Egon
 

Hi, this is my good friend Egon. Oil on linen 14" X 12"

I started yesterday and painted it all wet into wet. Consider it done, but would like comments anyway. Thanks :D

Allan

Allan,

Your abilities are increasing at a such a rapid pace. I think the copy of the Degas was one of those exercises that really improved the fluidity of your brush work. What a beautiful portrait!

One question. There is quite a difference in the color of the photo and the painting. Was it all done from the photo or did you persuade this gentleman to sit.

By the bye are all you Danes so CUTE!

Allan,

What a great image.

I would try and push the shelf to our right back a bit. It appears to be too bright, I think if you greyed it down a bit it would receed and give a little more kick to the subject.

Or maybe give a little more highlight to the beard.

Allan,

I think Mikes' suggestions are good ones. I love the blue mantle but it does pop a bit too much.

Mike and Sharon, thank you for the comments.

You are right, it does look weird. The colors are off, because I took the photo under a halogen light and used the polarizing filter to (almost) avoid glare. It seems that the filter takes away a part of the light.

I better take another photo of the painting tomorrow and replace this.
The painting is much less brownish. But we will see then.

Sharon,
Egon is the nicest human being that I know and I plan to make a bigger portrait of him.

Allan

I have adjusted the color balance in photo shop so now it looks more like it should.
But I will take another shut outside tomorrow to see the difference.

Allan

Very nice Allan. I love your painterly technique. Your painting has a nice uniform glow and composition. You certainly were able to read into and restore the missing information in the photo. Did you modify the blue shelf from it's actual color?

Garth

Allen, I'm very impressed and I think you captured the kindness that seems to comethrough from Egon's expression.

Garth, thanks.

The photo was taken on a rainy day with low light, but the Nikon d70 did the job and I liked the photo for a sketch. The light was very low so the highlights were overexposed though.
So I made it all up from imagination.

I just recently got the photo shop and am still learning, but I managed to manipulate the middel tones from Blue toward Yellow. And I also lightened the image.

The painting is actually a bit more yellow than the reference, but not much.

Allan

Allan, this is wonderful! I agree with all of the above, but if you did nothing more I would still love it.

Jean

Allan, I loved it. The painting has a classic painterly feel to it. Like I feel like I have seen it in a famous museum somewhere. Good stuff.

Oh Alan, this is very nice! His personality comes across and there seems such confidence about the way you've painted him. :thumbsup:

Very nice Allan. I like the subject.
Jerome

Allan, I agree with Terri - this is painted with such confidence, and it's wonderful. This is the kind of portrait I'd want on my wall even if I didn't know the man.

Thanks Jean, Josef, Terri, Garth and Linda.

It is easy to be confident with Egon, because he is a wise man. He understand that people do there best when trying to portray him. And that nobody are perfect.

I actually had some thinking upon that issue while I fiddled with his wrinkles and came to the result that he would be disappointed if I tried to flatter him by lying about his age!

I am sure that he will be proud when I tell him that he have a fan club in America.

I have to varnish his nose, to get an even glare, before I can take the photo outside.

Allan

It's just wonderful! The technique is superb, and the face just bursts with character. It doesn't feel "posed " at all, which is always my favorite kind of portrait.

John C.

A charming painting of a charming character. A person that everyone would want to be their Grandfather!

Hi,
now I think that is as good as can be. I took the pic. outside this morning in full sun, sorry for the glares.

Thank you John and Michele.

Allan

Congratulations Allan,

It's PERFECT!

Garth

I want to meet him. His face tells a wonderful story, this is your best by far. I'm drawn immediately to his soft eyes, I wouldn't change anything. I believe that portraiture is more than applying paint in a pleasing way, technically perfect strokes, proper chroma and value. It also needs to tug at the heart and you have succeeded here in a grand way.

Jean

Hi Allan,
I keep coming back to this painting. What a great face, what a great painting. Congratulations!

Thank you all,

Garth,
you remember that we both entered this forum about a year ago ?
I guess that I have learned more from it than you ;) thanks to people like you.

Jean,
I will come back with more paintings of him, so you will get to know him better. He is also an artist in many ways. I can