feedback please...

rascasse · Joined: 30 Nov 2009 Posts: 13 Location: Perth

Hi all,
it's been a while since I've been on the forum, I've been busy painting insects. For those of you that don't know my work I am normally a scientific illlustrator. Recently though I've been working on a large portrait in my spare time. I've always wanted to do something like this so I thought I'd give it a go. I have discovered that I don't think it's really my thing but I have enjoyed the process. Anyway what I would like is some feedback on the painting. It has a little way to go but I have reached a bit of an impasse and can't seem to move on with it. Hopefully the photos are clear enough. The light in my studio is crap today and the painting is a bit wet to move about to better light. Anyway let me know what you think. Oh also just so you know it is life sized.
cheers

rascasse · Joined: 30 Nov 2009 Posts: 13 Location: Perth

I don't know how to take the silence????? Won't someone say anything??

marri · Joined: 28 Aug 2009 Posts: 267 Location: Western Australia

It is so "not my thing" that I haven't commented. Someone will have some input. I takes a while sometimes.

AvG · Joined: 17 Sep 2005 Posts: 1912

If you are stuck, may I suggest a couple of things? Or at least make an observation or two?

I'll assume you said yes Smile

There are two quite significant things that I believe need attention.

Firstly in her chest and upper arm, you have put some overly strong muscle definition - particularly leading from her bust up to her shoulder The indentations look very dramatic and unnatural... a bit like she has been hit with an axe. The skin tone should be evened out.

Which leads me to the second one. the skin tone is a bit extreme. Whether she is dark or light there is no softness to the current tone.
It may be to do with your choice of colours in the background and the whiteness of the cloth she is waving about, but she just seems rather orange.

Not bad for someone who doesn't normally do portraits, but it does look like a work in progress more than a completed painting, so I hope my comments are not too distressing (some people like feedback and some don't and it's always hard to guess who is who).

Tango · Joined: 06 Mar 2006 Posts: 1360 Location: Melbourne

I think it is a good attempt, but it's a bit like a juggler with to many balls in the air who ends up catching none of them......If you are going to do portraits practice one thing at a time , like just do faces to practice getting a likness & skin tone etc, then on the garments and the play of light on different material, with this one you are doing the lot plus it's in motion Shocked

..... But don't give up I've seen your other work so I know you have the ability to get to where you want to be Very Happy

rascasse · Joined: 30 Nov 2009 Posts: 13 Location: Perth

Thanks Amandav, I appreciate the feedback and I'm not too sensitive. It isn't the sort of painting that I am familiar with doing so I think I'm a bit stuck. You know when you've been looking at something for too long you find it hard to see past some things, well I do anyway. It is also something that will probably end up being nothing more than a learning exercise, which is always good to do I think.
I definately see what you're saying with the chest and upper arm I think it could be softened up a bit, or more than a bit really. As for the colour, it is less orange in real life but I have struggled a bit with skin tone I must admit.
Anyway thanks and if I ever do get it finished I will share.....

Just saw the reply from Tango while writing this. Thanks too. I feel sometimes with this painting that it was a big undertaking considering I haven't done anything with humans for a long while. Since starting this though I have got back into some life drawing which has been great. Felicity (the girl in the painting) is a dancer and good friend so is happy to model every now and then for me. She is also now pregnant so yey for drawing pregnant bodies!! I will keep practicing and breaking it down is a good suggestion. Thanks for the positive words about my work too.....

gwendoline · Joined: 28 Apr 2010 Posts: 24 Location: Melbourne

I think you've made a great effort with this work. Proportions are pretty good and it fits nicely into the composition size of the canvas. Being a portraitist myself, my advice to you would to consider what is your focal point? Is it her face which is so joyful, or is it the movement of the fabric (and which bit)....you are telling too much of the story all over the painting, try making one part more important than the rest. Usually, your darkest dark and lightest light butting up against eachother is your focal point.....however, you have used so much white, it is confusing to find the focal point.
I use a limited palette for flesh. Yellow Ochre, Alizarin and Ultramarine Blue for the darks and for lights Cadmium Yellow, Alizarin and Cadmium Orange....greying it off with the Ultramarine Blue if I want it cooler. Of course, each observation can suggest variations on this. By using complementaries to grey eachother, you should get some nice cools and warms and half tones.
I always tell my students to compare tones, compare colours etc.....see not only how different they are....but sometimes, how similar they are. This way, you hopefully wont exaggerate the differences or similarities...hence the tones around the shoulder.
Have a look at some of Daniel Greene's work, it's inspiring, you'll see what I mean by a focus point. Keep it up....you're on your way.

rascasse · Joined: 30 Nov 2009 Posts: 13 Location: Perth

Thanks Gwendoline and everyone else for your comments they've really helped working out where to go with this painting. I really appreciate the help.

Sculptress · Joined: 30 Aug 2010 Posts: 1 Location: Katoomba