Dan,

Forgive me for dragging out my own work to illustrate my point and though the lights on the shadow side of this face look a little too light (the digital file is a higher contrast than the finished work) I offer it to demonstrate that you can get away with those "highlights on the shadow side if they relate to the light source somewhere from our left and are faithful to the underlying form.
I think you will see a distinction between source light and reflected light. You have tackled a difficult lighting situation.

Jim

Hi Jim,

I love the fact of you posting your painting to demonstrate a point. The light on the right side of mouth (shadow) is very characteristic of Carol (although she is 22 yrs old lol).

I see exactly what you mean. I agree that the digital files are higher contrast then the originals. I have tried to tone mine down so that you can see it more like it really is.

Thanks.

Dan

I think what Steven is trying to say (correct me if I'm wrong) is that in the reference for both portraits there was probably a lot of light on the shadow side of the faces but that it's not always the best thing for the painting to render it the way it shows in the photo.

Perhaps some portrait photographers would have moved the light source so that there weren't those strong lights on the far side of the faces to begin with. I'm not saying it's necessarily wrong to light a face that way. It's just that I think it makes a head feel more round (less flattened) if the light is not set up to create small strongly lighted areas on the shadow side. Part of the value massing thing.

Personal preference, perhaps.

Hi Michele,

I am thinking that your statement, "personal preference", may be the key here.

If I had moved the light from Carol's face to a point where the "bright" light on the shadow side wasn't there, then there would have been virtually no light on the side (she has a bit of a big nose). You need only look at the reference photo of Carol to see that the shadow from her nose already extends far into the right side of the face.

I think it is simply the subject's facial characteristics that makes this light brighter than in someone whose face may be less disticnt at these areas. (I am really trying to avoid saying puffiness and big nose a lot if I can help it.)

Dan

Dan,

I think "personal preference" is a fair note. Soft north light presents a softer and more traditional feeling. Studio light gives away the fact that a subject is under artificial light and for a good part of the last 100 years our society has learned to live with man made light and an argument could go on forever about the better source.

I would suggest that it is subject/situation related and neither is right nor wrong. I hope it doesn't sound like a bias but I think there is a lot to be said for studio light given the fact that many of our friends and associates are only known to us under artificial light. I think I digress.

Here are two more examples of strong lights on the shadow side of the face. The top painting is by SOG member Zhuo S. Liang < http://www.liangstudio.com/ > and the second by Raeburn who never saw a light bulb.

These are wonderful examples Jim.

Thanks