Child portrait

[Steven Sweeney]

Seenu,

You're not wrong about that use of the word "critique". Speaking only for myself, I was kind of working on the run, I saw your renewed request for comments, and I simply tapped out some suggestions for improving the piece. I suppose I've kind of developed that approach here over time, which was the way critiques were generally handled in the studio where I received most of mine and where it was simply assumed that there was room for improvement in every piece so "let's get down to work".

I usually do begin with some general appraisal, but there was something about this image that unsettled me, and I suppose at first blush it was both the size of the infant's head in relation to the frame of the piece, and the sense that I was viewing the face from only inches away. Rather than feeling that I was in intimate space, I felt crowded. I found myself uncomfortable with that, and I think it would have been a disservice to you for me to try to put a different spin on it. So I simply moved on to the drawing elements with which I'm more at ease.

I can see from your style the admiration you have for J.D. Hillberry, whose graphite drawings are indeed extraordinary. They bring to mind the work of a fellow Montanan, Don Greytak, whose drawings would I'm sure impress you. Check them out at www.dongreytak.com.

As for this thread, it's probably played out and I'd urge everyone to move on to the next. Seenu, I see that you have another drawing posted, and I'll try to get over to have a look at it.

Cheers

Steven,

Thanks for the message. I'm really sorry for the mess up. If you visit my website you will realize I'm just a hobbyist and doing things just for fun. Here seems to be people who are really committed to their profession.

What I want to give through my drawings is that WOW feeling to the viewer (I got that from 98% of the common people, some of whom cannot even differentiate a drawing from a painting -- they use the word "your painting" for my drawing).

I know only few elements of drawing. Some people ask me to change my subject selection and style but this is what I'm getting fun from. In the future also I'm not going to change my style, rather I go for subjects with complex compositions and a bit of emotional impact.

I strongly believe realism is the most impressive form of artwork we can do with pencil (I agree to the fact that our great masters did many masterpeices with line drawing though). I feel that making art "caviar to the general" is not a sin. I'm also convinced that I'm in a wrong place. You people used the words aversion, jarring, mere exercise in accuracy, slavish copying...referring to over 40 hours of my work. Might JD Hillberry had done the drawing "after the critic" referring to critiques like these???

[Tom Edgerton]

I stand by my original comments.

[Lon Haverly]

I strongly believe realism is the most impressive form of artwork we can do with pencil.

I am a realist, in that people say my ten minute drawings are "likenesses." Those drawings are not photocopies, however. Photo realism does not utilize any choice and little evidence of style. It denies the observer the use of his imagination, an important ingredient in drawing.

Do you want us to say you are a highly skilled copier? I will give you that.

[Jeff Fuchs]

Seenu,

If you ever go to an art school, you will quickly learn that your 40 hours spent on a drawing are irrelevant. Your work has to stand on its own when you're not there to tell people how long you worked on it. Whether it's your 40 hours, or Lon's six minutes, the drawing has to speak for itself.

Your skill level hasn't come into question. Rather, you've gotten many valuable suggestions for improving your work. What a great gift! Don't look at these suggestions as insults.

I guess you can all sense my frustration about these exchanges. I'm drawing every day, and I don't want to post my next picture, only to see that dreaded zero, and not know that it means.

Thanks to all of you who take the time to share your expertise.

Can I request the administrator/moderator to delete this thread to stop this litany ?? I do not want any critiques from you. I will do what my mind tells to me(I've been doing that so far). Nothing is standard in art.

[Cynthia Daniel]

I'm just a hobbyist and doing things just for fun. Here seems to be people who are really committed to their profession.

Seenu,

Indeed, this Forum is for those who are committed to a profession in portraiture. This is currently stated in the registration dialog. This is nothing against anyone who chooses to just have fun with their art, it is simply that our focus is different than that.

Dear Seenu,

I can understand where you're coming from. I was new to this Forum too and to the critiques, but I must say I wish that I had slowed down and listened more to what the professionals had to say. It has really made me think in regards of how I approach to my artwork now.

I had thought I had techniques down pat, but it's always a learning experience no matter how great you think you are. Every artist has room for improvement. Thanks to Sharon -- she really gave good advice. Besides, what were we thinking when we subjected our artwork to placed for critique? We have to take the bad with the good sometimes and it's always a hard thing to swallow the bad. Other artists may see things that we ignore to see. Hope you come back.

Melissa