Another Bouguereau

[Elizabeth Schott]

I really enjoy in my down time doing these smaller 11 x 14, oil studies of Bouguereau. I have found just the difference in how he handled his skin tones to be so remarkably different and a wonderful lesson in value. I have also come to the conclusion that it's just about impossible to reproduce the innocence of a Bouguereau.

This is the second, in addition to the one I posted under techniques/scumbling.

I must admit, I really hate to see mine by the original, even though my art reproduction photography skills are not going to displace any pro photographers any day soon.

[Michele Rushworth]

Nice work, Beth, and a good idea. Maybe I'll do one of these myself!

[Carl Toboika]

You seem to have gotten a better feel for scumbling with this one Beth. I'll be interested to see what you do to incorporate it harmoniously into your own work now.

[Jeff Fuchs]

Nice work, Beth. Only the original looks like classic Greek, while yours looks more Tahitian. Very subtle differenced make all the difference. I think it's the dark skin tones.

Here's a thread I found at WC that made me think of you and your master copies:

http://www.wetcanvas.com/forums/showthread.php?t=170747

As you know, I'm about to start painting. I thought of master copies, but my wife is already digging up her favorite cat pictures. She says, as long as I'm just learning, I might as well paint her cats.

[Michele Rushworth]

Just a suggestion, Jeff. You'd be much better off spending your limited and valuable painting time doing old master copies rather than doing paintings of cats for practice and learning.

Your goal is to convincingly render skintones, not fur, and there is so much to learn from the masters regarding posing, lighting and values. The photos of your wife's cats may even have been taken with a flash which will not help you render form.

I love my cats but in twenty years I haven't spent even one hour painting them. Well, maybe I've gotten paint ON them a few times, but that's a different story....

[Mike McCarty]

As you know, I'm about to start painting. I thought of master copies, but my wife is already digging up her favorite cat pictures. She says, as long as I'm just learning, I might as well paint her cats.

Jeff,

From one learner to another ... I would hate to buck your wife on any matter, but in my opinion, if it is your goal to eventually paint people portraits then thats what I would start doing right off.

You already have good drawing skills which is a huge step toward that goal, all you need to do is learn to paint flesh tones. I think if you concentrated on skin for a while you'll realize that everything else is just cats and landscape.

What I'm trying to say is that whenever you decide to start painting portraits, only then will you begin to start learning to paint portraits. Saying it another way - painting skin can teach you a lot about all the rest, all the rest won't teach you what you need to know about painting believable flesh tones.

From an interested Saturday morning passerby.

[Mike McCarty]

That's amazing, Michele and I were posting the same thought at the same time. This is not the first time this has happened.

[Elizabeth Schott]

while yours looks more Tahitian. Very subtle differenced make all the difference. I think it's the dark skin tones.

Jeff ,I think the dark skin tones are from the fact I did not adjust my image white level to avoid the possibility of glare. If you look in the corner of the canvas you will see how much darker the white is compared to the shirt on the original. I will post a new image to see if it shows better. In the actual canvas I was pleased with the tones, but I am sure it can not compare if one is looking at the original.

I agree with Michelle and Mike, these studies, while some might consider not a great (maybe a good) use of your time, but I think they are an incredible learning tool.

Using Marvin's value palette as it applies to Bouguereau, is so different in how I adjusted darks and lights before. It may not be the way I always paint, but it taught me to look for so many different nuisances.

A fantastic artist who occasionally posts here told me he wished more artisst who are learning would study masters' works than try and learn from not so great reference photo's.

[Marvin Mattelson]

Thanks for the acknowledgment Beth. You did a very nice job here. You might want to consider lowering the values on the shadow side (viewers right) and also look at lowering the values on the edges on the light side, especially those around her chin and lower jaw line.

Bouguereau used scumbling extensively. Unfortunately, according to Bouguereau's biographer, Damian Bartoli, who I recently had the privlidge of meeting, the French word describing scumbling and glazing is the same. Much has been written about how he glazed but in actuality he did far more scumbling.

I also got to see a badly restored Bouguereau painting in which the uppermost layers of paint were erroneously removed. It was quite educational to see the way he prepared for the effects of the final layers of scumbling.

I think that copying old masters is an excellent way to learn. It is much more effective when the copyist understands the thinking process of the master. Hopefully by participating my workshop last year you gained some valid insight. The big improvement in your work speaks for itself.