Toni

[Tom Edgerton]

Garth--

Really fine....simple, direct, great character.

I appreciate the progress views too: it's always nice to get a look at the process.

--Tom

[Garth Herrick]

Originally Posted by Tom Edgerton

Garth--

Really fine....simple, direct, great character.

I appreciate the progress views too: it's always nice to get a look at the process.

--Tom

Thanks so much Tom.

Well it's really only one progress view paired with the finish. This time I borrowed new member Richard Murdock's approach of drawing a grid on the canvas and generally locating points within that broad grid. The progress shot above shows the moment I managed to bury that grid from visibility; something I did as quickly as possible! That state above was perhaps a couple days into this portrait, and everything was essentially there, at least as a value hierarchy. Sometimes it's refreshing to try a different and simple approach.

Edit: It was not too intensive a grid: I think I spaced the squares about every three inches, which felt comfortably free but accurate enough, and very efficient for a quick mapping.

Garth

[Jane Bradley]

OK Garth,
I let the dinner burn just now looking at your painting!! I am in awe again - and will love to study this one.

Jane

[Chris Saper]

Grids have been used for hundreds of years. By great painters.

Leon Loard Portraits has an entire product line of paintings that are basically colored over photo images. I can promise you that if my dear sweet husband was faced with a photo-ed canvas he would screw it up in 2 minutes, and not have a clue where to go..;No matter how a painter starts, if there is no drawing skill, it can't be rescued.

That is one of the reasons it is so essential to practice regularly from life.

[Carol Norton]

That is one of the reasons it is so essential to practice regularly from life.[/QUOTE]

Spot on! That's all I have to say, Ms. Saper!

[Gary Hoff]

Garth, this one is another winnner. Congratulations.

[Garth Herrick]

Originally Posted by Gary Hoff

Garth, this one is another winnner. Congratulations.

Hi Gary,

Thanks for your compliment, I feel like a bigger winner with that extra N!

Appreciatively,

Garth

[Garth Herrick]

Originally Posted by Carol Norton

That is one of the reasons it is so essential to practice regularly from life.

Spot on! That's all I have to say, Ms. Saper!
[/QUOTE]
Hi Carol,

I concur with you both. Essential!

Garth

[Garth Herrick]

Originally Posted by Chris Saper

Grids have been used for hundreds of years. By great painters.

Leon Loard Portraits has an entire product line of paintings that are basically colored over photo images. I can promise you that if my dear sweet husband was faced with a photo-ed canvas he would screw it up in 2 minutes, and not have a clue where to go..;No matter how a painter starts, if there is no drawing skill, it can't be rescued.

That is one of the reasons it is so essential to practice regularly from life.

Dear Chris,

Yikes ! While I have once thought of this cheat myself, I would never do it. Imagine how tight one would have to paint within the lines! No way!

But who knows, the general public might not know the difference between what is paint and what is photo-ground, and just say this artist is so good to be painting just like a photograph; a high compliment!

I have a related experience though: For the judge I recently painted, a color photo was needed for the printed unveiling program. My portrait was not yet up to snuff to show, so I merged the painting with the reference photo in Photoshop, and submitted that digitally. That's a big no no! Well suffice to say, everyone at the courthouse was ecstatic at how photo-real the painting looked in it's progress, and I was beet-red with embarassment. I did not tell them of the nature of the merged images, and the printed reproduction was terrible in the end, which was probably just as well! Don't try this at home! (Hey, what happpened to the old smilies? I liked them!)

A secret of the day.

Garth

[Garth Herrick]

Originally Posted by Jane Bradley

OK Garth,
I let the dinner burn just now looking at your painting!! I am in awe again - and will love to study this one.

Jane

Jane, my friend, from you, I am quite complimented. Thanks, and I hope your dinner worked out!

Garth