Liza

[Mary Sparrow]

Gosh, the caliber of work that has been posted lately makes me embarrassed to post! However, I can't learn if I crawl in my hole now can I? This is my first attempt at painting with oils in many months. I got so wrapped up in the fun and newness of pastels that I had no desire to paint. I felt like a pure beginner when I pulled these out.

I have taken liberties with her hair, she never looks that placed. While I chose this picture because this is such a typical stance these days with her hands in that position, translating it in paint isn't really working. Any thoughts appreciated.

Also, the reference photo below, isn't the actual reference, but it is very close. I accidentally deleted the one I used, the gaze is slightly different.

[Leslie Ficcaglia]

She's adorable, Mary, and you've certainly captured her looks and her personality, at least based on the reference photo. I like the soft, painterly approach, too. My only suggestion would be to take another look at that chin; I think it's fuller and more prominent in the painting than in the photo, so it makes her seem a little older. Those eyes are perfect, though. She looks like a real character.

[Kimberly Dow]

What a cutie!

I'd look at the width of her body - the back in particular. She doesnt quite look wide enough to me which makes her head seem too large perhaps. The skin colors look too yellow to me - those outside skin colors are tough.

[Allan Rahbek]

I like the liberties that you have taken in the hair and background, only wish that you would have dared some more in the skin-colors.

The photo seem to be lit by northern light, outdoor in the shadow. This makes the lit parts and highlights to be cold / blueish, instead of yellowish.

The grooves in the head should be more warm because the color you see there is reflections from the skin itself.

To understand this I will compare with what happens in a colored room.

If you paint one wall in the room, the color will be a mix of the color coming from the window and the wall-colors. If the light hits another (white) wall before it hits and reflects from the colored wall, it will still be the same as direct reflected. This is what happens with reflection from a plane surface.

When light hits a groove the colors reflected will be more intense and darker. Compared with the room phenomenon, the (neutral) light comes in from the window, reflects on a red wall. The reflection from the first wall will be red light shining on a red wall and so on. The lightspot on the wall will be less red than the unlit parts, though lit by white light.

You have seen it right on the lips, where the red color get stronger as it vanishes in the dark of the mouth.

Also look at the light / dark scale by squinting your eyes.

Allan

[Mary Sparrow]

Thank you all for your comments. I have not meant to ignore you. Easter break snuck up on me, and now paying customers have to take a priority. However, I will say, after taking a break of a week or so from seeing this it is amazing how blatant all of your comments are to me now! Thanks for pointing them out and I will address when the free moments come along!

[Sharon Knettell]

Mary,

This is a charming portrait, but I think you have to work more on your values, For example the highlight under her chin is the same value as the highlight on her forhead. As a matter of fact the whole bottom of her head has to be darkened. Look at her face as a simplified ball with the light striking the upper left. Actually get a ball or egg and light it that way. You will see when you squint the light falling off towards the bottom. On a head in similiar lighting, the features will recede in sequence.

You have picked out each part and focused on it , instead of looking at the whole and then refining the individual parts only at the very end.
This gives a disjointed look to the head instead of one with strong form.

An excellent book, which I constantly refer to and helped me at the beginning was Roberta Carter Clarks' book, "How to Paint Living Portraits". There are several simple egg exercises, which I did and good information from working from life.

I think these exercises would benefit you. I also think you should do some of the life drawing exercises she has suggested. Rope in a friend. I have noticed in this work and in other of your pieces that you seem to focus more on the parts than on the whole. Working from life more, and squinting a lot will help you achieve a greater feeling of form.

Also. I think when we do children, we don't want what we think is a dark and dirty face so we shy away from really giving the shadows the depth they deserve.

I hope this helps.