Mary Rose
 

Oil on New Traditions linen panel, 20 x 16

This lovely child is as gentle and sweet as she looks. Lucky me to paint her!

Wow!
 

Dear Chris,

Absolutely gorgeous! What lush colors! :exclamati Could you post some close-ups please?

Joan

Oh, yes, Chris! Please post some close-ups! You've got such a lovely thing going with the colors here. Those dark greens and the blue is perfect with her hair and skin. It's a beautiful portrait.

Alex

Chris, this is lovely! What a beautiful face, freshly and strongly painted. Please post some closeups, I would love to see how you navigated the shadow side of the face.

Chris--

Really nice! Like the color in the shadows especially...I've been struggling with this.

Best--TE

Hi Chris,

This is another beautiful and lovely work.
I loved the colors and how you captured her expression.

Gorgeous color -- and I'll be looking forward to seeing the closeups, too!

:) Beautiful as usual!

Beautiful job, It looks like you enjoyed painting her and you were very sensitive to her sweet expression.

Vianna Szabo

Thank you all, so very kindly!

Here are some close-ups.

And a few WIP shots...

Well, these seem to be out of order, but you get the idea...

Consumate Teacher
 

Chris, teachers are givers and you are the consumate educator. I love these stages of Mary Rose (as well as your classes). More pages for the learning notebook that I keep of significant pIntings from which I continually refer to learn.

I think your new name must be Ms. Thankyouagain. (Quite a long name, don't you think?)

As always,
Your Fan

Great shadows...
Thanks for sharing Chris.

Wow, Chris. Very nice. Thanks for the close ups.

I wish I had more command of the english language as this simple pose is made elegant by your handling of it.

Beautiful.

John

I am so in awe of this painting. Was just studying and wondering how in the world does she get all those colors in the flesh, then pop, you give the WIP. Just amazing! You really should do another book with WIPs, tho it would be difficult to hold both in my lap as I paint. Beautiful Painting!

I am struggling through the same problem: however, your's looks SO nice and fresh!

I love the unusual use of the greenish flowers in front, a really good example of an analogous color composition.

Chris, thanks so much for posting the WIPs. I love seeing how you built up the colors, but I found the brushstrokes especially interesting. The way you brush out into the edges of her face is something I've never seen before. Is it something you developed yourself, or did you learn it? I can see how it affects the edge. Also the forehead: many artists brush horizontally along the forehead, but your brushstrokes are vertical. Also, your diagonal strokes seem so orderly and purposeful, as all strokes should be, even when you are just beginning a painting. I like having this glimpse into how you work, since my trips to Phoenix are few and far between.

Alex

Thank you all!

Regarding the brush strokes, I think they have come about since I started using 'grainer" brushes (aka Bob Ross wildlife fur brush, aka grass faux brush,aka rake brush and whatever else) to paint highlight transitions in hair. I like them so much I now use them all over the place.

These little brushes are more often in the craft section of places like Miichael's, are generally really cheap and designed for faux painting or decorative tole painting. They are overall shaped like a flat, but the last 15% or so of the brush hairs' lengths are feathered.

I only wish I could say that the brushstrokes' directions were purposeful. Sigh.

This is just lovely and sweet. Her eyes are so nice and moist looking. Perfect highlights.