Breaking the rules
 

I guess I am really breaking the rules with this one. The reference is really bad so I won't even post it. I know you are saying, "Haven't you learned not to use bad reference?", but this is more a memory than a piece of art.

This is one of my daughter's best friends, Kallie. These photos were taken the night of Gwen's "first formal". We all met at Kallie's house so her mom, who is the older woman, could see the kids dressed up.

She was buried today, it was all very sad. I think this was my therapy and would bring more joy to the family than flowers, even though it may have technical art problems.

I would like it to look as nice as possible, so if any one has any comments or suggestions, please bring them on.

This portrait is NOT finished some things have not been rendered at all.

Thanks! :)

The size is 14" x 12" on Wallis paper.

Here is the close-up.

Beth, was it the mom or the daughter who died?

I think the mom looks a bit sad, or even a bit disapproving at this stage, which could be a bit of a concern for the family. It is difficult to do something like this but it will be very much appreciated over time. Perhaps you could make it all a little blurrier or softer to create some dialogue between them.

Now, don't go and brush it all off like Jean did when I commented. I'm just being helpful :)

Margaret, thanks for your input, trust me I don't have Jean's nimble touch to keep brushing! :)

I should have been clearer, but it was late. Colleen, the mother, died. She was diagnosed with breast cancer 6 years ago and went into remission, then they discovered a little over a year ago that it had moved into her bones and brain. ;C

I will post the only photo I have to work from. It was an impulse to do this, so I didn't want to go to the family. My daughter is the one sitting by her in this so I had to put Kallie in.

Worst case scenario, I know. Her look is about all she could muster, I believe, as this photo is only 6 weeks old.

Thanks!

Just so you don't have to open two browsers:

HI
 

HI Elizabeth,

I congratulate you for going ahead with this project despite the lack of "good" reference photography - it's certainly worth it, as I'm sure it will be very cherished and very healing.

Not to make you job more difficult, but I would try to put a small smile on the mother's face. Nothing more than turning the corners up. Of course smiling, even a bit, alters the whole face. The mouth gets wider, the cheeks changes and of course the eyes so to. But in this case I don't think you'd need to worry about the eyes, just the mouth and cheek.

I'm sure this is certainly an elective thing to to on your part, and I only suggest it due to the context of the painting (the daughter is smiling, so the mother shouldn't look too serious.

Moreover, since the mother has passed away, it would be nice for the daughter to look at this painting as see a mother's encouraging look of pride and satisfaction.

I hope this helps, and I'm sorry for your daughter's friend's loss.

Good Luck,
Linda

Beth, you'll work this out as you always do, but just in passing by and looking at the side-by-side images of the mother, I think that the somewhat "disapproving" look in the painting comes from a subtle but significant change in the shape of the upper lip.

From the middle of the lip to the the corner of the mouth on our right, the painting's version rather rises in a convex arc that presents somewhat of a "sneering" look, and the lip shape and color remain very strong right out to the corner of the mouth. That, coupled with the slightly too-strong definition in the small part of the lip to our left of middle, creates kind of a "beaked" lip. In the photo, I see a more level or even slightly concave edge, with the mouth features softening substantially as we approach the corner of the mouth on our right and also immediately as we move to our left from the center of the upper lip.

While here, I'll just note that I think I'd lower the values (no matter what the photo "says") on the neck, especially below the chin, as hitting that area with light exaggerates a bit the fleshiness in that area, in a kind of unattractive way. To the same effect, watch the neckline of the shirt. In the photo it begins to level out and rise just under the chin. In the painting, this turn doesn't begin until somewhere under the temple. That's contributing too to the "fleshy" look that, while there to some extent in nature, is being accentuated rather than downplayed in the painting.

Thank you all for your input. Hopefully I have incorporated your suggestions.

Steven when I really played down her neckline, it took a lot of her likeness away. So hopefully what I have done here, may distract the eye or play it down enough.

I'll tell you Linda, that little smile had me cursing all day! :(

Hopefully it works! :)

Here is today's progress:

Isn't it amazing how much mistakes jump off the screen at you, especially when you put them side to side?

Here is the close-up:

Color is not very rich on these last two digitals. But from the lack of response, does this impressionistic scarf do this in?

Hi Beth,

I like the overall colour pattern of the painting. I have a couple of comments though:

1. What does her daughter or family think of the likeness of the older woman? Because I think it does not look quite like her. Her cheeks in the photo come out a bit more, and a bit rounder, especially on the shadow/farther side. Her nose is also not as 'thick' in the photograph. However, you are doing a good job altering the lips and expresssion on her face. She looks more pleasant now.

2. The cheek levels on the girl are not at the same level. From what I see, the left cheek is a much more prominent and higher than the one on our right. Also, her neck on our left is 'puffed' out a bit, instead of a nice jaw line that you have indicated from the first painting that you posted. It is hard because I don't have a reference to compare.

I know what it is like to paint from a poor photo reference, and have made a promise to myself that I won't do that again. I try paint from photographs that I took myself only, and that helps a lot so far, at least for me!

Hope my input helps. Good luck with the painting!

Mai

Mai, I went to post these before I saw your comments, so I will double check those. Her family has not seen this.

This is where, with lack of a better saying, this emotional train wreck, has ended up:

Close up, the likeness is actually pretty good. I am sure there are some technical problems, but the photo above is just before she died and not the best, but it is all I have, and my daughter wanted to surprise her. If they are not happy, I will be happy to work from something they would provide.

Beth,

The painting looks very nice!

The girl's cheeks look better now. However, I am not sure if I am being picky, but I still think the shadow under her right eye and her right jaw are a bit too dark. The value shift from shadow to light is a bit too much. This is the problem when you paint from a photograph.

However, it is still a very nice painting and gesture (of you to do this painting for them), and I am sure the family will be very happy to have it!

Mai :thumbsup:

Hi Beth,

I like the scarf, It softens the mother and cuts out the large area of black. She also has lost her fierce look and now looks proud and maternal. Well done. I reckon she is finished except I think I would put a sleeve on her left arm.

The other area I think you should revisit is the symmetry of the girl's face and also her face is a bit too light. Nit, nit, nit, pick, pick, pick.:)

I take back the bit about the girl's face being too light. It was my monitor :oops:

BUT I think the girl's mouth is a little off centre. :)

Elizabeth,

There are several things that I quite like about this painting. Your use of edges in particular are wonderful and give the composition a sense of energy and movement. I think that you have undertaken a difficult work due to the use of less-than-best reference photos. I think that I would have been far too intimidated to undertake this project.

The thing that bothers me somewhat in the portrait is the distortion in the face of the teenaged girl. The cheek/jaw area on the right (the girl's left) looks like she just returned from the dentist with her lower cheek packed with cotton. Try holding the painting up to the mirror and the discrepancy will probably jump out at you.

I think it's coming along nicely, however. You always seem to figure it out in the end. Just keep plugging away -- that's the encouragement I keep having to give myself. :sunnysmil

Thanks for your continued input ladies.

Here is where the hopefully "final" has ended up:

Unfortunately I didn't look at the color of the post before I pulled up the reply box, I hope it isn't too yellow.

Here is the close up: