Live model portrait in acrylic

This is one that I had just finished. It was a live model that I painted over a period of around 4 hours. I painted the portrait using acrylic. Tell me what you think.

Hi Marcy,

Looks like you're doing a good job drawing; delineating forms and shapes. Once you've done this, the real fun can begin! Another session with the model would be wonderful to give you an opportunity to get into some more painterly stuff. Some general pointers:

Assuming that this photo is of the entire painting, try giving the "figure" some more "ground". Leave some space, some air around the head. This will give you some great opportunities to make the head appear more 3-dimensional. Keep in mind the "warm colors advance, cool ones recede" doctrine, it works! The blue background you painted is a great choice for this gold/orange figure. If there were more of it, it would help. Also, this'll make it easier 4 you to concieve the 3-D form of the head while painting.

Expand your tonal range. Just as the proper background can set the stage for the head to sing, providing deeper, darker shadows and dark accents within the head will make the lighter tones in the painting sing. Be careful, though, I often tend to overdo this.

If U haven't yet done so, check out Betty Edwards' "Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain". Especially if U're not familiar with cognitive science, this book (available at lotsa libraries) will give U some practical pointers and exercises which'll help you to "draw what you see, not what you know". While the drawing that You've done here is essential to good painting, this painting can now B carried farther by observing some subtleties in your perception. Subtle value gradations, color gradations, etc.

Also, look into "lost and found edges". After you establish your drawing as you've done, you'll find in your observation of the model that not all of the edges are as hard as you've made them. Also, they'll vary in hardness a lot. For example, the edge between the face and hair that frames the head will be a lot less sharply defined in probably most areas. Definitely study the edges of the mouth more carefully, too.

Looks like my keyboard got stuck in overdrive again, hope this helps. Great job so far! the drawing and expression of the face are very believable and coherent.

I don't have access to a camera yet so I had to scan the painting in through a scanner. I was unable to get all of it of course. I will post the entire painting within a week or two once I have a camera avalible. Thanks for all the helpful information. I am starting to do a bit more reading to improve my skills.

[Tom Martinez]

This a second attempt to give you a critique. My first attempt was lengthy and the program didn't like my attachment for its size. Basically, I felt that your drawing was off a bit and felt that you could have created more form through the handling of your shading. I suggested reading "Drawing the Human Head", Burne Horgarth and getting a copy of Peggy Baumgaertner's tapes, they're a bit pricey but well worth it. Then, I attempted to give you an attachment. But, failed. Let's try again...