My very first PAINTING in the world ever...

Hi, everyone. I'm fairly new here. I did my very first oil painting last weekend. I wanted to do a quick one so I started small, the painting is only about 8" x 10". It took a couple of hours from start to finish. I just wanted people's thoughts on it before I start another. I've never used oil paints before so I used the opportunity to be a bit more free as I'm normally a very precise pencil user. Any help would be much appreciated.

Thanks everyone!

Adam

I've just read the post below about amateurs not posting. Really sorry. I'd love to be a professional but know it'll probably not happen. I'm sorry if I've taken up time that could be used more effectively for other, more established artists. I'd still appreciate any responses seeing as I've posted here, and would really appreciate people pointing me in the direction of any Forums that might be more suitable for a beginner like myself.

A couple of details about the painting.

It is of my girlfriend, and was done on a Saturday afternoon in her parent's garage with light pouring in through the window. I did it in a couple of hours because the light kept changing.

Sorry if I've been a nuisance.

Thanks everyone.

Adam.

[Cynthia Daniel]

Adam,

Thanks for your very heartfelt apologies! Being an amateur isn't the deciding factor, it's whether you have the goal to be a professional. We're really for pros or those working to be a pro. If you fit in that category, then posting is fine. That's up to you to decide.

You might take a look at WetCanvas.com. They have a great forum over there that's for everyone.

[Peter Jochems]

Hi Adam,

It's not a bad start you made. The difficulty in this is that this could be a lucky shot. Did you paint in acrylic paint before? You felt free to do something else than the precise pencil drawings you make otherwise (I haven't seen those). My question is, do you aim at a very precise way of painting eventually, or do you want to go further in a more free approach like this first painting in oil that you made?

My feeling when I see this, (and I haven't seen details, I have to judge your work from a relatively small reproduction) is that I see some nice things happening in the free brushwork, which I would regret when it gets lost in a very precise way of painting. For example, the way the hair is painted on the right on her shoulder is very expressive. But a free approach like this becomes a bit dangerous when too much of the definition gets lost in the brushwork. It takes a lot of practicing to make an approach like this really work. When I see the lips and other features of the face, my feeling is that more accuracy in the placing and definition of the features would be welcome. The shadows are very dark in her face. Some more definition would also be welcome there.

I would aim for a variety in how you paint. So try not to lose too much of the expressive handling of the paint, on the other hand, in painting the eyes, lips and the face in general a more precise approach would be welcome.

Greetings,
Peter

Thanks for the tips, Peter. I was pleased with the fact that I remained quite free with the brush strokes and the way I went about it. I liked the effect I could get by 'letting go'. It was the result I was going for, and definitely a look that I'd like to maintain. I'll try a photographic one too, just as a test. I'm not very pleased with the final result, I think it looks a bit muddy and grimy and lacks life.

I agree with your points, I should be a little more precise with the important features. In this painting I felt the shadows were maybe too dark, and her right eye (the one in darkness) is not very well painted. I also think a different background might be beneficial.

With regards to my normal way of working, I normally feel unsatisfied with a piece unless it is photographic, which is why I always use pencils or pens and never paint. My girlfriend has always worked with oils so when we were in the art shop I bought a small canvas and decided to give it a go myself. I really enjoyed oil paint as a medium and definitely want to start a new one very soon. Any more tips or critique will be very welcome.

Oh and Cynthia, thanks for your reply to my apology. I'm nowhere near good enough to ever make a living from it, but I'm only just 24 (oh, that sounds old) so you never know.


Thanks again.

Adam