Kelly on Ice-my first custom panel

[Lisa Ober]

Terri,

Ah, now I do see it. I have to admit, I had to look REALLY hard to see it but I finally did. Thanks for doing that. It really helps.

As far as the hands go, did you see the grayscale version? I think it more accurately depicts what I see in person...that there is quite a value difference between the face and the hands which for some reason isn't evident in my photo (with flash). Boy, that hand reference was odd. I'm not so sure I am good enough to make adjustments on my own so next time a better reference is in order.

All in all, your insight is great and so helpful. Thankfully this is just practice on the new board. I'm feeling like I made lots of little mistakes. I'm going to have to pay closer attention!

LOL! I just saw that you saw the response to Mike. We must be posting at the same time! Yes, the flash threw off the values. The grayscale one shows it more accurately because it is based on a photo taken with no flash. Too funny.

[Terri Ficenec]

If you haven't had a chance, you might want to check out the threads on photographing your artwork... there are lots of ideas for getting best results. . .

[David Draime]

WOW!! This is "practice only"??? My goodness, I can't wait to see you really step up to the plate. Just beautiful - the jacket is incredible!

Originally Posted by Lisa Ober

I am indeed having a terrible time with accurate color. I only have a Koday 4.1 MP camera which not only distorts the images but also picks up even the slightest underlying red colors and magnifies them like crazy. I have tried color correcting in Photoshop (which I know quite well) but it is too time consuming to isolate certain areas for color correction when the camera is so cheap.

I have a worse camera than you - 2 MP. Getting the enough detail was never a problem, and when I was doing only charcoal drawings, the camera was fine. But now that I am doing pastels, I realize the color this camera puts out really stinks. I can color "correct" in Photoshop, but I think there is so much more than that - there is no color fidelity - it doesn't capture the subtle shifts in color that should be there, and I can color balance all I want, but I am left with inventing an awful lot.. I'm getting a Nikon D-70 next week and am anxious to see the difference. And I'm determined to work more from life.

But I'm sensing that the whole color, palette, skin tones issue is the "holy grail" of portrait painting - extremely elusive and difficult as it depends on the subtlest shifts in hue, color temperature, chroma, and, of course, the values have to be dead-accurate.I think there are a lot of artrists who can render very well, but very few artists really achieve mastery with their overall skin tones.It is very humbling to even make the attempt.

I'm afraid to ask: how long did this one take you?

[Linda Brandon]

Lisa, first of all I want to say that this is an excellent piece and I would be thrilled to have painted it. Secondly, the fact that so many good artists are going over it with a fine-tooth comb means that you are grabbing people by the lapels with it. (I love reading these comments, they are all so interesting and useful.)

Can I add a nitpick? I would take out the horizontal crease in her neck. This is the sort of "detail" I personally leave out when I paint attractive people, especially women. This is a taste issue, not a "likeness" issue. (I find people to be either attractive or interesting, and almost always, both. I try to make them attractive, but if it's hopeless, then I make them interesting.)

You are amazingly prolific, Lisa!

[Lisa Ober]

David, I am so flattered you stopped by to peek and yes, practice only. What was I thinking?! I just wanted to do something more than a vignette for a change but man, that jacket. Yikes.

Are you always this nice? It makes it so much easier to know you are nice because I am SO jealous. I can pack up that little artist voodoo doll for now. And now with you getting a nice new camera I am doubly jealous. Are you trying to kill me?

I'll get you back! I won't be getting you back with my wondrous color. I'm still working on the long list you mentioned and I doubt I will ever "arrive." After painting for so many years it amazes me I never even really considered temperature, even value. I just paint what I see. I skipped a lot of color theory classes. How embarrassing. The best I can say is my color is slightly better than my miserable camera might have you believe.

Now for the fun part. This one took about 8 hours.

Did it work? Did I get you back? I didn't think so...

Linda, thank you for commenting. What you say means a lot to me. Really. I don't know how "grabbing" this is but you are sure right about getting constructive feedback. It is really helpful. If I could just live up to the suggestions and remember what I learn for the next one I would be so happy.

Kelly is coming by to see this even though it is practice but I do want her to think of it as flattering so I am DEFINITELY going to heed your advice and wipe out that line. Smudge here, smudge there and it will take a few years off. She'll never know. Sometimes I get so caught up in trying to get a likeness I forget that people don't always want everything they have to shine through in a portrait. Excellent reminder.

Again, thanks!

[Carolyn Bannister]

Now I'm seriously jealous, eight hours, you must work like a mad woman

I think I'm up to 20 already and I've only done her head! Mind you alot of that is comtemplating each mark I make.

[Jenni Nolen]

Lisa--All of that incredible detail in 8 Hours?! Amazing! This a great piece and the skin tones are so realistic. I could go on and on about the detail in the jacket.

[Lisa Ober]

Carolyn, no need for even a hint of jealousy. I have said before and will repeat: Speed doesn't mean quality. It simply shows impatience. I promise your 20 plus hours will be well spent and you will have a beautiful piece. Honestly, when I paint or do pastels I sit down and it turns into a freak show. I don't stop even for the potty. I work until I can't anymore and that is usually around 5 AM. I don't even step back like most people do to look over what I am doing. My husband says I am driven. I will let him think that but it's just plain old lack of constant discipline or desperation for cash (after all, one must eat).

Jenni, thank you! I'm glad you liked the skin tones since I have really been struggling to make them better. The jacket itself went on and on and on. I will stick with solids for the next few. I've had my fill of patterns for the month. No wonder I tell clients to put their children in something simple. If I had to do patterns like this all the time I would be crazy----er.

You are both really supportive. Thanks!

[Jimmie Arroyo]

Oh good grief, you know I gotta chime in. Lisa, Lisa, Lisa. You REALLY think you need to slow down with the pastels? This is amazing, simply AMAZING.

A couple of things that bothered me have already been mentioned; the eye and the shadow behind her. I'm gonna take a pic of mine at eight hours, and most will be thinking "Dang, how are you going to save that?"

Have you seen the work of Jane Lund, her work is hard to find on the net. You might find some poor quality ones, but I remember an article on her in maybe the Pastel Journal and they had good pics. Anyway, her stuff was very detailed. I believe some could take up to 18 months to complete. I think. This kinda reminds me of it, but 17 months, 29 days, and 16 hours quicker.

You rock!

[Jean Kelly]

Hi Lisa, I'm so glad you tried this surface and liked it so much! This one is moody compared to the other one. The first Kelly was very sensual (with attitude), this seems more mysterious.

Next time you do your reference work, try to think of things like the hand position in advance. Or better yet, catch it during the shoot. I once had a client come back for a session, just to photograph her hands. My original reference looked okay at first, but when I painted the hand it looked more like a claw. No matter what I tried it still looked like a claw (not good on a 5 year old girl)!

I like this version also, for a practice piece it is very successful. And even if the jacket was a pain to do, it really "makes" the portrait.

Jean