New to Foliage..double portrait

[Tricia Migdoll]

Very nice likeness, Monique - and i love the setting and the composition. I think you have captured these two beautifully.

I do think the painting would benefit from some softening of your edges. ... gently flicking in some of the surrounding paint into the flesh.

This is something i have recently learned, and which has made a big difference to my work. I hope it helps you some. Perhaps someone with more experience will jump in and expand on this.

[Monique McFarland]

Here is the painting after a few tweaks. I have had the HARDEST time photographing this painting! I'm going to use my better camera tomorrow and try to get another shot of it... Every picture using my small digital camera ends up hazy and grainy! It is going to be hard to see the changes I made using this picture.

Link to larger photo

P.S. If you open the links to this and my last update, side by side, you should be able to see all of the changes I made easier. Look at: changes in his hair outline, her fingers, outline on all edges, background, concrete bench they're on, his pants leg that's hanging down, shadows around his foot, etc.

[Mischa Milosevic]

This is fabulous! Wow! I can see the dedication and I am happy for you. They will love it! If I may make a suggestion or two. Now that you have the fern out of the way there seems to be a void. Is it possible to hint at some foliage in the background and to make the foliage believable hint at a light peaking through but a light that is ever so weak. Another thing, can you have her white shoe peak through a touch not much but a indication where the toe may be located.

All the best to you

[Monique McFarland]

Thank you so much Mischa! Haven't thought about the toe of the shoe through the ivy idea...i'll see about that. As far as the background, IRL it is not quite as flat and empty as it looks with this lame photo. There are are variations of greens and actually a hint, ever so slight, can still be seen of this fern if you look closely. it is just very subtle and blends in with the background ALMOST completely. As I said, I'm going to try to get a better photo of it today at some point and maybe it will pick it up. Thanks again for the response!