[Chris Saper]

Hi Mari,

This is probably the one of the best possible introductory posts to this section because it is absolutely one of the poorest source photos possible - and the type of photo I am sure most of us have been asked to paint at one time or another.

However, there are several things I would do in order to make this the best painting I could.

1. Commit to some type of value plan (see image below as one example) that accomplishes these things: a more interesting placement of the figure; movement and focus to support the center of interest; a basis for separating values.

2. Consider an edge plan. The source photo has the fundamantal design challenge I think of as a island in the center of the page. By limiting your sharp edges to a couple of areas along the hair and eyes, and using a single sharpest edge, (probably on the inside edge of the far eye, or on the near eye), you can reinforce a stronger design into your piece.

I think you should also lose most of the edges along the bottom of the skirt. (Look at Bart Lindstrom's web site, for the watercolor portrait of the litle girl in the white/pink dress-masterful use of edges!). You still need to offer some explanantion for this area though, but I think you can do it through the interplay of colors slightly different in temperature, but the same in value.

3. Decide on the color temperature of your light source, and its primary direction. In this case, I would probably assume a warm light source, where the shadows, as a result, will run cooler. Because there is so little value differentiation in the source photo, it is difficult to introduce effectively since you don't have much visual info to rely on in the first place. Instead, I would probably keep values of light and "shadow" close in the face, and use temperature changes to suggest form...that is, warmer skin tones on the planes that face the light source, cooler tones on the planes that face away from it.

4. Color. The color is so poor in this photo, you might be better off having the photo printed in a good quality Black and white, to avoid the temptation to try to replicate color in the photo.

That being said, this is the type of photo I work very hard to talk someone out of using, asking instead to look through old photo albums for better source material. Some, especially the "lollipop-on-a-stick" school photo variety, I just decline. Sometimes though, when there is a pose or expression I feel has some merit, I will go ahead with. You have some gesture and expression here which is redeeming. Good luck!

Chris