[Peggy Baumgaertner]

Thanks for re-scanning, Clive.

The dress is very successfully rendered, although it doesn't read "black," it does work very well. In future paintings, you might want to push a "black" dress to a value darker.

The skin tones are a little too cool. Although there is a smattering of orange on the cheeks and at the shadow of the arm, the rest of the body is too pale and too light. It is lacking in chroma. This is especially apparent with the strong warm value in the background. I would like to see some of that chroma and warmth in the skin tones. You also want the figure to be the star, not the background.

The head.

Again, it might be partially due to the scan, but I see no "oomph" in the hair. This is the place to shine. You can get some very dark values in the hair in the shadow and the light. I would like to see as much attention to the head as I see in the dress, the same sense of roundness and form. I would separate the hair from the background. (Lighten the background behind the head...) and round out that head.

She has a beautiful shaped head in the photograph, so the reference material is there. In the photograph, her eyelashes, eyes, nostrils and mouth are darker. This would also be an opportunity to add "oomph" to the face. Often you will find yourself painting blue eyed, light skinned blondes, and finding contrast in the face will be difficult, but your model has beautiful coloring.

Clive, this painting is working out so well, but the face is just not as strong as it could be. Often when an artist is working with a piece with this complexity, it is easy to get caught up in the entire painting, and not give the attention to the face that one would if it were a head and shoulders portrait. It might not be a bad idea to do a head and shoulders of just her head, and really try to do a wonderful stunning portrait of just that. It would be possible to work out the bugs, and go back into this portrait. This piece has the opportunity to be so strong, a stunning sample portrait.

You've actually done the hard part -- great, interesting composition, beautiful model, interesting pose, the chair works nicely. I would love to see you stretch yourself to really nail this one.

First step, take the photograph of your daughter to Walmart or similar store, and have them make several exposures of the negative. Because her face is washed out (probably due to the instrument reading of the black dress, which throws the reading off), I would have them give you several darker exposures, tell them you want a -3, -5 and -7. Pick the exposure that gives the most information on your daughter's head. (The dress will totally black out, but that's okay, you've already painted it.) You can also get enlargements of just the head.

I'd be willing to walk you through this, if you would like me to.

The hand on the chair also needs some work, but that's another post.

Peggy