John Asaro

Expertise: Figure painting
Taught at Art Center College of Design
Created the original “Planes of the Head” mannequin

John Asaro is known for his colorful and light-filled paintings of the female figure. His subjects include women in garden and beach scenes, and female dancers. Asaro studied at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California from 1955 to 1958. He next attended the Art Students League in New York in 1959 to study with Frank Reilly. After completing his studies, Asaro worked as an illustrator in Detroit, Los Angeles, and New York City from 1960 to 1973. He returned to Art Center College of Design to be a painting instructor until 1981, when he decided to devote himself to his personal art practice. Asaro is also the creator of The Planes of the Head mannequin, a premier tool for learning how to draw and paint the human head.