Quick study in four colors

[Alexandra Tyng]

Julia,

I appreciate the fact that you did this as an exercise without tracing and measuring, just using your eye.

I would say that overall it is a good likeness. I'd like to add a few points.

The most glaring problem is that you have tried to compensate for a fuzzy reference photo by over-articulating the features, hair, and other edges. Take a look at her eyes, her upper lip where it meets the skin of the muzzle, and the highlights in her hair. If you don't see these edges in your reference, then it is probably not a good idea to put them in (a reason why it is always advisable to use a good reference). Also some of the value changes are over-emphasized, as in the nearer eye. In the reference, the white of the eye is almost the same value as everything in that shadow area.

There are other modeling problems in the shape of her upper lip and the size of her nearer eye. In the reference it appears wider than the far eye because it wraps around the curve of her head. But these are just things to watch for next time. I would not overwork this one.

[Julia Scott]

Alexandra,

Thank you for your very thoughtful comments! Just the kind of thing I really need right now as I struggle to loosen up, stop overworking, and get the "portrait thing" right.

I often have a problem getting the eyes deeply enough into the sockets and wrapping around the head right. I realized I had made the near eye too small and shallow-set after I posted the reference the same size as the portrait. Next time I am going to try putting both up on Photoshop together to compare at the same size, perhaps at various stages.

Thank you again for your help!

Best, Julia

[Debra Norton]

Julia, I would suggest that in the future you blow your reference up to the same size you're going to paint, even if you have to piece it together. I've found if I try to paint from a smaller photo I tend to automatically try to shrink it down to the size of the photo because I'm so used to painting what I see. It's nice to not have to fight the size changes along with all the other challenges of painting!

[Julia Scott]

Debra,

Thanks for your excellent suggestion!

Would Kinko's blow a photo up that size? I've also heard of painters using blueprint copiers to enlarge preliminary drawings, but that would only work for b&w. Working bigger is another hurdle for me. Next step: read all the photo reference posts! I'll bet some answers are there.

Thanks again, and best, Julia

[Debra Norton]

Julia, sometimes I work from several photos for different parts of the body, so I pick the one that's closest to my end desires and have that one blown up in black and white. Then I take it home and cover it with color photos that I print myself. I use the black and white copy as a form to follow in keeping things the correct size. This way I can put a different head or hands on the main photo.

Kinko's will blow color photos up to large sizes, but it's a bit on the spendy side because they're thinking permanent and I'm thinking temporary. Last time I went I enlarged photos for three paintings in black and white and it was less than $20. (This was not even for life size, I think they're all around 24 x36.) At that time I priced printing them in color and it would have been around $250 if I remember right. I just can't see spending that kind of money on something I'm going to throw away. Hope this helps.

All that said, painting from life is the best practice anyone can get.

[Julia Scott]

Debra,
I finally found your post on the second page!

Once again, very helpful stuff. I didn't realize there was such a difference in price between color and b&w. Thanks!

Julia