Girl in window

[Barbara Hudson]

Hello, everybody.

Attached is a portrait that I did for my portfolio.

I wanted the predominant colour to be blue to match the furnishings in a bedroom.

The problem I have is that when I attempted to add shading under the girl's feet, I only succeeded in making the carpet look dirty instead!

In my mind, I have two choices, one being to repaint the carpet underneath her feet, the other is to crop it. I must admit to preferring the latter choice.

I have attached both versions for your perusal.

What do you think?

Thank you for looking.

Barbara

[Barbara Hudson]

Here is the second painting.

[Enzie Shahmiri]

Barbara,

Between the two I like the first choice better, but I am really bothered by all the blue. Assuming that the original is truly that blue, I would tone down the wall color considerably and make it as pale a blue as possible.

The dirtying of carpet you refer to doesn't bother me. Shadows are dark. Maybe someone else can suggest how to avoid a muddy look.

[Barbara Hudson]

Dear Enzie,

Thank you for looking and commenting on my work, it is much appreciated.

I agree that it is too blue, I think that I got carried away! This is especially easy to do when you choose Prussian Blue as, no doubt, you will know.

I think that when you paint from a black and white photo, as I have here, and hence being free to choose any colours that you like, can give some very interesting results, some good, others not so good!

I have thought about toning the blue down on the walls as you suggested but I am now nervous about there being too much white instead of blue. I think that I will live with it a little and hope that inspiration will come to me, which often seem to happen when I leave a painting for a while.

Thank you again.

Barbara

[Peggy Baumgaertner]

Barbara,

I like this painting very much, I like the atmosphere, composition, and the way the light/curtains have been handled. Compositionally, I like the first version better.

On the blue wall under the right window, as it is, the middle portion of that square space becomes a lighter value in the middle of the space. I would make the wall the same value (middle) as the wall to the left of the right window. The lighter blue on the window sills are justified (sun light). This would also give you a nice "L" shaped connection with the wall, dress, and other wall.

I do have a question as to the shadow on the rug. If there is enough of a reflected light to cause a value change on the dress, legs, shoes and socks, how can there be a shadow going in the opposite direction on the rug?

I would suggest that the shadow at the girls feet should be going to the left, under her body which is blocking the light, and not to the right, where there seems to be a strong reflected light being cast.

Peggy

[Barbara Hudson]

Hello Peggy.

You are quite correct about the shadows. The photograph is black and white and there is very little detail below the hemline of the dress due to the limitations of the camera being able to cope with light and shadow.

I did mostly guess at what might be happening below the hemline, she is actually standing on a plain wooden floor which showed no variation in tone or shading at all! I introduced the carpet out of my imagination because I thought it needed something more. I am still finding it hard to work without any reference to guide me. Anyway I guessed at where the shadows may have been, and I guessed wrongly!

Now that I've read what you have said, it makes sense and I will go back to the painting and make some amendments to it.

Thank you for your very useful advice Peggy.


Barbara