Janice

[Kimberly Dow]

This is a lovely piece Jeff!

Go forth and color!

[Jeff Fuchs]

I've been looking at William Whitaker's demos on his website, and I just may try to develop this a little at a time, and see if I can do it. He begins with a very detailed oil drawing.

If you thought my wife looked a little masculine, it seems I was a bit too generous with the jawline. It bothered me, but I wasn't sure what the problem was, so now that's been corrected. I moved the jawline just a little, but it seems to have made a big difference.

[Alexandra Tyng]

Jeff,

I think your wife has a really interesting face, and I can't wait to see what you do with this technically excellent and soulful monochrome sketch.

[Elizabeth Schott]

Jeff I not only say bravo, but put a frame on it and hang it up.

I wouldn't take it any further, it's lovely as it - or just develop it as a Grisaille.

Why not simplify this part of the painting for the next time by just massing more of the shadow areas and not pulling out so much value detail to then just cover it up with paint. Unless you're planning to glaze, build your form with the color too.

Did Janice love it? I do!
I'm also looking forward to the next one.

[Alexandra Tyng]

Jeff, I think Beth has hit on the problem: you have developed this so far that you might be afraid to ruin it (i.e. cover it up) by adding color. Actually I would be, too. The drawing becomes so awesomely detailed it's hard even to know how to apply paint. If this is indeed the problem, then it might be wise to preserve this as it is and develop a new piece, letting something slightly different emerge, even if you are working from the same pose.

Alex

[Chris Saper]

Dear Jeff,

I know it's not helpful to the 'color quest' to say this, but I think this is ready for a signature and frame. With a slide for a competition.

I think your drawing and edge control show a tremendous sophistication -

Great work.

[Jeff Fuchs]

Thanks for the kind words, everyone, but I'm afraid it's too late.

I tried to apply another layer of paint, hoping to at least complete a monochrome face (as opposed to the bare canvas for the light areas). It was awful, but at least the underpainting was dry enough that I could wipe it back down to the original work and try again. After failing and wiping it down about four times, it wasn't worth keeping anymore. It ended up in the trash.

But it's all a learning experience. I may switch to small still lifes for a while until I get the hang of handling paint. No point trying to paint a difficult subject in a difficult meduim if I don't have the basic skills.

Janice seems to have a busy weekend planned for me, so Monday evening I'll pull out a new canvas, pop in an audiobook, and see what I can do.

[Michele Rushworth]

I understand how you feel after getting input from so many instructional videotapes. A while back I was doing the same thing: classes from different instructors, videos from other teachers, books and online input from everyone else under the sun. My mind was a mush.

What worked for me was to choose the ONE instructor's method that seemed closest to my natural way of working and then paint that way. (For me it was Tony Ryder.) I still find myself incorporating suggestions here and there from everyone I ever learned from, but at least now I have a single methodology that I follow, a way to start and proceed with color.

You can learn a lot about paint handling and seeing color by doing still lifes. I think that's a great way to go. One way to get over your fear might be to make up a pile of 8x10 canvases and do one each day, even if all you have is an hour. Paint every gosh darned orange, apple and vase in the house!

I like the advice you've had here from others to start with a limited palette, when you do decide to attack portrait work in color. Rubens and many others are said to have done all their flesh tones with white, yellow ochre, Venetian red and black. That will take you a long way.

Good luck!

[Jeff Fuchs]

Michele, it's like you're reading my mind. Everything you said is right in line with what I plan to do. Problem is, I can't tell whose technique is compatible with mine by seeing the finished paintings. I need to watch the artist work to know if I can apply their methods to my work.

Fortunately, I have found a site that rents good videos, and I have Burton Silverman's "Jenny" DVD in the mail to me as we speak. I've also watched M. Weistling's (which I bought), and Scott Burdick's. If anything, my approach would be a hybrid of those two, but I'm still on such shaky ground, it's too hard to tell.

A while back, I came across two sheets of quarter inch cabinet grade plywood that had fallen off a truck. They were brand new, and sitting on the roadside. They've been in my way for too long, and they're about to become a collection of little paintings. If I were an accomplished painter, I might not take a chance painting on road kill of unknown origin or species, but it'll be good for practice, and to unclutter my workshop

I won't post the results here, as they won't be portaits, but hopefully the lessons learned will show up in my portrait work over time. There are people at my office who want portraits, and I'd like to do them in oils, but I don't know if I can. Regardless of the medium I use, I'll post the results here.

[Carol Norton]

There are people at my office who want portraits, and I'd like to do them in oils, but I don't know if I can. Regardless of the medium I use, I'll post the results here.

YES, JEFF, YOU CAN. Do your portraits in graphite or paint tonally if that is what you are comfortable with. I know and can see from your drawing that you CAN get the likeness. You have it, you can do it. Go for it. Your work will get better day by day, so don't despair. It really takes courage to put work "out there", but fear enslaves. Just do it.

PS The newest "hip" thing is black and white. Hmmmm. As in any trend, the pendulum will swing back. Right now, you could be "THE CUTTING EDGE!" Ha!