Excellent
 

Dear Chuck,
I knew that you would keep improving him until he is perfect. I can't wait to see the finished painting! :)

Again, eliminate the texture on the beard

Celeste,

Thanks so much for cheering me on! Your encouragement helps me to try my best.


Karin,

Thank you again for your advice. As may be obvious, this is my first attempt at underpainting, and your guidance is really helpful in making the concept clear. I have read through the other examples in the forum, but how to transfer that to my particular painting has not always been clear to me.

Oops, I misunderstood what you meant by texture. I thought you meant paint texture rather than the texture of the subject, and I was busily smoothing out my brush strokes!

I will be implementing your advice tonight after I get home. Again, thanks.

Great job!

I really like the expression of the subject, and I think you have captured it very well in your underpainting. I look forward to seeing the final piece!

Mai :)

Goodby texture, hello unity?
 

Here is the latest update of the underpainting.

Mai, thank you for your compliment.

Close-up

Good job on the face Chuck. But it looks to me as if some of that light may be creeping too far into the shadow side of the beard area?

Meanwhile, get rid of the texture in the background and make an interesting pattern of light and shadow that will frame and enhance the face and add to your composition. It will also be easier to find and lose edges with background value chages.

Since we're moving right along, let's take a second look at the shirt. Pardon me if I repeat myself, but this is important...

Lighten the shadows on the left side of the shirt as they fall in the center of light and cannot be that dark. No shadow or dark will appear very dark when surrounded by light.

Also, no light on the dark side will equal the intensity of light on the light side.

Your reference photo is a pack of lies as your shadows appear much too dark. Paint what you know - NOT what you see in this regard.

You're on the right track - keep working!

Simplify, simplify, simplify
 

"Texture!?! We don't got no texture! We don't need no steenking texture!" - Texture of the Sierra Madre

Close-up

On the shirt, you have a vertical line dividing light from shadow, I suggest a more gentle transition here.

Areas of high contrast and sharp focus belong in the area of the center of interest in a painting.

Also, I'd really like to see you establish a pattern of some sort in the background to enhance your composition. Below is a scribble (and I am sure that you can do better)...but I think that it gives the background some "interest."