Father's Day portrait

[Chris Saper]

Dear Sandra,

Michele's advice is excellent. Starting with poor photo resource material establishes constraints that can't be overcome. Starting with any photo resource material, even great photo material, still presents the painter with many obstacles - and false information with regard to color, value, edges and form, and the only way to become skilled at interpreting the photo is through many many hours of practicing from life.

Other threads that you might search out here include value-massing, edges, color temperature, and value in general.

I think that it would be helpful to you to work in monochrome, so that you can increase your skill at rendering 3-D form. Even working with still life objects from life will help you more quicky than working from photographs.

Hope this is helpful.