"The lookout"

Mike McCarty · 05-01-2002, 11:55 AM

This little guy is almost finished. Maybe someone would like to put their skunk eye on it and help me out.

Mike McCarty · 05-01-2002, 11:56 AM

close up...

Lon Haverly · 05-02-2002, 01:27 AM

Mike, at first glance of the first image, it looks nice. But at close range, I can see some problems. I am going to be tough. You are good, and can handle it.

1. The eyes are weak. The line qualities of the eyelids need more expression. They are flat, and too parallel. The lines that form the crease over the eyelid are very important to expression of the eyes. If they are flat, or misshaped, they will detract from all the rest, no matter how good (and it is good.) I have added some variety to the lines in the attaschment. The eyes are not on the axis - the line that is drawn through the line of the eyes from one end to the other. This phenomenon is prevelent in artists who begin with the eyes and work outward. The tear ducts do not not balance - one is different than the other. Perhaps it is because you had insufficient detail in the photograph. I cannot tel without a reference photo. I have rotated the eyes slightly to the right.

2. I have rotated the nose slightly to the right as well.

3. You could stand to limit your color palette in the flesh tones a bit. The shadows in the neck are different than those in the rest of the subject. Also, the colors around the mouth tell of a glaze which did not match (something which shows up more in the photo than in reality, perhaps.) Perhaps mixing more quantity of color would help solve this, so you would have more consistency of values over the painting.

All said with best intention - not to discourage. As the proverb says, "Iron sharpeneth iron."

Lon Haverly · 05-02-2002, 02:10 AM

. . .

Mari DeRuntz · 05-02-2002, 11:06 AM

Hi Lon, just curious, what computer program are you using to manipulate images? It seems like a very useful thing to be able to do. Thanks in advance,

Mari.

Peter Jochems · 05-02-2002, 11:12 AM

Hi Mike,

The dark circles on the left disturb the sunny atmosphere, is my feeling. They are very heavy in the composition.

greetings,
Peter

Lon Haverly · 05-02-2002, 11:31 AM

Mari, almost any photo program has this capability, except a viewer. I used Adobe Photoshop, the lasso, and then transform/rotate commands.

Mike McCarty · 05-02-2002, 04:49 PM

Quote:

I am going to be tough. You are good, and can handle it.

Lon, you sound like a proctologist I had to let go.

I actually saved the eyes for last and am still working on them. One of my problems is that my canvas (16x20) is to small for my composition. By the time I get to the little details of the face my technique is to weak to pull it off. I wish I could learn this lesson. Like the old saying: I don't learn fast but I learn good. I think half of that describes me.

About the tones of the face... there are two things going on here, the first is (beware self analysis will follow) I think that I am in a between stage of my developement. I am trying to move toward a more spontaneous brush stoke and color application. Whether its right or wrong I admire the "left alone" obvious brush stroke and the varied use of color. Even in the skin tones. I'm not saying that I achieved this. It's just that what I am showing here is my next attempt toward that end. In another thread Jim Riley posted a painting of "the old sailor", a slightly backed off version of that is what I want. I seem to be able to take only baby steps toward that end.

The second thing is that this is the first time I have tried to use Liquin. The only thing I have ever used is a simple linseed oil and terp combo. I think I love it and I think I hate it. This stuff will set up in a few hours and over night for sure. Sometimes thats good sometimes its bad. And it seems to leave a kind of satin effect which looks good in some passages but lacks in others. The finished look doesn't seem to be as vibrant. Could also be my inexperience with the stuff.

Peter, I will try and do better on the background. It is a very out of focus illdefined affair.

Mari DeRuntz · 05-02-2002, 11:23 PM

Hi Mike, strong image, I always know more clearly what to comment on in a critique when the artist posts the reference photo. Yours is beautiful, but strong backlight can be challenging. The reference that comes to mind is a pastel of Chris Saper's titled "Manisha". It's in her book, but I'm not sure it's in her online portfolio. Perhaps she could post it here? I'm not sure about copyright infringement, permission required, et cetera. It's a good example, however, and would be worth your time to view it. With that in mind, it seems you could darken most of your fleshtones and give them the violet and mauve hues that permeates the shadowed face in the photograph. The contrast between the lit side of the child's face and the shadowed side could go a lot stronger and more dramatic.

I also enjoyed your comments on the other struggles this portrait represented in your growth: different oil mediums seem to be one tough method to learn. I recently read about stand oil at the same time that I was reading about oiling out, or the method where masters would "rewet" a canvas or passage with medium before starting a days work, to give them lubricated canvas to paint into. So my response was to "oil out" the canvas by rubbing in newly purchased, thick, stand oil. Then I (bonehead) painted into that. Turns out stand oil is far too "fat" to use alone as a medium, and that nothing will stick to this surface.

Anyway, Karin Wells posted sage advise about putting in 40-hour painting weeks if you truly are driven to learn. So here's a lot of slow but good lessons for us to learn.

-Mari

Mike McCarty · 05-03-2002, 10:21 AM

Mari, thanks for your studied remarks. There is certainly room to make those darker statements. I think I am going to give that a go.

Lon, I was just kidding about the proctology thing. I am checking those alignment issues that you mentioned.

If anyone is interested, people always ask me how long does it take you to do that? I never had a clue. I decided that on this painting I would keep track of my time. What you see above, and I can see 2-3 more hours to finish, I have spent 20.5 hours. Of that around 2 and 1/2 hours of sketching.