"Gillian Pierce" in progress
 

This 20 x 24 Oil on Linen is in it's early alla prima stage.... I submit my work for critique after 5 hours (three with client, plus two at home studio from photo). Thank you!

My comments: I'm just beginning to chase after the likeness in her sparkley blue eyes after establishing the horizontal composition. The idea is that the subject is not to be ovewhelmed by her surroundings, rather comfortable within them... featuring her prize orchid and favorite reading chair... I plan to add curtain with abstract pastel pattern behind chair on our right in light overall value near natural light source...

My first thought is that it will be difficult to get a good likeness at that distance. She seems far away to me. I would have come in closer. You could still include the chair and the orchid, but you'd only need a little bit of each to convey your idea.

Dear Linda:
I gave a lot of thought to the compostion, and value your comments on this subject very much. Here is the same painting cropped tighter... Is this more of what you had in mind? My decision to include more space around her has a lot to do with the feeling the painting gives the viewer from across the room... It invites you in for a visit with Gillian - at least that is my goal...

Just a quick 2cents-- I do prefer the tighter composition, and I think your palette of pinks and mauves, combined with Gillian's expression as she looks up from her book, draw the viewer in.

However, I do like the idea of portraiture backing up and setting the figure in a larger interior or landscape.

Do you work with thumbnails sketches first? It's something I try to remember to do before starting a painting--very difficult because I really like to jump right in. :exclamati

Yes, Mari, I did several rough thumbnails before beginning. I can post later. Tighter was definitely safer in many ways. However, I was not getting the story I want to tell or atmosphere from the tight crop. Here's work from today. I'm not certain if it supports my idea or not??? I can say that from across the room, it is very inviting.

Actually I think I would have left the composition horizontal, like you have it, and included the orchids. I just would have minimized the space around the orchids and the lady.
This is probably just personal preference since someone else told me that my portrait space, around the models head, was too small. The only thing I would point out is that getting a likeness when you are working very small, is difficult. (At least for me) The more space you have around the face, the smaller it gets, unless you are working on a very big canvas. I find that faces work best when they are about 3/4 (or 2/3) actual life size. I know that many people do it differently. This is just my opinion.

Well, I met with the client today, and she agrees with you all to make the figure larger. So I will be redesigning this with all your valuable comments in mind. Thank you so much!!!