A Judge in Pinstripes

[Jean Kelly]

It has a lot of personality again Garth. My gut tells me that FDR and Churchill are very important to this judge and I love it. But I find the position or color of the frame distracting. It seems to connect to his hair. Think a color change might help? This only a minor, minor nitpick. Other than that I wouldn't change a thing. Beautiful job again.

Jean

[Garth Herrick]

Thanks Allan, Jane, Geary, and Jean:

Your insights are all valid and helpful. Allan, the posted photo may be a little washed out. The shadows in the shirt are slightly stronger than they appear. Jane, I haven't taken the close-ups yet. The reference photo was kind of blurry. Geary and Jean, you are so right; the frame bothered me too. I think it's fixed now. I muted FDR and Churchhill about 5%, and strengthened the judge's hair 5%. Now there is a clear separation of space. Allan, perhaps I need to sharpen up the elephant picture (you can tell which political party appointed him).

Thanks!!

[Sharon Knettell]

All in all a very beautiful job. These commissions are very hard to do and make the person still look alive which you have succeeded in doing.

A couple of suggestions. The state flag pops out too much, try putting a glaze on a transparent sheet of plastic to see if toning it down works. Because the reds are so strong, I would try the same test technique ( if the painting is dry enough) on his cheeks and lips to balance them. Stuart would overrouge his clients, even males. Somehow this works in paintings if not in life. When I work from photos , I usually glaze the cheeks and lips of the photo with a stronger color, until I think a healty look is achieved. You can see some examples of Stuarts' lively skin colors in the Boston Museum of Fine Art.

A piece to be proud of, I hope this helps.

[Garth Herrick]

Thanks, Sharon:

Part of the problem is that the posted photo looks slightly different than the painting (the reds reproduced too strong), but I see what you mean. I muted the red and gold in the state flag ever so slightly. I tried adding just a hint of jaune capuchine to rouge up the face, and then rubbed it off, although as you know, you can never get paint completely off. It looks about right after all this glazing and scrubbing.

Garth

[Elizabeth Schott]

You are also toooo good Garth!

And a busy beaver clapclap!

My thoughts here, which will be too late because you look like you are ready to wrap this one up. But I think there are two kinds of people in this world; those who like balance, ie: two lamps on the mantle, and those of us who are unbalanced (self explanatory). My focus on the lovely rendering of the Judge's face is a bit distracted by all the stripes. The chair stripes lead into the pin stripes, then the flag stripes.

I am stepping out of my comfort zone by saying this, so pardon if I am off base - it certainly wouldn't be the first time!

You're awesome!

[Mary Sparrow]

You amaze me. Your work is so wonderful, and I am no person to be giving someone like you a critique. I understand what you are saying about it looking different in person than on the monitor, mine always seem to look that way. But to me the first thing I see are the hands(which are awesome by the way) They are more vivid than his face, which is seems should be the other way around.

[Sharon Knettell]

If he were alive he'd die happy. His family will be thrilled! It looks wonderful. Leave it alone and take a well deserved walk in the woods.

Well designed, these are tough to do and come up with an interesting arrangement which Beth Schott has pointed out.