Glance Portrait

[Richard Barnett]

Hi this WAS done some time ago, but I would like the opinion of all.
I feel that the best way to get better is to have other artists to critique.
Please tell me what you think, good and bad.

Thanks,
Rick Barnet

[Garth Herrick]

Richard,

In general this strikes me as an interesting and dynamic image. It does not appear to fit well physically with the frame,- there's a gap at the bottom and very bad cast shadow. Professionally, here you should just photograph the painting itself, and crop out all the distracting background. Now I am curious if that's a Velaquez copy on the wall in the background; but you just want a critique on your painting!

You obviously have some mastery of painting. The flesh tones may be a little hot and high in chroma. Please give us a better view of this so we can give it a fair critique.

Garth

[Garth Herrick]

Thanks Richard for the re-cropped image. Sorry I was so hard on you. It looks much better. By the way, I really like it. You have wonderfully captured her energy!

Garth

[Chris Saper]

Hi Rick,

I'm glad I scrolled down to see Garth's second post. I looked at your image thinking "WHAT Velasquez?!"

I very much like the feel and gesture of your model. The only observations I have are regarding color. I think that the skin tones are equally warm in temperature in both shadow and light, and that some temperature relief in the shadowed areas would support a more comfortable feel about the lighting of your subject.

The other comments have to do with the background. The yellow violet color scheme doesn't, I think, integrate with the colors in the subject. The circular brush strokes are a bit distracting to me, as they have the appearance of being painted around the subject, rather than representing a background that moves behind her. This however, may certainly be a style preference on your part.

It's a pleasure to have you on the Forum!

[Marcus Lim]

Hi, i like the energetic pose - the head and the body turning in opposite directions. In fact, i find that a good painting does have the effect of passing on energy to viewers, like what you've done here.

I also thought that adding abit of "drama" on the face might "bring up the wind" a little stronger - a cast shadow at the turn of her face, on her left forehead downwards. Or even toning done the right side of her face with cooler tones (i take it that the left yellow strip is the primary light source) With these 2 thoughts, i believe it'll help add affirm more to your strengths as a painter.

marcus

[Linda Brandon]

Originally Posted by Marcus Lim

In fact, i find that a good painting does have the effect of passing on energy to viewers, like what you've done here.
marcus

Nicely put, Marcus, I agree with you.

Rick, I think you might be going for suggestion of your subject's movement in your background for this painting. You might take another look at Sargent's work; he sometimes lays in just the suggestion of a parallel line along the body, almost a tremor, to get his subjects to vibrate. It's never very obvious and it keeps his subjects from looking frozen or cut-and-pasted. It also adds another weapon in your arsenal of hard/soft edge variation.

Welcome to the Forum, and I'm enjoying your painting!

[Michele Rushworth]

You might take another look at Sargent's work; he sometimes lays in just the suggestion of a parallel line along the body, almost a tremor, to get his subjects to vibrate.

Linda, can you post an example of this? It sounds very interesting and I'd like to see what it looks like.

[Ilaria Rosselli Del Turco]

Hi Richard!
Welcome to the forum.
Since you posted in the Critique, i will try to find some flaws in the otherwise lovely work.
I share perplexity about the background, I think you might want to do something about it.
Also i am concerned ny the arm. It is in the foreground but has a different standard of finishing. Observe your reference. Is there any evidence of muscles' bulks. Is there any change in colour and tone as the eye travels along it toward the hand?
Maybe you could darken it as if it was just at the edge of a spotlight.
Very nice portrait !
Ilaria

[Linda Brandon]

Originally Posted by Michele Rushworth

Linda, can you post an example of this? It sounds very interesting and I'd like to see what it looks like.

I can't find a better closeup of this at the moment, I'll have to scan my Sargent book, I guess... but if you have a Sargent book at home, take a look at the arm (our left).

This is an example of dark vibrating against a light background, but I think Sargent also "trembles" light flesh against dark in some of his other paintings. Maybe this is what you're also doing on our right shoulder of your subject, Richard?

Lord Ribblesdale

[Linda Brandon]

You can take this "vibration" concept as far as you like.