Jim Torok developed his career with two distinct bodies of work: detailed, small portraits and humorous comics. In his photorealist portraits, Torok paints at a miniature scale—seldom more then two or three inches—in the tradition of the Northern Renaissance. Often taking more than one year to complete, Torok’s works reflect the intimacy of his sittings with his models. “I like to do paintings of my friends, and they mostly happen to be artists. In this sense, it is a community—people who share the common practice of making art,” he has said. In contrast, his cartoons are composed of quick and simple lines that lack detail. Dealing in different themes, the cartoons often address Torok’s existential approach to his role as an artist.