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Steven Sweeney · 04-09-2002, 07:56 AM

Thanks, Peter, your point is very well taken, and in another context (a still-life, perhaps) I would have pushed the "metallic" quality of the instrument, but my challenge here was to represent the saxophone in somewhat muted tones and hues and somewhat soft edges, so that this didn't become a portrait of a saxophone. The low light situation already means that the face is keyed down somewhat, so I felt that everything else, even metallic reflection, had to be understated below the face values.

I haven't tried to paint a lot of metals -- this was a challenge.

By the way, the original painting's darks in the shirt are darker -- I had hit them with retouch varnish before photographing the piece, but of course that introduced some unwanted glare. So the sax actually has a bit more contrast to its background than may appear.

Thanks,
Steven

P.S. Later note . . . I'll sleep on your suggestion. Perhaps a bit more reflective vibration from the sax would be, um, instrumental. Or I could have a light beam trigger a John Coltrane ballad whenever a viewer stepped in front of the painting. But then there's the tenor-alto thing. Gilda Radner was right, it's always something.

04-09-2002, 07:56 AM	#5
Steven Sweeney Juried Member PT 5+ years Joined: Nov 2001 Location: Stillwater, MN Posts: 1,801	Thanks, Peter, your point is very well taken, and in another context (a still-life, perhaps) I would have pushed the "metallic" quality of the instrument, but my challenge here was to represent the saxophone in somewhat muted tones and hues and somewhat soft edges, so that this didn't become a portrait of a saxophone. The low light situation already means that the face is keyed down somewhat, so I felt that everything else, even metallic reflection, had to be understated below the face values. I haven't tried to paint a lot of metals -- this was a challenge. By the way, the original painting's darks in the shirt are darker -- I had hit them with retouch varnish before photographing the piece, but of course that introduced some unwanted glare. So the sax actually has a bit more contrast to its background than may appear. Thanks, Steven P.S. Later note . . . I'll sleep on your suggestion. Perhaps a bit more reflective vibration from the sax would be, um, instrumental. Or I could have a light beam trigger a John Coltrane ballad whenever a viewer stepped in front of the painting. But then there's the tenor-alto thing. Gilda Radner was right, it's always something. __________________ Steven Sweeney [email protected] "You must be present to win."