Study in oil

Lon Haverly · 04-26-2002, 10:48 PM

22" x 30" from photos I took on site with a velvetine draping, window light from the right, and new "reveal" light from the left.

Lon Haverly · 04-26-2002, 10:52 PM

. . . original does not have the brownish hue that is apparant in this image on the viewers left side of face. I will double check after seeing this post.

Lon Haverly · 04-26-2002, 10:53 PM

I have more work to do on this, I can see that right now. I always see things after posting. Sorry the image is so crooked and poorly photographed. It really looks like crap here.

Mary Sparrow · 04-27-2002, 08:15 AM

Lon, Im not qualified to critique..but this is my favorite one you have posted! nice!

Mike McCarty · 04-27-2002, 12:13 PM

Lon, I agree this is the best work you have shown. I like the composition very much. If you would allow a couple of nit picks they would be this: the color of the hair being either the same or very close to that of the blouse is a little distracting to me. Maybe if you brought the hair either up or down? And you might check out the modeling of the bridge of the nose. I like this very much.

Lon Haverly · 04-27-2002, 12:24 PM

Thank you, Mary!

Mike, I quite agree.

I will check the viewer's left eye for the dark line out to the left, and the slightly darker glaze of flesh tone on the viewer's left side of the face. THe background is supposed to be all the same tone except for the highlights, but I think the vermilion needs varnishing. Amazing how the digital camera picks up on things like that. Also, the yellow values really have less chartreuse. It is more creamy.

I used walnut oil as a medium, which, I was told, is very slow drying. Not true. The alkid, maybe, but this stuff is dry in two days, and dries too flat. I will try the new Gamblin product next time. I am not happy with Graham's walnut oil.

Mike McCarty · 04-27-2002, 01:16 PM

Lon, just one more tiny thing. The bottom of the sleeve on the viewers right. This may be the sharpest line in the painting. Maybe rounding this off would be best?

Peter Jochems · 04-27-2002, 02:17 PM

Hi Lon,

I really like this one! I like the atmosphere, the pose. But since you have posted this in the 'portrait critiques'-section, a few comments.

Mike is right about the modelling of the bridge of the nose.

My feeling is that the roses are a bit too light, it distracts the attention from the face a little too much this way. Perhaps making them a little darker would help ?

Another observation, on the (for us) right side of her face there is the shadow of the hair and on the right side of that shadow where the skin becomes lighter again it seems that it becomes too much of a line, my feeling is that it would be more harmonic if this line of light is somewhat darker.

The shadow in her neck of her blouse seems quite sharp. Maybe making the edge of the shadow a little softer would be better?

Something is bothering me about her shoulder on the (for us) left. The shoulder that is in the shadow. I'm not sure but my feeling is that something is not right about that shoulder. As if it extends too much to the left. Maybe you can check the photograph you used.

Greetings,
Peter

Lon Haverly · 04-28-2002, 01:02 AM

Mike, great idea regarding the sleeve. I also may glaze the sweater darker after it is thoroughly dry.

Peter, great ideas! I will execute them. I had trouble posting the photo, as it was a Corel composit and I had trouble converting it to a JPEG with any degree of resolution. The roses were shot apart from the model with the same drape and lighting. I have already toned the roses down twice, and maybe third time is the charm. I do want them to be in the backgroung. They were quite bright at first.

I highly regard your critiques, your mastery and your generosity! It is highly motivating and educational.

Can't wait to varnish this bugger. It is really drying unevenly, and appears to be splotchy until it all dries. No more walnut oil for me. I did not enhance the image, as it was already hotter than original, and not quite true.

Again, thank you, Mary, Mike and Peter. (Sounds like a folk singing group!)

Virginia Branch · 04-29-2002, 09:57 AM

Lon,

This too is one of my favorites that you've posted. I really like the way you handled the sweater. As I wrote in my last post, knowing when to stop working on a painting is the tough part. My first impressions of the painting is wow, what a nice painting. So good luck...