Beautiful Michael
 

I'll be looking at this often, very classic. Can you post a detail of her face? You have an incredible ability to capture fabric, it's softness and how it drapes on the body. What pigments were used in the background? Good luck at the show.

Jean

Jean:

Thanks for your comments. :) The background was done with successive glazes of Asphaltum mixed with Transparent Earth Red. At the bottom and working up, I darkened it a bit with some Raw Umber on the right and lightened it on the left with Naples Yellow. It is somewhat darker in the pics than it is in the actual painting.

Here is a closer detail shot of her face:

Awesome
 

Michael,

Beautiful painting. Great pose, rendering of fabric, execution of the hands, everything! I think we have a winner...

Thank you Richard. :)

Bravo Michael, the hands and fabric have a real touch!

Do you think people will be upset if I move my easel every 30 minutes to be by all you guys? My canvas may look like a Picasso, but it will be fun to watch you guys work too! :thumbsup:

Elegant! People like you keep raising the bar around here.

Lifelike
 

This is so lifelike! May I ask how many hours the model sat for you?

Lovely, powerful, elegant.

Beth: It will be a great class! I really look forward to meeting you all in person - I am sure you are all even more wonderful in person.

Will: I keep bonking the bar with my nose, but eventually I will get under it! :)

Jeanine: This model sat for me for about an hour while I took the photographs (sorry, not from life..yet) and then again for about an hour while I mixed the flesh palette and "looked". Unfortunately, I don't yet have a studio setup that would accomodate this sort of portrait from life. My wife and I are talking about using our family room as a dual-use room - I could put a model stand in a corner and paint from a live model there. All things in time. :)

Dear Michael,

What a lovely piece. I could swear I see some William Whitaker influence! I am saying this as a great compliment, just in case there is doubt about my comment. Just beautiful!

Michael,

Just thought I'd add that I made this painting into "wallpaper" on my computer at work so I could enjoy/study it. I've had so many people stop by and admire it. Some that know I paint, ask if it's mine. (Duh,I wish!) I say, no, that was done by a portrait artist I admire, Michael Georges.

I do change wallpaper fairly often, but this one has been such a hit, it's still there.