Barack Obama's official White House portrait was painted by MICA grad

BALTIMORE - For only the second time since his presidency ended, former President Barack Obama returned to the White House. 

He and former First Lady Michelle Obama were there for the unveiling of their official portraits.

The former president's was painted by Robert McCurdy, an artist known for his photorealist paintings of his subjects, including other historic figures, against a white backdrop.

McCurdy is a graduate of the Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore. He received a BFA in general fine arts in 1974, a school spokesperson said.

In a video released by the Obama Foundation ahead of the unveiling, McCurdy said the "marathon" process took him about 18 months.

"The way the painting is constructed is entirely about the viewer," McCurdy said.

The former first lady's likeness was painted by New York artist Sharon Sprung.

"I want to thank Sharon Sprung for capturing everything I love about Michelle: Her grace, her intelligence, and the fact that she's fine," Barack Obama said, eliciting laughs and cheers from the audience. "And I want to thank Robert McCurdy for taking on a much more difficult subject, and doing a fantastic job with mine."

The former president has only visited the White House on one other occasion since the end of his administration back in 2017. 

For Michelle Obama, it was the first time.

The couple unveiled official portraits at the National Portrait Gallery in 2018, with another connection to MICA.

Baltimore artist Amy Sherald, who received her MFA in Painting from the school in 2004, was tapped to create Michelle Obama's portrait for the museum.

CBS News' Kathryn Watson contributed to this report