Lt. Crisci, fireman

Patt Legg · 10-09-2002, 08:42 PM

I am posting the beginnings of my oil portrait of Lt. John Crisci. It is a 24" x 20". I have only a black and white reference thus far. I am awaiting possibly a colored one but do not wish to press his widow too far. She said he has olive colored skin and green eyes. My first post is with reference and the second one will be a bit close up.

The scan made his skin tone look very yellow and it is not quite that yellow, although I am in need of color.

Right? Actually, I feel fairly good about it, but a critique from any of you would be appreciated. The skin on his neck is not nearly finished. Nor all the detail in his eyes. I inquired about adding any type of flag in background, etc. and his wife, Rae, stated that she preferred it to be quite plain.

Thanks for any input as I really want this to be a good one that she and their 3 sons will love.

Patt Legg · 10-09-2002, 08:44 PM

And now # 2 close up Lt. Crisci

Patt Legg · 10-09-2002, 08:53 PM

I decided to post just one more as it is the full view and I wanted to know if I had made a big mistake in including his arm patch so close to the viewer? I felt it was very important but hoped it did not take away from his face. It is not finished and assume that I will tone it down even more. Any suggestions?

Patt Legg · 10-09-2002, 08:54 PM

PS !!!!

Denise Racine · 10-09-2002, 11:08 PM

What a great start! You have already captured an excellent likeness!

I know you are not finished but here are my suggestions based on what you've done so far:

1) His left eyelid seems a little too light in value.

2) The shadow area on the left side of his neck seems to go all the way to the back of the neck and under the ear.

3) On your painting, it seems like the corner of his right shoulder is lined up with the tip of the hat. Because the photo is so small it's hard to be sure but I think that the shoulder corner is actually more towards the left of your canvas (did I express that properly?. In other words, his shoulders seem a little narrow.

As for the badge I think it looks fine. When you have added color to the rest of the painting it probably won't look so bright.

Nice job!

Peter Jochems · 10-11-2002, 02:38 PM

Hi Patt,

My feeling is that the pupil of the right-eye (for us right) is a bit too close to the nose.

I miss certain shadows in the painting which I see in the source-photograph, like on the right side of the nose under, in the neck, and above the right-eye.

Maybe scanning the source-photograph and posting it also will help us to make better comments, just a suggestion.

Greetings,
Peter

Patt Legg · 10-11-2002, 10:57 PM

Peter,

Yes I think I see what you mean. I appreciate your input and I will send my photo soon. I am preparing for visitors to my studio tomorrow as a combined effort from our town to do Studio Tours of local artists and I am not prepared yet. Pulling those interested to our individual studios that are in more rural areas and not necessarially in town. So I will get back to this soon. Don't give up on me.

Denise,

Thanks too and again, I do see that. I will proceed to try and correct some and paint more on it. BTW, I am afraid that my trip to Reston is probably off now. Tell more later.

Will return ASAP.

Steven Sweeney · 10-12-2002, 09:19 AM

Hi Patt,

Wow, what a challenge to produce a color portrait without any color reference, live or reproduction. Looks good so far, though. Here are just a few notes that I think will contribute to likeness:

Check both the thickness and width of the eyebrows. Especially on our left, the eyebrow seems a bit thick and seems to extend too far to the left.

I'd go more with the shadow cast by the bill of the hat, diagonally across the brow and putting more of the eye on our right in shadow. All that light on the upper lid on our right is making the eye bulge out and appear "vertically oblong", for want of a better term.

In the photo, the moustache isn't perpendicular to the vertical center of the face, but is higher on our left. I think that's very characterizing of the mouth area.

I think the moustache on our left side is fuller as it approaches the far left, rather than coming so rapidly to a "waxed" point.

I'd keep the shadow side of the face more fully in shadow values, and not break up that area quite as much with light spots, with the exception of the light defining the dimple on our right, above the outside end of the moustache, a light which right now isn't in your painting.

I'll quit there because I'm on a dodgy connection in Beijing and I think I'm about to get timed out. (Can you hear people all over the Forum shouting, "How can WE get that software?")

Cheers

Jeanine Jackson · 10-20-2002, 03:44 PM

Great likeness!

The skin tones come through very yellow on my monitor. I feel the need for some warm & cool reds.

Wonderful handling of the eyes.

Patt Legg · 10-20-2002, 04:42 PM

Jeanine, thank you for your comments and the reason for no skin tones are because those shown are only the beginnings of my oil. What you are seeing is some color but mostly my underpainting; I have much more to go.

And Peter, as to your post about sending you the reference photo, I am just doing that now. As I said, it is in black and white only. My original scan seemed quite fuzzy but I am sending it and hoping it is corrected. If not then I will send you another one.