Critiques please
 

Hello,

I will appreciate to any critiques of this painting.

Kind Regards,
Abdi Malik

Hi Abdi,

First I'd like to say that your portrait is very beautiful and well done. Colors and arrangement are very good however the hat could use more modeling. It appears too flat in relation to the face. I think more even shadows on the left would correct this. Also, I feel that the subject is too low on the canvas leaving too much top background. Restretching the canvas bringing up the face can correct this.

You don't say whether you painted this from a photo or from life, my guess is that it was done from a photograph. Sometimes working from a photo can cause parts of the painting to go flat. The best way to work from a photo is to do a lot of painting studies from life (any subject) and to incorporate this knowledge to the "photo" painting.

I hope I was some help.

Hello Steven,

Thanks for your critiques, advises. I'll do some touch-up to the hat. But the problem is my old scanner which makes shadow areas look blueish and not focus.

I have no critique regarding your painting, it is excellent. Composition, deep color, balance of light & shadow.

Kind regards
Abdi M

Abdi,

I agree with Steven, the hat is flat and the face is centered in the middle vertically. The thing that bothers me the most are the two doohickies sticking out of the chair on each side of his head. I would minimize these decorations or eliminate them.

Another minor thing is the drawing. Many times the person sitting for our portrait may have asymmetries. Your drawing may be correct but check for the following for possible errors in drawing.

1.) Neck is a little narrow
2.) His right eye is more open and or higher than his left eye.
3.) The nose is shifted to his right in comparison to his mouth. Check the philtrum of the mouth in reference to the nostrils.
4.) Once the nose is straightened you may need a little more mouth on his left side.

It really is a nice job you did Abdi.

Daniel

I really like this!
 

I disagree with Steven and Daniel on several points....

The placement of the head on the canvas is fine. It should not be restretched and there is nothing wrong with being in the center.

As to the subject's neck, eyes, nose and mouth.....none of us, except Abdi, knows what this person looks like. It just might be a dead-on likeness.

The chair in the background (Daniel calls them "doohickies") are actually a rather nice and, I think, a sophisticated design element that enhances the painting.

The hat doesn't look flat to me.

Overall, I think that you have done a very nice job Abdi and I'd like to see some more of your work sometime.

I really like it too
 

My overall impression of this painting when Abdi first emailed it to me was very positive. I love the warmth of it, I feel the spirit of the man really comes through.

I'm not a portrait artist, but having managed one for 6 years and now running Stroke of Genius for 6 years, I've viewed and worked with thousands of portraits and had to critique a lot of them. I'm told I have a good aesthetic sense for whatever that's worth.

Regarding comments about the hat, the portrait artist I managed, who was very successful, painted his faces very detailed and as he moved away from the face, the painting become more impressionistist. His believe was that this tends to put the focus more on the most important thing in the painting, which is the face. He gets about $30,000+ for a portrait.

I agree with Karin that it's hard to critique the features of this man without having seen him or a photo of him. And, even looking at it now, I don't get a sense of his neck being too narrow at all. In fact, I don't look at his face and get a sense of anything being off.

And, Abdi seems to have mastered one of the things many artist have a hard time ever getting right...edges.

My own personal preference, I think I would have either made the painting wider (too late for that) or take a little off on the top. But, I'm not sure that this is anything more than my own personal preference for certain proportions.

And, did you ever see Nelson Shank's painting of the woman with the chair "doohickie" coming out of the top of her head? :D Take a look:
http://www.artrenewal.org/images/art...TweedleDee.jpg
Last I checked, Nelson gets $60,000 for a head and shoulders and has painted Pavorotti, Princess Diana, Margaret Thatcher (all from life).

Sorry guys, I don't normally get involved in critiques, but felt I had to speak my opinion on this one.

I appreciate to all inputs from Steven, Daniel, Karin, Mrs. Cynthia.

About the subject I took from photograph of my grandfather passed away in 1984. He was not sitting but standing and without hat. actually he had a narrow chin and he smiles with his lips go to the upper left so I managed it to look more acceptable. I didnt find in the dictionary word "doohickies" but they are included on the chair.

Mr. Daniel I like your paintings especially the expressions, you have a precise line. No wonder you observed in detail.

Karin your paintings just like Tiziano Vechelio. The composition, color and the intense of light and shadow. Beautiful.

Thank you very much.

Deeply sorry regarding AA crashes. We hope stop terror stop war stop any clash. Peace to all.

Abdi;

Thank you for your kind words. Doohickie is a made up word by me, due to ingnorance of what the item is really called.

Cynthia;
I am compelled to remind you that a critique is an opinion, with no right or wrong. It is up to the artist to accept or reject what ever they wish. A pat on the back does not help an artist improve. Also, because an artist can sell a painting for a high fee, does not make that artist the ultimate authority. If this were true, we would all have to paint like Miro, Picasso or Matisse.

Daniel,

I agree that a high price doesn't necessarily make a person an ultimate authority. However, the two artists that I mentioned are highly regarded in the portrait field by many, if not most artists, which is why I used them as an example.

I also agree with you that a simple pat on the back doesn't help someone to improve. And, when I do web sites for artists, I'm honest with them about portraits that I feel aren't the best to include on their site. And, if I'm asked, I'll tell the artist why.

However, I did feel there were many more positive things going for Abdi's portrait than were being acknowledged.

Cynthia;

Abdi did a fine portrait, and I stated that a couple of times. If you feel I am being too picky with my critiques I will stop doing it. Although, I do believe Abdi took it just as I meant it, one artist trying to help another artist.

Daniel