Portrait in Progress..

Lara Cannon · 11-10-2005, 09:28 PM

Hello,

I am having a difficult time with this portrait. The perspective is very difficult for me to get right. His head is slightly tipped forward and looking down. I am also having a difficult time with color. I feel like the freshness of the drawing is almost lost. I am working from a photograph so I think part of the problem is the distortion from the camera. The rest of the problem is with me, I am afraid.

Would anyone be willing to give me a fresh perspective and point out some of the obvious problems? I have just blocked in the shirt so there isn't much visually going on beneath the neck.

Thank you!
Lara Cannon

Lara Cannon · 11-10-2005, 09:45 PM

Here is a bad photograph of my source photo. Sorry about the quality.

Mary Sparrow · 11-11-2005, 09:44 AM

Lara, I think your work is so beautiful, you have such a wonderful touch.

I never have felt comfortable giving critiques, so take me with a grain of salt, but I feel like you have made his face a little more round than what the photos show. His face in the photo seems to be a tad longer, especially in the forhead, and thinner.

Lara Cannon · 11-11-2005, 12:24 PM

Hi Mary,

Thanks, I think you are right! I didn't even think about his forehead being wide. Thanks for pointing that out. Once I saw the portrait on the computer screen I realized I had made his jaw and mouth too wide too.

Well back to the drawing board!
Lara

Claudemir Bonfim · 11-11-2005, 01:16 PM

Hi Lara,
If you're having a hard time I can't wait to see the easy ones, that's so beautiful, much better than the reference

Mary Sparrow · 11-11-2005, 01:45 PM

Lara..I it is SOOOOOOOOOOOO close, I bet the parents would be thrilled as is. I was LOOKING for something to tell you.

Lara Cannon · 11-11-2005, 05:56 PM

Thanks to both of you for your replies. I really do like to hear comments about how I can improve. After hours of looking at something it is hard to "see" it any more. I will post the final when the shirt is done.

Thanks--please don't hold back on the criticisms. You couldn't possibly be as critical of my work as I am.

Lara

Ilaria Rosselli Del Turco · 11-12-2005, 11:06 AM

Lara, I really like this work too. On the point of view of construction I think there are minor differences with the references, so minor that you might as well ignore them, as Claudemir said the work is better than the photo! Perhaps the shape of the head might miss a slight bit at our top right.
Maybe you could accentuate the cast shadow, so to lose the edges even more in the dark part. Don't be afraid of being bold!
Very nice work anyway!
Ilaria

Richard Monro · 11-12-2005, 03:28 PM

Lara, this is a great job from a very poor reference photo. No criticism from this end.

Lara Cannon · 11-13-2005, 06:57 PM

Thanks for the responses and tips. I re-worked the core shadow just a bit and brought in the forehead. The head construction was off and I really would like to push the drama. I really appreciate all of the help and encouragement.

I am working away on the fabric and now I hope to art it up a bit. I am disappointed by it's photographic quality. What is the point of creating a bad copy of a mediocre photograph? I am feeling less and less like an Artist with a capital "A" these days. Do any of you feel this way? My clients are pretty happy with the portraits but I am feeling a bit soulless as I grid out photographs and copy and correct for hours on end.

Perhaps it is time to break away from photographs and work from live a models...? That sounds just sounds like such a big leap.