Commission-WIP

[Linda Brandon]

Hello Barbara,

I apologize for the long delay in posting a reply to your request for a critique. The problem you have is in your resource photo, in my opinion. It is very obviously a staged studio photo, with studio photographer lighting and posing. These things are not condusive to what a portrait painter wants and needs. What you need, for your purposes, in a photo is some way to indicate form and volume so that you can make the head come alive; otherwise, no matter how well you do it, it will just look like you traced and painted the photo. There are many ways to manage this kind of lighting and you should read all the materials on the Forum about lighting and photographing your subject.

I wouldn't be deterred from the fact that the children are older and have changed. If you take the photo yourself you will have much more control over the entire process, as well as get to meet them and incorporate their personalities into your interpretation.

I hope I haven't been too discouraging. Just about everybody who posts here has been given a photo like this one (or, believe me, much worse) and has been asked to come up with something.

[Barbara Mae Hudson]

Dear Linda,

Thank you so much for getting back to me. This has been a real challenge! I instantly disliked the pose of the girl in the photograph but loved the boy! Given that, I decided to give it a try.

I also took lots of extra reference shots to help me but the age gap was obvious, so consequently they weren't much help.

The painting is now propped up in my studio where I am 'living with it' and hoping that inspiration may come one day, however, I agree with what you've said, and the typical studio pose is what the biggest problem is, in addition to this, I don't think he was a particularly good photographer because the lighting is obviously in the front.

I have worked on it a little more and tweaked in a few areas, I think that it is nearly the best that is possible given the resourse photograph.

No Linda, you haven't discouraged me at all, you have really just confirmed what I already thought.

Thank you for taking the time to look and comment, it is much appreciated.

Barbara

[Geary Wootten]

Barbara Mae,

I believe you had a definite challenge with this using the one and only reference photo. To make it "painterly" could pretty much be impossible. However, you pulled it off BEAUTIFULLY!

You made a staged, corny, otherwise "boring" studio photo.... look great. In fact, I think your interpretation of their personalities look more interesting than what was staged in the photo reference. I also admire how you've totally invigorated the colors and gave this picture real life.



Geary

[Patti Del Checcolo]

Barbara - I agree with Geary...I think you pulled it off great! I love the boy's shirt and the way you pulled all the colors into the background and foreground.

[Barbara Mae Hudson]

Dear Patti,

Thank you so much.

Yes, I do believe that I've done all that I can do given the poor reference photograph. I can now put it to bed (so to speak), and start something that hopefully doesn't give me as many headaches as this one has.

Thank you once again for looking and commenting.

Take Care,

Barbara

[Leslie Ficcaglia]

Barbara, I too think you've done a marvelous job with a less-than-ideal reference photo.

A couple of suggestions: you've already softened the girl's face and taken away a lot of that hard, posed stare, but softening the indentations on either side of her mouth might help even more. You may have some reference photos that will help you see how to make that smile look a bit more natural. Her upper lip also has a little more definition in the photo; you have it slightly narrower which accentuates the hard look.

The other thing is that her back and shoulder on our left side look a bit off in the painting because in the photo the dark collar of her top shows a little more depth where it changes direction at the left and goes around under her chin. That makes it read as though the shoulder and back are a bit straighter than you have them in the painting - straight not in the sense of being horizontal but in the sense of being smoother . Also, the collar of that top comes up higher where it goes around the back of her neck in the photo. Both of these details give her shoulder a much more natural slope. Hope you can see what I mean here!

Leslie

[Henry Wienhold]

Barbara with out a doubt I think that you have done a good job capturing the likeness of these two children.

One thing that I have noticed is the extreme sharpness of the girls shoulder, the strong diagonal where it meets the background. This sharpness is the one thing I find disturbing about this portrait, otherwise you have done a great job with the supplied reference photo.

You made the background light in color and value, almost the same value as the photo. The only suggestion I have is to soften the edge of this shoulder area, create a lost edge. You can do this by blending of course, or you could darken the value of the background and try and match the existing value of the girls shirt. This is what I would do with a portrait such as this, create a much darker background then I could lose a few edges making a more natural appearance.

Also I have noticed if you darken the background on the shoulder side and leave the opposite side somewhat lighter you will emphasize an already existing strong diagonal by the position and combination of the two figures. So by eliminating the sharp diagonal of the shoulder area you will still have a good diagonal design element on the opposite side. Diagonal design elements often add interest to a portrait.

You may want to look at some of the work of John Howard Sanden he always manages to create such a natural look with his ability to control values and edges, his work is a prime example of what I am trying to say.

Think soft with just a few sharp edges to break up the monotony, keep it changing.

Henry

[Barbara Mae Hudson]

Originally Posted by Leslie Ficcaglia

Barbara, I too think you've done a marvelous job with a less-than-ideal reference photo.

A couple of suggestions: you've already softened the girl's face and taken away a lot of that hard, posed stare, but softening the indentations on either side of her mouth might help even more. You may have some reference photos that will help you see how to make that smile look a bit more natural. Her upper lip also has a little more definition in the photo; you have it slightly narrower which accentuates the hard look.

The other thing is that her back and shoulder on our left side look a bit off in the painting because in the photo the dark collar of her top shows a little more depth where it changes direction at the left and goes around under her chin. That makes it read as though the shoulder and back are a bit straighter than you have them in the painting - straight not in the sense of being horizontal but in the sense of being smoother . Also, the collar of that top comes up higher where it goes around the back of her neck in the photo. Both of these details give her shoulder a much more natural slope. Hope you can see what I mean here!

Leslie

Dear Leslie,

Thank you so much for your help and advice. I have printed out your suggestions and I intend to follow them up today.

I was tempted to soften the corners of her mouth more but a little nervous that I may take away her 'likeness', but I think that you are right and it needs to be done. I hadn't noticed the upper lip difference and I will also follow that up.

Regarding the collar, I do see what you mean! I will also correct that today. These are all the 'little things' that I think we tend to lose sight of because we have worked too long on an area in a painting that is problematic, and the little 'tweaks' that are added when a painting is nearing an end are so important as I'm sure you know yourself. So as reluctant as I am to put it back on the easel (yet again), I will finish it and put it back to bed today, and then (hopefully) forget it.

Thank you once again for your help, it really is so much appreciated.

Take care,

Barbara

[Barbara Mae Hudson]

Dear Geary,

Thank you so much.

Yes, I do believe that I've done all that I can do given the poor reference photograph. I can now put it to bed (so to speak), and start something that hopefully doesn't give me as many headaches as this one has.

Thank you once again for looking and commenting.

Take Care,

Barbara