Boy in blue polo

[Ilaria Rosselli Del Turco]

Sharon, there's many of us out there !
Not that I have given up on my camera completely, although I try my best to paint commission live it is not always possible. It just feels more right to me. I do a lot of still life anyway which compensates any possible portrait from photo.

I too have a light blocking system in my studio which has huge windows on all sides: I stuck velcro on the sides of the windows and I have black fabric panels with velcro, I can close as much as I like, it's an easy and unexpensive solution.

[Peter Dransfield]

Lovely lovely portrait Ilaria. Your description of form using colour and directional brushstrokes is impressive - in fact if my knees weren

[Ilaria Rosselli Del Turco]

Peter, thank you, I am embarrassed !

I paint very much "English School" : I read you like Coldstream, he is like painting grandpa for me.
I try to include marks that are more akin to drawing that painting, and I want to avoid creating the illusion of reality, but keep the event happening ON the canvas.

I am almost done with the brothers of this young guy and will soon post the result.

[Peter Dransfield]

You certainly should not be embarrassed since the praise is fully justified.

Yes I have been strongly influenced by Coldstream via my tutor on my Foundation course but I have other influences as well including, Cezanne (les grandes baigneurs in the National Gallery is one of my favourite paintings), Giacometti, Klimt, Schiele and Stanley Spencer. Keep up the excellent work Ilaria.

[Enzie Shahmiri]

Ilaria,

Somehow I missed this hauntingly beautiful portrait. There is such a delicacy about the treatment, that I will have to come back and further study it as well. Really, really wonderful!

[Heidi Maiers]

I too love the freshness of this Llaria. Although I know it isn't, you make it look so easy with every precisely placed brush stroke. A real pro you are.

[Chris Saper]

Dear Ilaria,

I am weighing in late, with apologies, but also with warm congratulations on a lovely, fresh and sculptural piece. Thanks so much for sharing.

[Thomasin Dewhurst]

Lovely painting, Ilaria. I am looking forward to seeing the others to come.

[Ilaria Rosselli Del Turco]

So here they are, all three are the same size, I included a framed photo as I think the frames help to set the tone to contemporary.
The youngest child is only 5, he came to sit but was very fiddly. I took a photo and went on from this reference, then had him come once more. His portrait looks alright alone but compared to the other two is a little overworked. It is difficult to stop early when working from reference, and I found it harder to pin him down.
All in all I am very pleased and I think I am making good progresses !

[Peter Dransfield]

Well done Ilaria. I agree you are making progress. I love the visibility of the drawing lines and the almost watercolour delicacy of the paint.