Study

Marina Dieul · 06-02-2006, 12:14 PM

Hi,
this is a study I tried to paint quicker (and thicker and looser) than the last self-portrait, but I'm not very rapid yet... I spent only 1/2 hour on the drawing, but finally there was some mistakes, and it took me few more hours to correct the mouth, nose, etc..I spent maybe 10 or 12 hours on this.
My head was more turned to the shadow, and for a change I painted on sunny afternoons.
It's 10"X14", from life.
Comments are very welcome as always.

Allan Rahbek · 06-02-2006, 05:14 PM

Marina,
If I had a model like this for my self portraits I would do nothing else.

I think that you have a fresh and lively expression. The color scheme is wonderfully balanced and the only suggestion's are about drawing.

I have some comments, or rather insecure questionings. Is the mouth and the nose correctly drawn? I feel that the mouth is a bit wide on the right side (our right) and I also feel that the bridge of the nose, between the eyes, should be more defined, have more shadow on the right side.
I also think that the chin and neck should be separated with different values. Preferably the neck should be darker under the chin.

Just suggestions.

Allan
I

Alexandra Tyng · 06-03-2006, 09:21 AM

Marina,

Not negating Allan's suggestions of things to check, I think this self-portrait represents an advance over the last one. It is more revealing of you, and somehow gives the viewer more feeling of a living, breathing person. It's always hard to pinpoint what makes these intangible qualities in a painting, but I do see them.

Mischa Milosevic · 06-04-2006, 01:56 PM

YES! This is grate! I can see that you enjoyed this one. Don't fret it will come together. After you lay in the big shape values, the dead color, continue to work within that value range. As you know the values within the shadows are most always darker than in the lights. If it was not so then it would not be balanced. If the reflected light is strong in the shadow area than it can be worked as double lighting.

I mite be wrong but from what I see, the darkest areas within your shadows on the face are to dark. Look at the lightest shadow area of the forehead all your shadow area should be relatively that value. Above our right eye that is the lightest and the darkest. Even there above the eyebrow it is to dark for that area.

The right side of the face has some drawing consideration.

I hope you do not mind but I have marked the areas that I think need another look.

I hope this helps.

Wish you the best,
mischa

Mischa Milosevic · 06-04-2006, 01:59 PM

Add this to the above post, thax.

Marina Dieul · 06-04-2006, 03:37 PM

Allan,
you're right, there's something wrong in the nose. In the beginning I drew it too frontal ( because I forgot to turn slightly the head .Ah! those wiggly models!!!) so I had to correct it, but apparently not enough. The mouth seemed Ok to me but I will check.
I had very similar values on the chin and the neck, and tried to separate them, increasing the contrast. Once more not enough.
It's funny how I don't like to make some deliberate changes from what I see from life, even if I know that it will help having a more harmonious painting. When I work from a photo, I don't care : the photo is an interpretation so I can interprete more, but real image from life looks sacred and I don't dare. Lack of practice, I think....
Thanks for the nice words.

Alex,
yes, it's certainly more revealing of me : I didn't want to prove something or to show something , I just wanted to pactice, so I took the mirror, decided how many light and how many shadow I wanted, and I began. I didn't play a role like in the last self portrait.
Maybe it's the good way to do a honnest self-portrait, but it's difficult to paint yourself by surprise!

Mischa,
Do you really think it's too dark? I have a tendency to make too strong contrasts, but as I know I always do that, at the end I reduced the contrasts, and lightened the dark accents.
Should I lighten it much more?
When I chose this lightening, I was afraid that the shadow side looks flat, so it's possible that I'm still too strong in values.
I can't check now, because it's too cloudy, so I have to wait for a better meteo...
Thanks for the explanations, the image is helpful.

Michele Rushworth · 06-04-2006, 03:40 PM

Marina, this is terrific!

Chris Saper · 06-04-2006, 05:00 PM

Marina,

What a fine piece of work! A successful portrait and time well spent. (Yes, we do have more sympathy for our models after mirror work

)

If you make revisions (or decide not to), I hope you will post a fresh image in the Portraits from Life section.

Marina Dieul · 06-05-2006, 09:29 AM

Michele, Chris ,
what great honor for a little study not very well drawn !

I'm going to rework this : learning from your mistakes is good, but it's even better to learn to correct them...OK, I will post it in the Portraits from Life section.

Mischa Milosevic · 06-06-2006, 03:37 AM

Marina, is it to dark? That mite depend what the goal is. This is my thinking. The shadows are facing the front which in a portrait like this will reveal the details of features. It is not like a face in lite portrait where the shadow can be darker for they are just there. In this portrait it is what is in the shadow that tels the story. If the eye has adjusted and you introduce something that seems un natural then why is it there?

I hope this makes sense?

mischa