Portrait Critique on background
 

Hi Everyone,

I had a mediocre photograph to work with with almost no lighting. I have done the best I could to add my own imaginary lighting coming from the left, over the girl's head and onto the wall behind the flowers. I would appreciate any advice as it feels that something is off. Thank you.

Renee

Dear Renee,

Thank you for the opportunity to review your painting! Although you specifically asked for a background critique, I had some general thougth to share with you....

You mention that the lighting was very poor on your photograph, and that you needed to invent lighting. You are right to want the lighting to come from a sideways direction. It so very difficult to "imagine" lighting, particularly when it is flat on your resource, because you don't have a good basis upon which to judge the differences in value or color between shadow and light. Light has temperature (warm to cool) and without good information, (or many years of painting from life) it is difficult to see what color you are after. The skin color in shadow will be a different color that the skin color in light, rather than a darker version of the same color. In one of my very first workshops, given by Doug Dawson, the class showed portfolios on the last day. He looked at mine, and was very quiet, and finally said "Why would you accept such poor resource material?" It was one of the best pieces of advice he could have given me.

When you paint from photos, it is so important to have the best visual information you can get...good directional lighting (no flash) is really essential..it will establish the tone for your entire composition.

As I look at your background, I think your sensing a need to balance the portrait image at the lower left with something at the upper right is right. I like to balance pictorial elements, but in unequal amounts...the flowers are roughly the same size and value as the figure, so it is more difficult for the eye to know where to rest...and linger with your center of interest. A thumbnail sketch before you begin the painting is a great way to think through the placement and composition of your piece.

Best wishes, Chris

Re: Thanks, Chris
 

Chris,

Thank you for taking the time to critique my portrait. I have already visited Karen Well's website and printed out her lighting advice. I called both companies that she recommends and in the next couple of months will order both the "background set up in a bag" as well as the "White Lightening Ultra 800" system from Paul Duff.

I can't wait to be able to control the whole background and setup without relying on the client's sub par photos. I am putting together 20 portraits for monthly rotating portrait shows throughout 2002 in my area. Models are scarce, So, I have been using photos from previous pastel portrait commissions to create these oil portraits. I have vowed to insist on using my own photography from now on. Your point is well taken.

I did attempt to place a lot of cool colors in the shadows. Right now I am working with John Sanden's book on Portrait Painting. Probably, I need even more cool in the shadows or else my digital camera may be recording too much warm color. Tomorrow I am starting a five week course with a highly recommended teacher in our area that specializes in Master backgrounds. I am hopeful he will teach me some great background techniques. When I was doing pastel portraits a few years back, I had the opportunity to speak by phone with Doug Dawson, whose work I totally admire. He gave me some really good advice and a workshop with him must have been an excellent experience. Dawson's influence is beautifully apparent in the painting of the girl on your home page. I also like the painting of the two girls on the beach. I do beach paintings of children, as well, and if you have time, please visit my website to see some of them at: http://www.LongIslandFineArt.com

I believe you have a new book coming out, correct? I am going to pre-order it, as I am sure to get some great solutions on skin tones. Once again, thank you, and I hope the next painting I post for critique will be much improved. :)

Renee Brown

Background suggestion
 

I think that the backgound, because of its mass, overwhelms the figure. I suggest simply cropping the painting a couple of inches to the right (as I view it) of the sitter's sleeve.

Re: Hi Karen
 

Karen, Yes, that would solve the problem but even with a restretch on 16" x 20" canvas stretchers, she's still too low in the painting. You know, I put up the worst portrait I have for a critique because that's the one that was driving me crazy. As usual there are some paintings that just need to be ditched and this one may be a candidate. I am going to try one last thing by lightening up the value in the background. I have five months left to get the body of portraits done, so there's still time to start a new one. Thanks, I thought that cropping was a good idea. Plus I am so glad you posted all that lighting advice.

Renee

Crit
 

Dear Renee, Michele and Mary:

Forgive me for addressing you as a group. I am doing so because I have the same advice for each of you.

Renee and Mary have chosen photos from which nothing can be done. There is nothing in them to indicate light and shadow. Mediocre source material always results in a less than mediorce painting.

Michelle, your double light sources cancel each other. The way to do it is to use a cool natural light and a warm incandescent. One for a strong rim light, the other as a gentle fill. There must be a band of shadow between them, or the form is destroyed. Richard Jack R.A. did some powerful work this way. If you can find something by him it is worth the trouble.

Personally, I do not believe there is anything of value to be learned from working from photography, but if one must work from those with one light source in which the shadows are not too blackened and the lights are not too washed out.

I suggest you get good old master reproduction and make careful copies. This may give you some idea about how to light models and help you to be more discriminating in your choice of swipe.

In the future, if it is possible, post the swipe next the image of the painting so that the painters on this forum will be able to give you better criticisms.

Re: To Paul
 

Paul, Thank you for your critique. Yes, I am now committed to bringing up the level of my portraits. In fact, in addition to buying and using professional lighting and photo equipment, I am going to start three or four sittings with the client. I had live model class every week for seven years in the Long Island Art League with an excellent PSA instructor, so I am used to and enjoy painting from life. I will use the photos as reference and make sure the quality and the lighting is correct. I am inspired by the excellence of work on this website and thank you all for commenting.

