve tackled—and it marked a shift in how I approach surface and composition. Something clicked during the process, and I think you can see it in the final piece.

It started with a small oil study (which sold right away), but I learned so much from sitting with that little painting. It helped me figure out how to treat the light, texture, and space in the larger version.

 

I began with an alla prima underpainting—one long 8-hour session—then sealed the surface with thinned oil and built it up in layers. The real magic happened when I started using plastering knives. I mixed big batches of color and troweled the paint on, creating thick, sculptural texture. After a few more passes, I refined it, letting the texture speak as much as the color and form.

I chose to crop the figure tightly—focusing on the fade, the curve of the ear, the nose, and the eye line. That tight frame creates an intimate, powerful view that resists traditional portrait norms. It’s not just a head—it’s an experience of presence, form, and ambiguity.

Even though it’s titled Young Man with a Fade, there’s softness and neutrality here that could read as nonbinary or fluid. I wanted to leave space for broader interpretation.

This painting reflects so much of what I’ve worked toward: texture, light, and intensity without overcomplication. It’s one of those works I still look back on when thinking about how to move forward.

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Details:
• Title: Young Man with a Fade
• Medium: Oil on stretched canvas
• Size: 36 x 48 inches
• Year: 2020
• Unframed, gallery-wrapped edges
• Built up with palette knives and brushes
• Sealed surface with visible texture and no canvas weave
• Excellent condition, stored in studio

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FREE SHIPPING
Shipping takes 3–4 weeks.
This ships from Round Lake Beach, Illinois (a suburb outside of Chicago).
I use UPS and sometimes US Post.

Available now at this special price for one week only:
https://www.kenneymencher.com/shop/p/big-fade-beardo-36x48-inches-oil-on-gallery-wrapped-stretched-canvas-by-kenney-mencher-sm9zh