Young Woman

Michele Rushworth · 09-03-2006, 10:56 AM

Hi Jean,

I've attached a modified version of your photo after using Photoshop's Levels and Brightness/Contrast controls. I don't think the lighting is a problem with this photo.

I'm not sure I like the facial expression or awkwardness of the shoulder and strap on our left, though. Just my opinion. Lovely model. Can you post some of the other shots you took?

Jean Kelly · 09-03-2006, 12:27 PM

Hi Michele,

Thank you for your reply and many, many congratulations! I've listened to the silence and thought much about Steven's comments and have been negotiating with the client about this particular pose. I love the backlight and the softness of her face in this shot. I also didn't like the arm position on the left and have done some studies. I moved the tree from the background to the forground and that works much better. No awkwardness, and it stops the eye instead of leading the eye right out of the painting. My biggest problem with this shot is her other arm. I want her hand in it. Period! She lives out of state, so I can't get her back here till Christmas so I will have to use a stand in. Then see if I like that.

I have many other shots that I love also, but they seem so "normal". I'll be back in later and post them. As I said before, I've been talking to the client about two other poses that were nice. So I'll post those.

Jean

Mari DeRuntz · 09-04-2006, 10:28 AM

Jean, I don't readily venture into this particular area of the forum often, but this is a perfect illustration of how difficult it can be to read form from a photograph.

I return to Steven's first advice:

Quote:

It simply cannot pass even the initial "squint" test, which shows a dark, roughly human-shaped object in front of a brilliantly-lit background. You would have to invent about 80 per cent of the lighting to make this work. Better to begin with a better resource. Your subject is interesting and beautiful and deserves to be placed in lighting sufficient to bring out those qualities.

I was able to capture your image and put it up next to a Waterhouse drawing of a girl's head in a similar pose but lit in a way that describes form instead of hiding it. The Waterhouse girl is very softly rendered, but the light is clearly describing the planes of the head and the features of her lovely face.

Jean Kelly · 09-04-2006, 12:01 PM

Hi Mari, I'm surprised to see you here, but glad that you decided to take a look at this. Thank you for taking the time to illustrate your point so beautifully.

I think I fell in love with her hair in this photo, and now I'm really seeing the dubious decision to base my choice on "hair" and not her face.

Here are two more shots that show form much better, and one just for personality. I could not get this young woman to stop smiling so we're going to have teeth in this painting!

I've lost her hands in one shot but have another showing the same placement, so I'm unconcerned about that. She's looking right at her mother and I like the love that shows so obviously in her face.

We also have the direct gaze toward the camera, which also is very engaging. She was sitting on the porch railing, hence the weird look of her hip on the left side. I would change that, and tone the brightness way down. I couldn't get her off the railing either. She said she was a little shy----Haha, no way! I loved working with her.

Of course her true colors came out with her "little angel" pose.

Jean

Since I haven't really chosen my ref yet, I've done very little cropping and no studies.

Allan Rahbek · 09-04-2006, 12:08 PM

Hi Jean,

Just a little something to think about. Should the shoulders be lowered to show the neck more like in your latest references?

Jean Kelly · 09-04-2006, 12:19 PM

Hi Allan,

It's good to be talking to you again. Are you referring to the first pose? I think the problems there were with the lack of light on her face. I'm glad that you pointed out the shoulders also, they are quite high.

Jean

Jean Kelly · 09-07-2006, 12:32 PM

Hi again. This is the ref we are going with. I'm happy because of all the wonderful colors in her skin, and the expression on her face. Eyes are highlighted very nicely. I didn't like the posed look of her hands, so I went with a cropped version.

I'll be bringing the background trees up, but they will be very loose. My only concern right now is the post. I like the variation of texture and the strong vertical, but may not be able to pull it off in paint. So wish me luck, or doom me to failure!

Jean

I forgot to mention, I'm removing the tree on the left and replacing that area with more leaves. Also, the area of her hair the "kisses" the post will changed..............must have no tangents, must have no tangents, must have no tangents (repeat to self twenty times a day).

Alexandra Tyng · 09-07-2006, 09:15 PM

Jean, what about cropping above the bend in her nearer arm? Also, couldn't you eliminate the post altogether? If you are painting an upper body portrait, a simpler background often works better. All you would have to do is take another reference photo of her in the same position, but move her out slightly from behind the post so that the light falls on her left (our right) side.