Three light sources

[Hanna Larsson]

Hi,

This is my boyfriend Johans' grandmother Ingrid (mother of the subject in my "Ingemar [Johans' uncle] reading a book", by the way.) She is not very fond of being photographed so I didn't have the heart to force her to model for very long, nor to try different poses or adjust the lighting. What I am having trouble with is the face, due to too many light sources I think. Here goes:

[Hanna Larsson]

Closeup of her face:

[Hanna Larsson]

You see the different lights, from the window, from the candle and from a lamp further back in the room.

I need her to like this painting, otherwise she will feel bad when she gets it for Christmas. She will feel forced to put it on her wall even though she doesn't like that it is a portrait of her. Do you know what I mean?

All suggestions on improvements are very welcome!

Here is the reference:

[Sharon Knettell]

Hanna,

You have a great subject here, let's see what could be done to improve it.

First of all, you do have to get control of your light sources. The one you want to emphasize is the candlelight on her face, even though the blue light is somewhat brighter.

Put your reference directly next to your work and squint to check your values. I would darken the backround and her face on the left. This would bring out the glow in her face and create more mystery. Blend her more into the background, let the figure just emerge.

Simplify the blue landscape outdoors. Follow the curtain reference more accurately, especially noticing the lovely blue from the background.

Your blues are too murky. When you start a picture you have to ask yourself a series of questions about the color. Is it complementary or analogous? Also, if complementary, what are they? What is the dominant one, what color is going to be the brightest and what is going to be most subdued? You have a tricky problem here as this is an orange and blue color scheme, the brightest color in your reference is blue, and it is not on your subject. Remember that for the future.

For now I would suggest. as to the window, get rid of the tree trunk, arch the trees on the right toward the face and have a brighter blue spot closer to her face. Bring some of the blue subtly onto her face, her chin, chest plane, etc. Note the gleam in her eye.

I would not have changed the angle of the window sill as it brings the viewer into the picture. It is also a great place to put some of that wonderful blue.

Look at Carravaggio and Vermeer for inspiration.

Sincerely,

[Mai Ly]

Hanna,

I really like the subject of your painting! I also like the soft edges around the face and hair. What paper did you use for this painting?

Mai

[Hanna Larsson]

Thank you Sharon for your input. I just need to get out a dictionary so I fully understand what you mean. I haven

[Elizabeth Schott]

Hanna, I like it! Sharon has some great input. By "murky" I think she is saying they are too grayed down, like stormy weather. But I am sure she

[Steven Sweeney]

Hanna,

Realizing that you're well along into this, I'm nonetheless wondering about what your "idea" or "theme" of the picture is. The woman is in an apparently lighted room, holding a candle at a window through which we see quite a bit of daylight (in the reference photo -- and even if as in the painting, the outdoors light is subdued, wouldn't an interior candle's light merely reflect in the window's glass?) I'm just not quite sure what it is that this woman is doing. I'm not sure of the "why" of this pose and composition.

[Sharon Knettell]

Steven, you're right. I believe the most important thing in figurative art is that it has to be instantly read (read "understood").

I like the blue of the late afternoon sky contrasted to the warmth of the candlelit face. But it doesn't make sense pictorially. Hanna, I'm sorry, there are too many problems to make this really work. If you make the window black you lose the reasons for the lovely blues that make the color composition work. You also do not have the proper reference to change the picture from day to night. Never make up your own lighting or change it from the reference.

Do not change the colors or the garments afterwards. They should have been dealt with from the initial color plan. Your model should have been wearing them or you should have chosen a complementary background. Make sure your material answers all the problems of theme, clarity, color and composition or don't proceed.

You have two fighting themes here. Use this as a learning experience and go on to the next.

Look at Vermeer and Caravaggio for ideas on lighting.

[Mai Ly]

I am really taken with Steven's observation. I thought I really liked the subject of the painting (and I still do), but it suddenly hits me when I read your 'Why'. It helps me to think a bit more when I design my paintings.

Mai