First self portrait 24" x 30"

[Sharon Knettell]

PS. Everyones face is asymmetrical.

[Chris Saper]

Dear Mara,

I think that the comments you have received are excellent. Perhaps one of the most important things about the experience of painting from life (a lot) is that there just isn't any way to paint successfully from photos without the real time practice.

Painting a self portrait from life does usually have compositional limitations (a good topic for another thread) because of mirror positions, etc. Painting a self-portrait from a photograph, however, has other inherent demands: excellent lighting, sound composition and thoughtful execution.

Here are my thoughts on a critique.

Composition. I like the extra breathing room given on our left. Because you have elected to place a very light figure against a very dark background, you have lots of edge challenges at hand. The area under your arm on our left becomes a small eye-trap because of the extreme contrast in values and the sharp edges. This would be easy to fix. The areas where the arms are cropped, though, can't be fixed. Their light value, strong edges against the gown, and positions tend to make them into arrows that accidentally call the viewer to exit your canvas.

Composing your figure to either include a circle of hands - or cropping into a head/shoulders-would probably be good compositional options.

Selection of resource material. It's hard to say (not seeing your material) whether you have lit yourself in a way that maximizes your ability to show 3-d form through modeling. There seem to be conflicting light sources.

Drawing. We are all, as Sharon says, asymmetrical. That's part of the challenge in determining the viewpoint - whether to emphasize or minimize the asymmetry. As I don't know you, I can't say, but check the directional angles of your eyes compared to your lips. The eyes move upward to our right, the lips downward to our left.

Values. If you have Photoshop you might try the "posterize" function. You have clear lights and darks, but have few middle values. The lights and darks are somewhat equal in the relative square inches they comprise, and their positions don't encourage as much eye movement as they might if there were a bit more variety. The values in the gown seem a little arbitrary.

Edges. Aside from the above mentions, the pattern in the empire waist band has strong contrast and sharp edges, which makes for an accidental eye magnet. The place where the halter top moves behind the left side of your neck, has very sharp edges, same issue.

I have painted self-portraits from life, as well as from photos. Alternate - then you can really get a grip on how to interpret photos, based on your practice from life.

Best wishes!

[Alexandra Tyng]

Hi Mara,

I think the critiques that you've otten so far are excellent. I have only a few things to add.

The lighting is very flat and frontal, as though you used a flash to take the reference photo. Regardless of whether a flash was actually used, this is the impression, and if your goal is to create a portrait with depth and three-dimensionality, then I recommend avoiding this kind of lighting. There are many threads on this forum that deal with lighting.

Your friends are right--there is really little information in this portrait on who you really are. I am left with the impression that you are hiding behind a glamorous facade and don't really want people to know who you are! Excuse me for being blunt! But I have a feeling there is a lot under the surface. I would like to see you paint a portrait that shows you as a human being, one that reveals who you are.

Alex

[John Bruso]

Chris and Alexandra,

I am so very inspired that you took the time to critique my painting. I wish I could express my thanks for your time and advice.

Chris, I read through your post 3 times and really tried to dig into each thing that you wrote. You are extremely perceptive and many of the things you wrote are my ongoing weaknesses as an artist. I am going to take my painting out of it's frame and address what I can from your critique. Being critiqued is something I have lacked in my life as an artist. No one has ever had anything to say to me about my art except praise, and I am too smart to know that they know what they are talking about. Even in college, all the critique classes addressed design and typography and concept, and I was never able to get anyone to really look at any of my artwork outside of the "advertising agency" cliches. I appreciate this forum more than any other educational experience I have had. Thank you!

Alexandra, the original photo was taken without a flash, but I was near a window during evening lighting. I warmed up the skin colors a bit as I painted it. But you, and Chris and Sharon nailed it when you all could immediately tell that I had worked from a photograph. You three ladies have me itching in my cubicle to go home and set up some mirrors and get this painting behind me! As for being glamorous, well...HA! This painting doesn't show people who know me much about the Mara they know, but it does portray one thing, and I'm being brutally honest about this: It shows that I THINK I know what I am doing in the portrait world, but good technique and tight craftsmanship can only get you so far. It's value, composition, planning and honesty that truly make the portrait. Thank you for your thoughts!!!!