Hi Ilaria,

One of the things I most like about your work is the creative and bold way you design your backgrounds. They work so well with your fresh color schemes and looser brush strokes. I'm especially enjoying the closeup of the boy and they way you've placed the cool tones in his face.

I'm interested in what you wrote about painting the relationship between artist and sitter. Do your clients care whether you work from life or from photos? Do you feel you have more freedom working from life?

Palettes
 

Ilaria,
Thank you for your kindness in sharing your palette with me. I PROMISE not to challlenge you to a duel of the palettes. I especially enjoy the strength of colors in the shadow side of the faces as I am working on a group portrait with many of the same colors - especially the background. Does your mentor use the same palette?

Carol Norton

Painting from life
 

Hi Linda, how are you?
I have been painting from life a lot recently, and as I said I grew more confident. At the end of the day is only a matter of practicing.
I do agree at the beginning with the client that there will be live sittings, the more the better, and that I might want to go and paint in the house even if the subject is not there.
I find it very useful, when I am in the right mood everything goes swiftly, I paint fast because I am under pressure, and I can finally see all the purples, greens blues in the face. As you know I work from B&W photos, so I normally make them up a little, but seeing them it's actually much easier. Working from life also helps me to blur the image more. When I paint from an enlarged photo that I keep at 5 inches from my eyes I can see better all the details and tend to paint them, as if I had Superman vision. In the girl's portrait I managed to be quite loose I think.

Now, regarding the client's attitude, it is sometimes trouble. With the excuse of having them signing something to allow me to publish the painting with the name, I have now prepared a letter where I say that the portrait is a cohoperation between us, and that they need to be available. This last lady dragged me on for weeks before the daughter could find a week-end morning for me, I should have asked a big deposit!
But also going there with your easel, your stuff, setting up etc, I have noticed it generates a certain awe and respect that you can take advantage on. You must, I think, pose like THE artist, so that you can say: I am the artist, I will not modify the mouth! later on.


It is anyway very interesting and rewarding to establish a short friendship, especially with the children I paint. I just enjoy spending time with them rather then be always on my own upstairs listening to BBC4 !
Love
Ilaria

Carol, I don't know what colours Minna uses, I have never seen her painting, but they won't be too different from mine.
I checked you out!! I looked for the work you posted, unfortunately only found one, but I understood why you liked Minna and maybe me.
We paint more or less in the same way, with patches of colours and very little blending. This is a way of painting that is very popular over here, as it was masterly taught by Willliam Coldstream and especially by his pupil Euan Uglow.
I suggest that you buy a book on Uglow, he is an absolute genius with an incredible sensitivity for colour. I learned a lot from his work, and was taught by a couple of his pupils.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg...glance&s=books
Just snap it if you can, let me know if you fell in love with his paintings as it happened to me
Ilaria

Carol, Post scriptum:
You might find it useful to browse around here
www.commissionaportrait.com
xxx
I.

Uglow and Unblended Colour
 

"I suggest that you buy a book on Uglow, he is an absolute genius with an incredible sensitivity for colour. I learned a lot from his work, and was taught by a couple of his pupils."
*******
Thank you so much, Ilaria. I just ordered the book from Amazon and can't wait to get it. So many wonderful things to learn! How lucky can we be.

I have only posted one painting as its photo reference was so difficult to read and received a great deal of help especially in the arena of not using poor photos. (and I didn't want to take advantage of Chris Saper too much). I have done a couple of paintings from black and white photos: two I have completed, one is giving me fits. I am very interested in the fact that you paint from black and whites all the time. ... and... impressed. It leaves the imagination wide open for color choices but I AM struggling with the shadows. I am going to post more as time goes on.

Thank you so much for your interest and references.
Carol

You have a wonderful style. Very rich. Thanks for sharing.

Beautiful!
 

Hi Ilaria -

I'm really enjoying looking at these paintings. Thanks so much for sharing them. They are really interesting, beautiful and engaging.

Ilaria,

I ditto the things already said about these charming portraits.

I also like that you painted the background colors darker and more saturated than the figures, it gives so much energy to the persons.

Allan

Thank you
 

Thanks to all for your comments, things about my work I did not know myself!
Being part of this forum is really a valuable assett to my daily activity.
I am just packing for a two weeks holiday in sunny South Africa, again thanks to all for viewing and have a Happy Easter
Ilaria