Two siblings and composition - Page 2

Michele Rushworth · 01-16-2004, 01:24 PM

I really think you need to shoot some more photos. Your job of actually doing the painting will be MUCH easier with the right reference.

If you don't put the braces in you have to invent teeth with the correct lighting and form. If you invent light on the side of the girl's face you run a great risk of never capturing the likeness. These things are almost impossible for even the most experienced artists to do. I wouldn't attempt them at all myself.

I also would not include the dog. He dominates the composition too much. Also, most portrait artists charge extra for a pet in a portrait. It will be a considerable amount of work to integrate him into the composition and to get the drawing and painting of a third "face" right.

You could try following these steps when setting up a basic photo shoot:

1. Position yourself off to the side of a window, right next to the wall, with a tripod. Don't change your position at all. If you start out the photo shoot standing up, don't squat down or sit. You want all the photos to have exactly the same light so you can mix and match. If you move, the light in relation to the camera moves and you can't combine the images.

2. Position the kids in a simple pose, a couple of feet from the window, facing the light. Have her sit in a nice chair and him standing behind her with his hand on her shoulder or the back of the chair for example. Angle their shoulders toward one another a little.

3. Bribe them, if necessary, to sit still. Check with the mom ahead of time and see if she can take them out for ice cream afterwards if they behave. Emphasize to her that you need their co-operation if there is to be a good portrait.

4. Shoot as many photos as you can. I would plan on shooting about 200 shots, with the same pose and lighting, of two wiggly kids.

5. You can vary subtle things throughout the shoot. Try changing the direction their faces are pointing in, looking at you, looking at the window, etc. Try different hand positions, or some smiling/not smiling poses.

6. Work out with the mom (before the shoot) what to do about the braces. I would go for a closed mouth smile, myself.

Having the right reference will make ALL the difference in the world to the success of this portrait. It will be worth the effort to reshoot.

Michele Rushworth · 01-16-2004, 01:46 PM

Here's an overhead lighting diagram you might want to try. This set up will give you nice soft lighting from slightly off to the side of the figures. Be sure not to get too close to them with your camera. Zoom in with the lens, rather than positioning yourself close to them. This will minimize distortion of the features.

Patricia Joyce · 01-16-2004, 04:30 PM

Michele,

This is a great example and advice. It helps all of us who are just "getting our feet wet". Good luck, Sophie. I will be interested in seeing how this commission progresses. I hope you share it all with us here...

Timothy C. Tyler · 01-18-2004, 12:35 PM

Think about light and dark masses or shapes. I'd certainly shoot them togther and not try to fix the arrangement in paint-shop. Be careful of your lens choice. There's much written about this herein. Lastly watch out for a "tennis-match" composition where the focal point is unclear and the viewer bounces from one face to the other-one to the other...better to unify them.

Michele Rushworth · 01-18-2004, 01:37 PM

When there are two subjects I sometimes try and have one looking at the camera and one looking off a bit. That way the eyes of the one looking at the viewer become the focal point, to avoid, as Tim described, the "tennis match" problem.

Sophie Ploeg · 01-19-2004, 07:59 AM

Thanks for all that wonderful advice!! I'll certainly keep it all in mind with a next portrait.

Linda Brandon · 01-19-2004, 06:31 PM

Hi Sophie,

If it makes you feel any better, I believe that the two-person compostion, where both parties are pretty much the same size, can be quite tricky to pull off. Have you tried to talk your client into a diptych? The frame is built to encompass both individual paintings, yet they can be separated later.

This is the same problem with married couple portraits. I like compositions where the subjects heads are on different levels, but you have to be careful about subtle (or obvious) "who's in charge here" implications.

By the way, I always like sibling portraits where the children are sharing a book together.

Keep us posted as to how this turns out.

Peggy Baumgaertner · 02-14-2004, 11:19 AM

I totally agree with Michele and Chris, very well put. One of my credos is if you are painting a single person in a painting, you are painting an individual (John) (Sally), if you are painting more than one person in a painting, you are painting the relationship (brother and sister). A double portrait does not work if there is no relationships, and there is no relationship between the children in your photographs....

The way I persuade a client to go with two separate paintings, is tell them that in the future, the kids will be fighting over who gets the painting. Think of the family discord! This way, they will both get their own painting. Harmony ensues....

Peggy

Sophie Ploeg · 02-16-2004, 06:24 AM

Thanks, Peggy and Linda.

I'll keep it all in mind for next time! The clients have by now chosen from a quartet of options I gave them, and I am working hard on the painting.

They chose this one:
http://www.sophieploeg.com/Setup%2011SMALL.jpg
The only real thing I need to tackle here is the annoying edge of the sofa!

Thanks for all the advice.