Little girl by drape - in progress

[Will Enns]

Alicia,

I will not comment on the painting itself, but would like to suggest a trick that has helped me with shapes and values when comparing a photo reference with a painting in progress. It's a simple trick, which you can implement using your photo editor.

1) Open your painting in one window of your photo editor, and your photo in a second window.

2) Drag the window with the photo over the window with the painting so that a critical reference point, such as an eye, lines up.

3) Resize the photo so the dimensions of the face exactly match the face in the painting.

4) Use Ctrl+Tab to flip back and forth between the two images. Adjust one window for optimum placement.

(Re: Ctrl+Tab. My system is Windows based. If you use Mac, your key combinations are probably different and you should consult a Mac expert).

You will immediately be able to see the differences between the two, because they are overlaid.

I've cropped and resized the images you've posted to demonstrate the technique. You'll find them below.

I've cropped them to the same size, with the photo placed according to the collar, then resized according to the top of the ribbon. All you have to do is drag the photo window exactly over the painting window, and Ctrl+Tab away.

I hope this helps,
Will