Robert
 

Perhaps I'm out on a limb, here with a sketchy portrait. This was meant to be a sketchy portrait sample, but the subject's mom decided to buy it. Not wanting to overwork it, I decided to stop and share it now.

Actually this was the sample portrait that got me the commission to paint "Cole", so far only on Pastel critiques.

The colors are a little more charged and the handling is a little more alla-prima. Let me know your thoughts. Thanks!

oil on linen, 22 x 30 inches.

Garth

Hello Garth,
what a successful portrait. congratulations.
The subtle value changes that forms his face, takes a masters skills. and the composition too, wonderful.Thanks for posting.

You're my hero Garth, when I grow up I wanna be you.

Garth,

I like the way everything looks so relaxed and candid. His pose, his look and smile reveal quite a bit about his person. Did he choose to sit and pose this way, or was it suggested by you? Also, the way everything else takes a backseat to the figure, is very successful.
Technical mastery, again, evident all over the painting.

Congratulations!

My goodness! Thanks Grethe, Bonfim, and Carlos! I am surprised by your enthusiasm. Bonfim, you ARE grown up!

Yes, it was completely natural; he posed himself. I like to wait and see what a sitter will do on their own. It always reveals a lot.

With appreciation,

Garth

Garth,
it's very nice to see something more sketchy from you. The pose is as relax as your paint handling... I love the light, and the warm athmosphere it creates. Great value massing too !
Beautiful!
Thanks for sharing.

Garth,

If you are out on a limb, it is a good strong limb. This is great. I love the composition--the horizontal format, that sliver of muscular leg, and the arm reaching out to hold the football. It does look so very natural. The color is clean and cheerful. The cool natural light coming in from the window is a refreshing departure from the artificial lighting we often have to use in commissioned institutional work. As a result, you got some delicious color in the shadows of his skin.

What a sweet-natured sincere-looking kid he is! There is no pretense about him. He looks as though he doesn't have to be cool, he is comfortable in his own skin. I absolutely adore his expression.

Congrats on a superbly designed, unique portrait, and on the commission you received as a result of it.

This is terrific! There is nothing "unfinished" looking about this at all.

How do you do it, Garth? Beautiful work, but that's no surprise. I know that will be the case any time I view a new post of yours.

I like the fresh coloring and those little touches of color in the dark hair. And those spot-on values.

Dear Marina, Alex, Michele, and Julie,

With your solid support of you four greats, I am feeling pretty good! Thank you all! The value massing was my best spontaneous alla-prima guess, as for most of the painting, once I laid the initial gesture of paint down, it stayed there, scrubbed in and all. I did paint it at a section at a time, though. I have retouched and reworked small areas as an afterthought. The face and hand are reworked too.

Humbly,

Garth

Absolutely superb Garth! :) Like the others, I notice and love the subtle color changes in the boy's face. The hand is amazing too. I don't think I'd like this any more than I do now if the painting was made more 'finished'.

Great light! And I love the low point of view.

Paint handling is superb...don't touch it.

Wonderful spirit...

Best--TE

Thanks Christy and Tom,

It's good to get a sense of when to quit; I am still working on that sense. It seems less fussing is indeed more; while doing more finishing yields less appeal.

Garth

A very nice piece, Garth. Such clarity of light and colour! (And I love the rabbit in the backgound. Great marks that look abstract close up, but from a distance make a solid sculptural form. The same thing for the flowers and light behind the rabbit. Your genius is there with or without your conscious help.)

Robert's grandfather danced with Jane!?
 

Thanks Thomasin!

As an aside, and I know it is off topic, yet extraordinary: I just learned from both parties that the ever popular Jane of Jane and Iona was once the cotillion dance partner of Robert's grandfather (of the same name). My client world just got smaller! I visited Jane last week, and while she browsed through my portfolio, she experienced d

Dear Garth,

Such a refreshing piece! I can learn a great from the way you have handled th subtle turns fromt he jaw to the throat. Thnaks for sharing this portrait:)

Dear Garth,

What can I say that hasn'talready been said?! Just lovely! :)

Garth, this is so nice and relaxed. The handling of the paint corresponds completely with the subject.
I normally like your paintings all the way through, and if I were the mother of this boy I would also have bought this work as it is. And I can't really perceive it as a sketch or a preparatory work, but for me is absolutely complete and well solved eveywhere.

I understand that in official portraiture you might need to get to a more refined stage, but it is really a treat to see you in everyday clothes...

Ilaria

Garth, fantastic as usual! Love your value control... and the composition is perfect...
Would love to see the original!
More, More, More!
Tony

This is sensitive color management, subtlely modeled, tasteful, yet energetic and fresh. Don't you dare call it a sketch! You just made it look easy. We all know that it isn't.

Well, Garth, can you tell we are loving your looser work? Keep it going!

Garth
My sentiments the same as all here. I just love the abstract shapes behind the boy on the whole right side in relation to the refined form of the boy/hand/ball, it is like a melody being played in paint. I learn so much from your work, I could look at it for hours. Great stuff!

Here's a surprise Garth... It's wonderful!

I especially love the uniqueness of the composition, not the static teenager leaning against a column design (as they say, although there is nothing wrong with that). I also love this switch of laying the paint on thick - too! No scraping right?

I think I just need a recorded message with a push button ..."Wow, Great Job Garth!" Well maybe I can just add it in my scripts editor if I could figure it out.

:) Beth