Reilly Method
Noun. Frank J. Reilly's rhythmic-curve system for head construction, taught at the Art Students League of New York from the 1930s to the 1960s. The method emphasises the continuous curves connecting facial features rather than the discrete geometric construction of competing systems like Loomis.
Origin
Frank J. Reilly (1906–1967) taught at the Art Students League of New York from the 1930s to his death in 1967. His teaching focused on the rhythmic, flowing curves through which facial features connect — the cheekbone curve flowing into the jaw, the brow curve continuing into the temple, the eye sockets linked as a single rhythmic shape rather than discrete features. The method extends naturally beyond the head into the neck and shoulders, producing portrait compositions where the head and body read as one continuous form rather than head-stuck-on-body.
How it differs from Loomis and Bargue
Loomis builds the head from a sphere plus side-plane plus brow / ear / nose / mouth landmarks — a geometric construction with discrete features. Reilly threads continuous rhythmic curves through the same landmarks instead, producing a more painterly result. Bargue is purely observational (copy the master plate exactly) and doesn't impose a construction system at all. Most professional portrait painters end up using all three: Loomis for from-imagination construction, Reilly for paint-time rhythm integration, Bargue for measuring-eye training.
Modern practice
Reilly is harder to learn from books than Loomis because the rhythmic principles are easier to demonstrate in person. The Frank J. Reilly School of Art (founded by Reilly, continued after his death) and successor schools like the Grand Central Atelier in New York teach it directly. Self-taught artists typically approach Reilly only after they have Loomis fluency. The method remains dominant in commissioned-portrait oil painting.