Disappointment under pressure

[Claudemir Bonfim]

Hello there,

Well, I've started some portraits more than once in the past. Fortunately it is not so common nowadays. I checked that link, that's going to be a very nice work, but if you feel that's not what what you wanted it to be, start it over again and than compare the paintings, you will certainly paint the second one much faster.

Charcoal studies will help you too.

Hope it helps.

[Chris Saper]

If you are disappointed with it, I think you should get it back, regardless of what you ultimately do with it. Otherwise a) it will haunt you forever; b) you won't want to put it in your portfolio; and c) it won't work for you in marketing your portraits.

You could certainly combine a life/photo sitting if you would be so inclined, and take your time with it. I am sure you will get a fresh perspective when you get it back, one way or the other.

[Allan Rahbek]

Ilaria,

try to do something radical about the worst thing in the painting, so maybe it will loosen up.

As I see it you have some nice vertical patterns in the wallpaper, but I think that the chair is too heavy and is sort of overpowering the delicate and light nuances with it's also vertical lines.

I would try to get some diagonal lines into the back of him, a pillow or something, to fill some of the high back space.

Allan

[Kimberly Dow]

Ilaria,

If it were me, I'd restart it. Sometimes one comes along that we just arent happy with and need that fresh start. You WILL get it though -just be patient and tenacious.

Good luck!

[Carol Norton]

Ilaria,

That is a real problem unless you decide to put your best out there no matter what. It has taken me ...no IS taking me some real head bashing to decide that, (and mantra repeating that ..."I will never paint from a poor reference again. I will never....." which Chris Saper commanded me to repeat and repeat and...). However, if you send out poor work, it's out there with your name on it. You can never go wrong by doing the highest and best thing.

Take the painting back. Take some good photos, color notes from life, as Deborah suggested and repaint the whole thing. The longer I paint the more I see that no matter how good an artist is, poor paintings can be painted. Bill Whitaker referred to his "burn pile", which I thought was his little joke. Maybe he really does burn paintings that he isn't pleased with. Only he knows. It was hard to think that he didn't come out of the womb painting like he does now. Did we? Is it possible that we all are in a learning mode? What a lot of humility this business requires but without it, no progress can be made. (No, Christopher Isherwood didn't say that...) Your work is beautiful. Keep that standard going.