Renee

Sight Size
 

Dear Renee,

http://www.480bc.com/benr/photos.htm

Look over this over. Study the sight size demo.

Hope it helps,
Paul

Swipe
 

"Swipe" is flat copy reference material: photos.

Two questions for Renee
 

Renee, you mentioned two points that got my attention and prompted questions. Can you tell me more about these "monthly rotating portrait shows" you do to promote your work? Where do you hold these shows?

Also, you mentioned you use a digital camera. I am thinking of buying one. What model do you use? I am interested in something that would provide high enough resolution to give me a photographic quality 8x10 and one with a big enough view screen that I can tell on the spot whether the photos I've taken at a shoot will be good enough to use. I don't like waiting for film to be processed only to find out that the subject's eyes were too squinty to produce a good portrait and that I then have to schedule a re-shoot!

Thank you!

Re: Rotating shows
 

Michelle,

Hi. I create them myself with the cooperation of local libraries and businesses who are open to exhibiting artists work. I live on Long Island in New York and the communities out here are very pro-active regarding artists and promoting their work.

I sell my landscapes of children on the beach out of Gallery North, East Setauket, NY, during two seasonal shows but there aren't too many galleries around here willing to get involved with portrait commissions. I call all the art leagues and local libraries (we have many in my region) and send in samples of my work and they give me specific months to display my portraits.

I hang about twenty pastel and oil portraits of pets and people and on a pedestal I place a guestbook, business cards and brochures with pertinent contact information. I always acquire new commissions in this manner.

I am currently using the HP200c digital camera. I can shoot a photo of my painting in my studio and have it up on my website in three minutes. I use adobe 2.0 to edit my photos (trim and resize) and adobe 5.5 LE to try out new compositions and colors when creating a new painting. I intend to upgrade eventually to a better camera but all my photos on my website were shot with the HP200c: http://www.LongIslandFineArt.com

E-Bay is currently selling this camera for around $150., the best price I have seen. It originally retailed for $300. Btw, I recently saw photos printed off the computer using the HP1000 colorsmart printer (my next purchse). Looked just like prints! Hope this helps. Renee

Re: Reworked, Cropped and Restretched
 

Dear Chris, Karin, and Paul, I have eight of my portrait samples done for my upcoming monthly rotating shows in 2002,( in addition to three commissions in progress) and originally the portrait I posted here was intended to be in that show. You know I submitted it because I wasn't happy with it. Well, after you all generously critiqued it, I redid the background, changed the flesh colors and made the flowers more delicate ( less is more). Then, I pulled the canvas off the stretchers and cropped and restretched it. So, Karin, cropping was your suggestion, and I thank you for that. Chris, I added cool colors in the shadows and it made a big difference and Paul, I took your suggestions about photography and lighting as well. So, here is the finished product. Not perfect but much improved and at least it will make it into the show. Thank you to all of you. This forum is terrific.

Renee

Renee
 

I visited your website and I particulary liked the portrait of Reisling, the yellow lab. I think the pose and the background combine very well. I have been trying to photograph a relative's labs, and they don't want to cooperate well enough to get their whole body into the picture (in an attractive way), and what you captured is a very good solution.

Photographing Dogs and Lighting Techniques
 

Pam,

Thank you for the compliment on "Riesling". He doesn't even show his best on the web. My digital camera picks up every color. His blanket is much more cohesive in person and it is not nearly as blue as shown. Plus, I still have that photographic glare problem in the upper left. In person, the background is very dark and the dog leaps out (kind of).

Okay, here's how I do the photography session. I meet with the client and subject around 2:30pm on a sunny day. The owner becomes the handler and I ask that another person, that the dog is familiar with, help out . That second person stands behind me and distracts the dog and gets his ears up. The owner holds the dog (and this is very important) on a choke chain. That is the only way to control the dog's head and have a quick and successful photography session. The fact that the owner is the handler eliminates any unforeseen problems (like biting- ouch!)

I just took in a five Samoyed family commission (heads only ). It took three rolls of film to get five excellent shots. I use a Canon Rebel 2000 plus my digital camera. Get the dog to sit, stand, and don't forget a bench if you're doing full-body shots. Hope this helps you. Secondly, I want to thank everyone who posted advice for me. Ever since I found "Stroke of Genius", I have learned so much. I have totally changed my lighting and now have good source material.

I also bought Chris Saper's new book, "Painting Beautiful Skin Tones With Color and Light" and I cannot say enough good things about it. It is a great book.

Here's the newest portrait I am working on (not finished yet and the flowers are just getting started). As you can see, it is a big improvement from the original one that is critiqued on this thread (which by the way, got pulled from my portrait tour in favor of better paintings). So, thanks to you all.

Renee Brown

Renee
 

So that's how to manage dogs! Thanks for the description of your procedure, I think that will do the trick. I do like your current portrait-- I think bright sunshine on a figure is very interesting.