Peggy B.

Elizabeth Schott · 03-20-2003, 03:11 PM

It is Peggy B. but not the one we all know and love.

In trying to keep myself busy today by not making sweet images of Marvin, I thought I would post this under critiques since I always have changes.

I started this one months ago. It has been so long in development that I no longer have a digital file of the reference. Trust me the likeness is very good.

My concern is her hands. Since I am savvier to the art of posing a portrait, I must say I would never put hands in this position again! The color is very red in this digital; I couldn

Elizabeth Schott · 03-20-2003, 03:13 PM

Close-up of her face.

Edited to post new image. Please note you might need to hit your refresh button.

Elizabeth Schott · 03-20-2003, 03:15 PM

Here is a close-up of her hands.

Edited to post new image.

Valerie Gudorf · 03-24-2003, 12:45 AM

Elizabeth,

I just joined this board, but I have been reading it with interest for at least a year. I have seen continual growth in your work and I must say that I like this painting quite a bit. I have no oil painting experience, so I can't critique it in the manner in which it deserves. In light of my "beginner status", I don't have a lot of confidence in my own artistic judgment, which is why I've held off commenting on this painting. But I think it deserves some acknowledgement. The only problem I feel comfortable enough addressing is the absence of definition in the eye that is in shadow. The left eye seems to convey the that there is definitely someone complex and real living inside the sitter, but it seems as if you became bored once you got the the right eye, in that the whole iris is virtually a blur. Does that make any sense? Please forgive me if I'm off base. I look forward to seeing more of your wonderful work.

Elizabeth Schott · 03-24-2003, 11:02 AM

Valerie, I am so glad you are coming forward and commenting now! I am pretty much like you with the confidence level, but mine is growing daily. I think this forum has tons to offer to those of us who are really hungry for answers that can be found in one area. Not the most conventional way of learning, but added to other forms it can really ice the cake! I have always learned in my facilitator training classes that there are no stupid questions, so you have most likely noticed that I fire them away with reckless abandon, I am not sure how they are all taken, but I figure it is the only way to get them answered. Meaning of my "soap box", I hope you jump right in.

Regarding Peggy's eye. In my reference the shadow area is almost to black and that part of the eye is very hard to define. I know the light area is not really in the cornea, pupil area, but shows up stronger in the white of her eye. I will take a second look at it and see if I have missed something. It wasn't boredom, maybe over-caution (you could never be bored with this kid.)

Thanks for the nice comments too!

Josef Sy · 03-24-2003, 04:09 PM

Hi Beth,

This portrait is coming along. There is one thing that bothers me more than the hands though is the symmetry of the face. See jpeg. The left part of the nose seems bigger. The eyes seems to be offset. What do you think?

Jeff Fuchs · 03-24-2003, 10:48 PM

I agree. Neither the eyes nor the nose look symmetrical.

Elizabeth Schott · 03-24-2003, 10:49 PM

Thanks Josef, I think if I adjust the keystone area of the nose, things will be better. Thanks for pointing that out. Hopefully the eyes will come along then!

Jeff, we posted at the same time.

I am not sure that there will be a symmetry problem once I fix the keystone. Her left eye be a tad higher, but I will check and see if this is caused by facial expression or artist error. Imagine me not having errors!

Elizabeth Schott · 03-24-2003, 11:01 PM

I started a thread regarding "Human flaws" you can link to it from here.

This is just a Photoshop retouch:

Jeanine Jackson · 03-27-2003, 08:33 PM

I love the loose expression in this painting which seems so appropriate to the sitter. Please do not sacrifice gesture and mood for precision.

That said, I would like to see a darker underplane to the nose. As is, secondary lighting from below is suggested and is a tad confusing.

About those hands: In a recent demonstration, Marvin Mattelson enforced the tools of value and chroma to push things back or bring them forward; to quiet or emphasize areas of interest. The hands are too intense and command too much attention. compared to the delicate face. Try weakening and darkening - assuming dissipation of light from top down.

She's a charmer!