Portrait by the water
 

Hi,

Just want to share a recently completed commission.

Hi Julie,

Great job! I think this is your finest work. You should be proud of your growth.

Thanks, Marvin. Slowly but surely...I'm continuing to plug away at it.

Hi Julie,
This is wonderful -- you've captured the feel of sunlight on skin beautifully! and the water and landscape behind him is nicely done too :)

Thanks, Terri.

If you stay aware of the principles that guided the great artists your path will continue to be revealed.

Julie, I'm so impressed! Not only is this a masterful portrait, the landscape behind it is magnificent.

First, the figure. I like how he's looking of, not at the viewer, but at something else, maybe his surroundings or maybe he's deep in thought and just gazing absently. The light and shadow colors and values on his skin are just right! I also love the placement of the figure.

As for the landscape, again the colors and values are extraordinarily true -to-life. The colors are harmonious with the figure, but subdued so that the figure stands out. It appears to be a particular place, but you have not given in to too much detail. The rock he's standing on is a great lead-in to the water and shore.

A work of art!

Thanks, Marvin. I greatly appreciated the lessons I learned in your workshop, and am endeavoring to keep them in mind.

By the way, I finally get to visit the Met this summer, and will be thinking of your lecture "Everything I know about Painting I learned at the Met" as I visit!

Wow, thanks, Alexandra,

I worked hard on the composition, using what Juliette Aristides calls the "Armature of the Rectangle". Patty Joyce saw my original oil sketch and can testify that there was a noticeable improvement in composition using those design principles.

I used this color palette:
2 blues: cobalt and manganese
2 reds: alizarin crimson and cadmium
2 yellows: naples dark and yellow ochre
1 black: ivory black
Raw umber

Oh, and a touch of gold ochre in the hair. I am a believer in choosing a color palette according to what I think the painting needs.

I feel that I could have put more crispness and value contrast into the rocks, but I am pleased overall, so thank you.

I love this. The edges are modeled beautifully. This piece is very pleasing to the eye. My favorite of yours by far!