Contribution made by W. Whitaker

[Mischa Milosevic]

William Whitaker has made a excellent point!

I would like to contribute and encourage others to practice from life. Do a self portrait. If by chance you care not to start with a portrait first, then set up a simple still life. Still life is excellent for color study. When you feel comfortable working with color, then do a self portrait.
This self portrait was done today and what you see tuck one hour to do but no mater how long one takes and how refined one wishes to be. Working from life is the best way to learn.

Regards,
mischa

[Claudemir Bonfim]

Hi Mischa,

I do it whenever I can. Maybe I'll post something here next week.

[Allan Rahbek]

Bravo Mischa,
You paint like a sculptor, on can really feel the volume of the head.

And yes, Bonfim, do that. I

[Mischa Milosevic]

Thank you Bonfim and Allan, I appreciate you taking the time. As is obvious, at least to me, that much adjusting needs to be done here. First the ear is to far back etc.

I hope to see your, new, from life drawing/painting. Past works are in the past. Let us regroup and start a fresh. Like Mr Whitaker so nicely put, We are headed towards excellence.

I do appreciate what Mr Whitaker stated and I do understand the struggles for commissions. This will be a get down and dirtier and no sniveling. I encourage critiques especially self critiques. Each must get to the point where they can accurately critique self.

What I hope to do here is to encourage one and all to practice from life. The self portrait I posted took but a short time but whatever time you take it will be worth the effort. Try to do at least one a month if not one a week.. If this week you cannot find a sitter than do a drawing/painting of self. Do not fret what you look like or what the result will be! At first you mite be surprised what you know or what you do not even if you are seasoned or just starting out.

First work towards accuracy in shapes and value then hue. I did not fret where the light was coming from. What ever the condition and or the setup take it as it comes. Just make sure that you see shadow and light. This is practice. This is doing your scales.

Once again I encourage one and all to do this and get in the habit of working from life. Do not say to self ' I do not need to do this'. Please, think about it, who are you helping? I promise the results will be rewarding.

Sincere regards,
mischa

[Sharon Knettell]

Thank-you for posting this Mischa.

It has a nice alert quality about it. I read when you went to school all the work you did was from life. You went on to say that now in order to succeed as a portraitist you have to use photography. If you look at the Royal Academies website, posted somewhere in the "Going for Excellence " thread you will see that most of their members will only work from life, and many will only paint those who travel to their studio.

I know finances are always difficult especially when you are starting out, it is easy to give in to a client's desire for convenience and worse, content.

Since you have the skill to work from life, try to persuade as many of your prospects to sit for you. You will gain their admiration, if not their cooperation and some enlightened ones might actually do so.

[Dianne Gardner]

I agree wholeheartedly! There is no better way to learn to see than from life.

This is a wonderful start on your self portrait. You remind me I need to do one. I would much rather paint the prettier faces of our models in our open studio, but alas, I do believe my time is coming soon. I made a promise to myself to do one this summer.

Thanks for posting this.
Dianne

[Mischa Milosevic]

Dianne, I have started this self portrait and plan to finish it. At the moment I am involved with a number of other projects and this self study must wait. I have it hanging in my small studio and each time I look at it I notice how simply it was done, and what there is still to do. At the same time I'm so glad I started it for I am learning a lot just by looking at my mistakes and by trying to figure out what to do next. My goal is to better understand the procedure rather than hurry and get a perfect likeness or finish.

Each drawing I do or painting I paint I do in order to learn and this is what I enjoy the most. Sure, the excitement seen on the face of a client is the icing but there is more to the painting than just the finish.

I see your desire Dianne but as others have stated on this forum "there is no shortcuts" that is if you wish to be the best that you can be.

Wish you the best that you can be!

mischa