Taline WIP

[Barbara Mae Hudson]

Hello everybody.

This is a commission that I am working and I seem to have hit a brick wall with regards to her likeness and youth.

Her mum doesn't want her puppy fat to be too obvious and has asked me to play it down so I am not sure whether or not it is the playing down of that that has taken away her likeness. I have put it aside for a while to enable me to 'live with it' in the hope that some divine inspiration will come my way. However, that was two weeks ago now and it hasn't yet arrived.

Any comments at this stage would be helpful, I don't really want to put it back on my easel until I am sure of where the problem areas are.

Thank you in anticipation.

Take care,

Barbara

[Mike McCarty]

Barbara,

Maybe this will help get you started.

[George Holmes]

Barbara,

I have no business commenting, but since you asked, try softening most of the edges (hands too) and reducing the contrast differences between shadows on the cheeks etc and background.

[Joan Breckwoldt]

Hi Barbara,

I think your painting looks great! My eye is drawn to where the cheek (on our left) meets the background. This sharp line makes that shape very distinctive and it is a chubby cheek so the chubbiness is played up by that sharp line. I think if you made that a softer edge it wouldn't be so noticeable and you would still retain her likeness.

I also think having her hand in the painting draws our attention to her cute chubby hands. I love them. I think I probably spent hours staring at my son's cute chubby hands when he was younger, thinking how I would miss them when the chubbiness had grown out. Little hands are wonderful and you've captured them beautifully. But if the mom wants the chubbiness downplayed, maybe removing the hands completely would please her.

I hope these suggestions are helpful,

Joan

[Barbara Mae Hudson]

Thank you so much Joan, George and Mike.

I agree about softening the contrast between her cheek and the background, I will try a combination of softening her cheek and reducing the contrast between them and see what effect that has on it.

I am now realising that the parents wish to reduce her puppy fat is what is giving me the real problem regarding her likeness and I am inclined to add a little more puppy fat to her and hope that parents approve. If they don't approve, I can show them the above photo to demonstrate the problems that occurred when their wishes were carried out.

After all, her puppy fat does not take away her obvious childlike beauty, she is a little angel!

I will place her back on the easel and work more on her in the next few days.

Thank you all so much for your help and advice on this, it is very much appreciated.

Take care,

Barbara

[Barbara Mae Hudson]

Sorry, I forgot to add .............

Joan. I am tied to keeping the hand in the painting I'm afraid, but I will soften it even more and make it more chubby.

Take care.

Barbara