Tim and his teddybear
 

This is one of my best friend's first child, Tim. This is a cropped version, due to the no nudes rule. I

And the reference:

Increasing intensity of shadows
 

Hanna, it is absolutely darling!

The only thing that I can comment on would be darkening the back of the head some more (area towards our left). You might want to slightly increase the intensity of the shadow area of the neck. I am basing my observations strictly on the comparison with the photo. Photos can be deceiving so wait for others to comment, who have more experience with pastels than me.

Hanna,

I too am blind to its errors. I see that you have omitted the fabric(?) folds around the baby's head. I am curious as to whether you omitted them throughout and if so how you grounded the baby. Beautiful photo, beautiful portrait.

Hanna,

It is beautiful. You have every right to be proud of it, it is very difficult to portray children and especially babies.

I wouldn't object to your posting the full image. Do babies qualify as nudes? What do others think?

Hanna,

Just a note on the way by, regarding a couple of shadow areas.

I think that indeed the photographic representation is affecting the shadow cast by the head onto the baby's right shoulder. First, I'd considerably soften the edge (on our left) of that shadow shape. It's the photo, and possibly the strength of the studio light, that's making for such a hard edge (which also doesn't look "baby-like", to put it in nontechnical terms). Second, reconsider the manner in which that cast shadow behaves as it goes up and over the shoulder. Rather than turn toward the arm and follow the shoulder around and down the arm, I think it actually goes straight up over the mid-shoulder. Bring up Third, which is that the cast shadow will become increasingly less intense as it moves away from the form (here the head) casting the shadow. On top of the shoulder, there should be a lot more light in that shadow shape than over closer to the neck.

I also think the reflected light on the neck is slightly strong, creating a "striped" effect. If you squint at the photo, that light disappears. Not so in the pastel.

Lastly for now, the halftone running from the near corner of the baby's mouth down around the chin is too uniformly dark and wide. About midway it actually almost disappears, as it would, because the planes of the form are moving from out of the direct light, then into it, then out of it again.

As for questions about posting the full figure, I recommend sending it to Cynthia first for review. It's a very difficult line to have to draw, obviously easier if it doesn't have to be drawn at all, even though I have little doubt that there would be any problem in this particular instance.

The rendering of the pastel is very accomplished and beautiful.

In general...

I am not critiquing those critiquing, so please know that I tread very lightly with this comment, but you will find that the final arbitrator is not necessarily the photograph.

This is particularly true in reference to shadow values and edges. A photograph will intensify value differences and might show a hard line where there is none. This is why working from life is so important. Not that one should never use photographs, but that the artist be able to interpret that photograph. The artist be able to understand what life looks like.

I would say that Hanna has interpreted the photograph correctly. She has modulated the shadow on the baby's skin into an airy, soft, bluish baby shadow, not the hard plastic orange shadow on the photograph.

I see only two very minor corrections, the neck under the chin is just a hair too light, it should move back to into a mid value, and Steven's comment about the cast shadow on the trunk being to "edgy." I would think about softening in.

Beautiful, sensitive work.

Peggy

Thank you so much everybody for taking your time helping me.

It is sadly true what Peggy got into a little. I

Separate shadow from light!
 

Hanna,

I think you are a very talented artist with great potential, therefore I am giving you the following advice for your consideration.

Living in the New York City area I have been able to study the paintings of the great master painters, and to my eye, the essential quality they share is the masterful way in which they handle the modeling of form.

The key to successful modeling is the separation of light and shadow. Regardless of what you think you see, the values in the shadow areas must be lower than the values in the areas illuminated by the light source. If you violate this principle, you'll sacrifice unity and flatten the image. Reflected light should be handled primarily through hue changes, and most certainly not by value alone.

In your painting, for example, you have merged the reflected light under the jowl with the light on the cheek. In the photo, the distinction between the two is subtle and in this case must be exaggerated.

Modeling of form has nothing to do with copying what is in front of you, be it photo or life. The creation of form is a concept that is manifested by the artist in the painting or drawing. I had this realization at a show of Van Dyke paintings. I noticed that the figures in the paintings appeared more real than the people looking at the paintings.

The brain is the artist's most valuable tool.

Thank you Marvin for your post. I

Somehow it is easier to see what needs to be done when it is smaller. I see now that I need to go a little darker on the bottom of the cheek. You are apparently also teaching me what to look out for and how to critique my own work. Not bad!

As I was saying..
 

In keeping with the spirit my previous post, to emphasize the light you need to lower the values in the ear. They are too light.

I was thinking that, too, yesterday but I didn

Thanks
 

I like the boy, too. He's my youngest son, Michael. A lot of love went into that one.

Hanna, you said you aren't able to practice painting from life. You might want to try doing self portraits with a mirror.

Also, if you don't get a chance any time soon to go see masterful paintings in a museum you might want to check out the Rijksmuseum website. They have many wonderful closeup reproductions in their paintings section.

Roslin at the Nationalmuseum
 

Hanna,

You have access to one of the greatest museums in the world, the Nationalmuseum in Stockholm. There you can see two of greatest portrait artists of all time, Anders Zorn and Alexander Roslin.

I am posting one my ten favorite portraits, The Lady With the Veil, a portrait by Alexander Roslin of his wife.

Thank you Peggy and Michele!

Now I really can

LETTING GO
 

An excellent piece of work, and I feel as though most issues have been addressed so I would like to comment on attitude/approach.

The greatest piece of advice I ever received was to let go, not to be scared to make a mistake. I specialize in children and baby portraits and as you know must work from photographs. My greatest challenge has always been to capture likeness without being bogged down by the photograhphic reference.

Sometimes one has to take a deep breath and trust instinct a little and let go of the details in a photo.

I know it is easier said than done, and the longer you spend on a piece, the harder it is to take risks. I always try to remind myself the worst that can happen is that I have to start again and if it results in a better piece then it is worth it.

I would say good luck for the future, but you don't really need it!

Rachel,

I understand your comments completely. It is a scary thing to venture outside the envelope.

In this regard I think it is important to work on non commissioned pieces as often as you can. The risk is only your effort spent. I am constantly gathering reference material which will allow me to experiment.

The benefit of a photograph is that it can offer wonderful composition and from this a point of departure. Easier said than done.

Letting go
 

Rachel,

What great thoughts about 'letting go'. I will take your comment to heart. Thank you for sharing,

Joan

Very lovely, Hanna! My compliments!