Methods of creating a likeness

[Chris Saper]

Oh, Michael, great example, Morgan Weistling is an incredible painter! Like Morgan, inside-out painters also include Harley Brown, Richard Schmid and Doug Dawson. Burton Silverman is an outside-in guy. There is no wrong or right way - whatever works for you is right.

[Michele Rushworth]

Michael, thanks for the link to a great website. I flagged many of his images for my "terrific portraits by other artists that I may never be able to equal" file.

[Steven Sweeney]

Given the turn here, I would mention that Daniel Greene is an "inside out" guy. His concern is that if your outside calls are off, then by the time you realize that the eyes are going to be too close, you've done an awful lot of work that has to be undone. So he gets the eyes in the right size and position, first.

Of course, he also produces in a 45-minute demo a piece that I'd need 45 hours to do as well. (And if anyone's wondering, he doesn't just give those demos away. Bring your checkbook, and a reasonable bank balance.)

[Steven Sweeney]

I can't believe this is free..

And I can't believe it's been left to me to tell you that Cynthia's working on month-end statements right now, for everyone who has received critiques or replies (with percentages to the respondents).

The good news is, there's no balance due. Contributions are based on appreciation and value received. Remit to the next person.

[Michele Rushworth]

And a big thanks owing to Cynthia, once again, for making this incredibly valuable site available to all of us!

[Cynthia Daniel]

Thank you Michele for your appreciation!

Hmm, how's $20/year sound?

[Michele Rushworth]

Cynthia, what this site has done for me in launching my business is truly immeasurable! I wish I could afford to pay you the true value that I think having this site has already given me, and I'm sure has given many others.

I was thinking the other day where my business would be right now, one year after launch, if I hadn't had this site.

Here's what you've done for me:

I have learned an unbelievable amount about portrait composition, color, lighting, painting technique, marketing, pricing...I could go on and on and on. I think it would have taken me ten years to get as far as I have in this first year because of what I have learned from this site. In fact it's possible I NEVER could have come this far, without the Stroke of Genius website.

Your site showed me it was possible to create a career that gives me constant joy and a solid income while staying home with my kids. What a tremendous gift!

Thank you again, Cynthia!

[Carolyn Ortiz]

Morgan Weistling's work is incredible! What an inspiration! The demos are amazing, thanks for the link Michael. Guess there is hope yet! Thanks also Chris and Steven for the names you've mentioned (Wish I could find some more of their work). I really like that I can call myself an "inside out painter". Maybe that will be the name of a show - ha ha, I can dream! I am excited to get practicing and I'm sure with more experience everything will fall into place. Thanks so much for all your input and time, I really do appretiate it!

And of course a huge thanks to Cynthia... but, please wait to raise the rates until I am a successful painter! Don't worry, I'm practicing!

[Leslie Ficcaglia]

Carolyn, I thought your sketch was excellent. As far as the age goes, it looks to me as though there is more distance between the highest part of her hair and her eyebrows in the reference photo than in your work. I suspect that if you enhance the height of that hair the proportions will be more appropriate to the child's actual age. When there is less space between the top of the head and the eyes the person looks older. Otherwise the fullness of the cheeks and the development of the chin on your drawing are all correct for the age of the child in the photo.

Everyone has a different way of approaching a subject, and as Chris says, no one way suits all. I don't graph or use plumblines; I do it all by eye, going back and forth as Steve describes. I start off with a dilute blue wash on the entire canvas and then use more concentrated pigment to sketch in the composition. At the same time, I'm roughing in the likeness (there is a three-step demo on my site.) Once I'm satisfied with both I start adding more color. Occasionally when I'm wrestling with a portrait I'll measure relative distances between eyes and mouth and so forth, comparing the reference photo to the painting (i.e. the distance between the top of the eyebrow and the top of the nostrils is the same as the distance between the bottom of the nose and the chin in the photo; is it the same in the painting?) Another handy trick is to turn the painting and the reference photo upside down and compare them that way (unfortunately that can't be done with a live model - another advantage of using an alternative.) It's amazing what a fresh perspective, literally, this gives you, and you can see discrepancies a lot more clearly. Often they'll just pop right out. Or you'll see that even though something may be nagging at you, it's not the shape that's off. Some people use a mirror but I find it too hard to compare the two that way.

A lot of times I don't bother with any of those techniques but just eye the reference photo and the painting. I find that I need the most help when doing portraits of men with short, conservative haircuts; I suspect that's because there's no fudging the line of the skull and jaw. There's no hairdo to obscure edges and shapes; it's all just out there. Everyone's got his bete noire, I'll bet.

[Cynthia Daniel]

Carolyn,

Actually, I was teasing about $20/year for the Forum. The Forum is free, but it costs to be on the main site...considerably more than $20/year.


All who expressed appreciation,

Your kind words make it all so very worthwhile. I love what I do anyway, but nothing beats having your efforts appreciated!