Terri - I guess...I dont even know enough about photoshop to really follow what you just said! I used fairly neutral gray - no blue in the background, but it still looks cool. The bottom part I added a bit of black and a darker neutral gray. It does appear darker than the original as I keep looking. The hip shape shows more than it does here - I think.

If anyone has ever used John Sanden's portrait colors - the neutral grays are what I used in the background.... I love those pre-mixed grays of his and use them for backgrounds a lot....don't really use the colors for skin though (before anyone gets after me).

Kimberly,

The background does look olive to me. However, if them there apples stay you would need some green as a complementary. Even if you do not have a color corrected version on the web, it would most likely register more harmoniously than it does. A grey blue background would be better, then you could substitute les oranges.

Apparently a lot of posters think you have a lot of ability or they wouldn't be bugging so unmercifully.

I will try to post my study of Alicia Rose soon to show you how stupid, simple, easy and TIME SAVING an itty bitty 12"x16"color study is.

I was happy with Marvin's Paxton portrait colors and found them exceptionally easy to work with.

I do not use premixed colors as I find the background color so influences the whole composition that it has to be well considered and fine tuned. If you photograph during daylight, a set up of the out-fit against your background color in the same light, will give you the best information as to it's tonality.

Kim,

I held my tongue on your earlier post of this painting because I really do admire this painting, but them thar fruits are too close to the edge of the canvas to make me happy. If you had followed Sharon's directions to make a quick study first, you could have avoided this problem by either resizing Eve totally, or (and this is what I would have done) turning this into a square painting. When I do biggish paintings I cut out a big piece of brown paper the same size as the canvas and do a charcoal study to make sure I don't have compositional problems. More agile minds could figure this out in a 5" x 7" scrap of paper but I seem to need the same-size dummy scrap to visualize porportions.

You have a nice brush technique on this painting, nicely done!

Sharon - you mean all this nitpicking is because I am wonderful? ;) This is all good advice - I need to muddle through now what to do.

Linda - you will be pleased to know the hands and fruit are not that close to the edge - I had to crop the jpg since I didnt photograph it straight enough. It's in the studio, but I'd guess there is maybe 2-3 inches from each edge to the hands/fruit. Does that help?

Sharon - I guess I am going to have to start doing color studies or your going to nag me to death. Imagine the time I am going to save YOU from critiquing. What are you going to do with all that extra time?

Love it --- your best yet, by far, in my opinion!

However........The asymmetry of her nose and mouth make her far less attractive than she should be (and probably is) and distracts a lot from the rest of the painting, I think.

Thanks Michele!

About her mouth and nose - well just a bit of her teeth always show - like I have it, but the uneven upper lip - how it droops a bit on our right was a 'happy accident' and I left it because I thought it added character. If it were a commission or straight portrait I wouldnt have done that. She is jus too darned pretty this girl - I thought she looked too unreal. I did try to downplay her nose a bit - it is very round - and I also made her shoulders a bit smaller. She is one of those really tall girls with shoulders like a linebacker. Her hands and feet are huge too - what a very beautiful girl she is though. I found out after she modeled that she used to be in JCPenny catalogs and on Tide commercials when she was younger. She is the best model I have ever had for gracefullness. Those long lanky ones are wonderful!

Hey Kim,

Very nice job, I really like the brush application. This is a critique area, so I will just say her right ear does'nt look like it received the same attention. It could just be my screen.
But......
Yes you are, now if you gain about 20-30 lbs, you'd be perfect! ;)

Jimmie-

Thank you & I will for sure look at that ear again.

Ha! You are a funny guy :o Hey sure - I'd be a hot fatty, but 20-30 more and I'd have to walk sideways through my doorways, get sturdier tires on my car and better shoes....it would just be too costly ;)

My last word on this. Kimberly, I hope you DON"T have a major complex about this picture as it has a great deal to recommend it. Next time, take what you have learned and just post it in the unveilings section.

Sharon - No complex here. I post here when I am open to suggestions. I hope you dont detect any defensiveness - there isnt any at all.