Annie reborn
 

Hi, I feel much better about this version of Annie. This was done from her pose and life, instead of a conglomeration of body parts and guessing. After meeting her my impressions of her personality were completely different. I feel that I have captured her sparkle this time. What do you think?

Jean

Detail
 

The photo posted too dark, I'll post a lighter one tonight. Here's a detail of her face.

Jean

Better color?
 

Hi again.

Hopefully the color is more accurate this time. I'm still borrowing a camera for photos, but have picked out my new one. Just waiting for some dollars!

Her neck and dress are not complete yet, and I plan to soften her chin line more. I've spent days on her hair alone, all that highlighting.

Annie's skin tones were very hard to get right. When she looked accurate in daylight, at night her skin appeared too yellow. When I added more pink tones she looked too pink in daylight, but better at night with incandescent lights. Somehow with glazing and trial and error, she looks pleasing both day and night now. I'm not sure how a happy medium was found. I need to study more on lighting.

The canvas was toned again, with deep rose in background and Old Holland indian yellow lake extra for her face and body. And I forgot, this is oil on canvas, 24"x28". I hope the color is better this time.

Jean

Close up
 

The color is better this time. Here's the new detail, hopefully this will post better too.

Jean

Nope, I'll try a different detail. Please delete this detail. She's way too "intense"!

New detail
 

I hope the color is better on this one. On my monitor these look right, but when posted they are too intense and dark. I hope this one is better.

Jean

Nope. I give up for now.

Hi Jean,

She looks much better and her hand is great. Soften that area by her collarbone closest to us. The shadow makes it look too sharp of a line.

I love the twinkle in her eyes, she makes you want to smile back at her.

Annie
 

Thanks Enzie, she has a sparkle in reality, and a love of life that shows. She is an aspiring artist, full of questions.

I'm still working on the neck and collarbone, and will post again when all is repaired.

Jean

Hi resolution Annie
 

Hi, well I'm playing around with my new camera, hopefully I'll have decent color and better detail now. This was taken at the highest resolution with the painting in shade.

I've worked more on her neck, the rose and ribbon, and dress.

Jean

Jean,

Well, I think you have certainly put forth the effort on this young lady. I don't have so much trouble with your execution as I do the way the lady is positioned on the canvas. I made a stab at repositioning her, which to my sensibilities brings her more into focus.

But, I am a notorious crop-too-tight fellow so take it for what it's worth.

Jean, this is VERY nice. You've come such a long way!

I would suggest you might want to work on the realism in the shirt. It looks somewhat invented and too perfect. I would also soften some of her hair. A few crisp strands here and there are nice but it seems as if there is too much sharpness all over in the hair. I also like Mike's cropping.

The color in all the images you posted looks fine, to me, at least.

Annie
 

Mike and Michele, thanks so much for the comments, I've taken all to heart.

First, regarding the composition. My original composition and value study was with a very deep plum background. This placed all the emphasis on her face and right hand (where I wanted it). My client felt that it might be too dark for her pastel living room, so I agreed to change the background (not thinking in advance of how much I was changing the composition when I changed the values). So, I crossed my fingers when posting and hoped it would fly as is (haha). You guys are too good (Mike). I like your crop too Mike, but need to keep the same size. I was considering changing her dress to a lighter color to hopefully bring the emphasis back to her face. This would decrease the heavy right side of the painting and draw more interest to her face because of her dark hair??

Michele, I'll get back into her hair and fuzz some more edges, and I've been working on the dress to make it more natural.

Are there any other suggestions on improving the composition? I'll be doing more for this client and I want this to be the best I can do ( at this point)!

Jean

Annie
 

Hi, I think I'm going to quit at this point. I have an idea that may work well in this composition. My client is having another portrait done of her other daughter. Both portraits will hang on the same wall over a baby grand piano. I'm goig to add her rose trellis on the left side of Annie's portrait and continue it into the other portrait. Her other daughter will be facing the opposite direction with the trellis on her right. Does this make any sense? Both portraits will then be "connected". Sort of a tryptic, with only two. What is that called, a byptic?

Anyway, here's Annie.

Jean

Oops, can't find my pictures. I'll be back.

Here they are!

Hi res close up
 

If you look closely, you will see a tiny hair on her nose. I didn't notice it until I saw the picture on my monitor. That's what I get for painting with a cat on my shoulder!

Jean

Forgot the picture
 

My day has been a little crazy, maybe time to give up.

Jean

Two paintings that are meant to be attached are called a "diptych" (pronounced dip-tick). Separate paintings that are meant to be hung together are called a "pendant".

Cat hair on the painting puts you in good company. There are cat hairs in Rembrandt's paintings, too -- and mine!

Pendant
 

Thanks Michele, although I kind of liked the term biptych.;)

Glad to hear I'm in good company with the hair, I'll make it my signature.

Jean

Reborn again
 

Well, I just didn't like the dark right side even with the plan of creating a "pendant". So Annie's gone pastel. I'm not done yet, will keep posting as she goes through this most difficult labor. I removed the rose at her neck, and will add a necklace that she will be bringing over.

Jean

Close to the finish
 

I've begun to add the roses, and am trying to make her right arm recede and left come forward more. Annie has misplaced the necklace so we're going to have to find an alternative.

Jean

Only tweaking left
 

Here left arm has given me many challenges. I've lightened the painting considerably, and added shadows to the roses.

Jean