Franny
 

This is Frances, sister of the little girl in the blue dress I posted a while back.

It's not particularly innovative in its setup...you've seen this many times before. But I'm posting it because I'm beginning to get hold of some things that have been plaguing me for several years, and I feel good about that.

I'm starting to see color for the first time, in a different way. Before, I sort of saw everything as shades of gray with color perceived after, almost like a grisaille, even when painting directly--in other words, I modeled with gray and color followed. This may have resulted from a preoccupation with the gray scale and nailing values correctly. Now I'm beginning to see color more from the start, and to model with more subtle color values and not just gray.

Also too, I'm beginning to settle into an attitude about detail that I'm comfortable with. The actual floor had a lot more detail in the grain, and the wallpaper had a pronounced pattern. But I subordinated all of this, and tried to develop a painted shorthand for the floor, without anally painting every board. This editing may seem contradictory with the quest I seem to be on for a direct, solid realism to the heads, but I don't want the environments to steal from the interaction with the subjects.

So, long story short, I'm still inching along, but feeling better about where things are going.

It doesn't seem at all contradictory to me, Tom. How interesting to hear you articulate this process. I have experienced layers of this process ever since I started painting. I really like how you have described your particular version of it.

It's a striking portrait, the light glows, and the freshness of the color really stands out. You've really succeeded in subordinating the background and controlling the level of detail--I can see a change from the portrait of her sister, which was pretty recent.

Wow Tom!

Franny's portrait is gorgeous! I love the verticality of it, and the supporting bannister. Such a simple strong design! I agree with Alex that there is no contradiction to your detail editing, which is superb, by the way. It is perfectly obvious there is a fine floor, and rich wallpaper, and the detail is more than sufficient. Perfection! The color is great too!

Garth

Tom, this is such a nice painting. I especially love her toes, they look so real.

The most difficult thing for me to learn to master is the hierarchy of detail. The Pakistani Girl in the WIP was and continues to be a real struggle, because in a relative depth less painting, there is so much going on that competes with the head. When to push the envelope and when to back of is definitely an acquired skill, which I am glad to hear you have successfully mastered.

Your work is beautiful and it is nice of you to share the flaws you see in your own work. I for one would have never noticed, but through your humbleness, have been given a chance to learn and understand.

Thanks!

Tom,
ditto to the above said.

You have created a strong presence of this little girl by subordinating the surrounding details, and also because we eye-level with her.

The simple color scheme, pink and dark green, works so well.

Allan

Tom, lovely and solid work.
I also like her shy attitude very much, and the slight weight shift toward the back makes her so alive!
Thank you for showing and sharing your thoughts
Ilaria

Ditto to what Garth has said. And to what everyone has said. Just a beautiful, lovely portrait.

David

So delicately handled. Just beautiful all around! Just love how you handled the very subtle color of her dress, the reflections of the balusters (sp?). . . and the floor reads perfectly.

Oh and don't let me forget to mention those perfect little hands and feet!

Lovely !
Very subtle tones. There's a feeling of the old sepia photos...
very nice to see on the close up how you simplified the ears, the light in the hair...

Thanks everyone, for these encouraging comments...I don't mean to sound so tentative. There were the usual painting joys, like the unexpected splat of bluish highlights on the shadow side, from a window up the stairs. Nice to discover this while working.

Alex--Glad you see a shift, and I think it's progress.

Garth--Thanks as always. The skin tones are deeper than some I paint; this was summer and she was a brown little thing. At least a value darker than me. Somewhat hard to find cool tones as a result.

Enzie--There's very little actual detail in the hands and feet; I'm finding it's usually not necessary.

Allan--Most of "my children" look a little older than they are in my paintings (Franny is five), I think because I get on their level if possible.

Ilaria--Shy, and a little quizzical too, which I tried to keep in the expression.

David and Marina--Best to you both...I appreciate it!

Terri--The reflections are very thin; I wiped back to the ground rather than painting them opaquely.

Thanks again, all-TE

Beautiful, Tom. Your best yet, I think.

Ironically this seems more precisely real despite your goal of eliminating detail -- or maybe because of it.

I love the vertical composition too.

Can you post details of the wood reflections, hands and feet? I'd also love to learn more about your process. Do you work in sections or everything all over, etc.

Hi Tom -

I was about to ask you to post the feet and the wood flooring too,

Very nice painting - and I understand what you are saying about the color.
Well put!

As requested...

Not much detail in the feet, no half-moon nails or such--just some broad, quick neutral strokes. As you can see, the floor is pretty broad-brush stuff also, no detail. It just seems more solid from a distance.

The hands don't have any more detail than the feet, really. I thought about completing the thumb, but decided not to improve on the accident of the moment.

Michele--I guess it's a global working up, rather than going from section to section. I draw the heads on the canvas in great detail in a schematic, analytical fashion instead of as an "art drawing"--a friend told me these drawings look like dissections--to teach myself the structure that creates the likeness. I seal that, and stain the heads and hands to a medium value very quickly--the drawing still shows through. I paint the overall composition to the point that I get values and atmosphere and light in some basic way. The middle period is finishing the head, pushing it out a ways and following with all the other things, pushing out and following, until the head is finished and the other stuff works to support it. Then work through the whole painting again to pull it all together. Not anything radical.

Tom,

If you are inching along I feel that you are in Paris inching up the steps at the Louvre while I'm still trying to inch down I-40 in Kernersville.

I love all of your work and am happy at your recent development.

In particular your handling of the floor and wall in relation to Frannie is very Sargentesque. And what a job on the girl. Such subtlety.

I applaud you.

Oh,those little feet - I might just cry.

I so appreciate that you are such an accomplished professional painter and that you are so impassioned to never, ever stop learning.

John--You've heard the saying, "From your mouth to God's ear!"
I can only see the ocean between me and Paris. But thanks so much as always.

Chris--One thing I figured out is that a LOT of how feet relate to the surface they're on is accurately getting the width and shape of the shadow under them.

And I have to work hard. The Forumites have set the bar pretty high!

Thanks to all--T

Thanks, Tom. ....and talk about setting the bar high. This just might be the best little-girl-in-a-white-dress portrait that I've ever seen.

Thanks, Michele.

Garth's "Arianna and Taylor" is pretty much the end of the discussion for me.

From Tom's brush to my eyes ...

Congratulations Tom.

Mike, thanks. I guess once in a while us old dogs....

Your best yet.
 

Tom,

This is so lovely.

I do think the color is much livelier than your others. They say that your color vision improves with age, one of the benefits of aging as an artist.

This is a perfect example.

Sharon--

Thanks so much....I'm just beginning to see it--let's hope it continues.

-TE

Oh Tom, this one is so wonderful. Such sensitive edges, and such a mood you have evoked here! And thank you for all your insights into your working method, I am going to read again all you've written. Congratulations!

Thanks, Linda. Your opinion means a lot...

-TE