Photo Critique Request

Denise Hall · 09-22-2002, 10:47 PM

Hi everyone,

I hope I attach this correctly since it took awhile for me to figure out how to attach my photo of myself - finally - after posting for several months!

I have drawn and painted my daughter several times and am getting ready to start on my first profile of her. It will be a 20x24 oil painting.

Any help or advice about this photo reference would be greatly appreciated. I love to take picture and click away so taking another roll isn't that much trouble for me. Of course, getting a teen to agree to the time I want to take the pics is a problem -- if any of you out there are familiar with teen girls that is, hehe.

Here it is I hope....

Denise Hall · 09-22-2002, 10:54 PM

Maybe this time it will go..... If not, I will contact Cynthia, the SOG wizard, for help.

Steven Sweeney · 09-25-2002, 07:26 AM

I think this would make for a stunning painting. The single thing that immediately caught my eye was the intersection of the window frome with the front of her face. I can imagine trouble with that in the painting, if anything at all isn't quite right with the values or the perspective.

I played around in PhotoShop a little with this and tried having her higher, looking over the frame, and then I tried having the window raised, so she was looking out one of the smaller square panes. I wasn't taken by either.

It was interesting that the part of the frame nearest the face got so much lighter than the part nearer to us, and I assume that that's owing to reflected light from the lining of the curtain. Taking advantage of that light, I lightened that whole area immediately in front of her face, allowing the glow to almost eliminate any hard or dark edges near her face. The effect is easy to accept, because the light from outside is quite strong. This had the double advantage of getting the hard architecture away from her soft face, and making the glow from her face move out into the air in front of her, creating a space between her and the window. A triple advantage is that there's still the part of the frame nearer to us, which points the viewer's eye toward the girl, without driving down all the way to the face. Other parts of the frame also lead us to her, but aren't imposing themselves into an area as delicate as the facial features.

A beautiful subject and a great opportunity. I'm envious. Best of luck.

Denise Hall · 09-25-2002, 09:05 AM

Steven,

Thank you so much for taking time to critique this photo. I was pretty sure it would be a good source but the window - yes, it's a little problem.

I don't have Photoshop and usually play around with small sketches before I paint. I am moving the curtain so that it is behind her more, thus, eliminating the woodwork behind her which could get tedious and detract from her face. The top sill which reflects the light - I have decided to move it down somewhat and we'll see what happens there.

I am also thinking of making the curtain dark like the wall behind her. I usually paint pretty much true to the photo or the model and surroundings when they will pose for me, but this time I want the pose, but not the window framing behind her.

I will post this painting when I get far enough along that its time for a critique. I hope you will see it and give me some feedback. I read all your in depth posts and appreciate the time you give to help people like me on this Forum. I'm struggling to get to the point to take a commission. I'm building my portfolio - with portraits of my teen daughters, their friends and hopefully will be painting someone for a commission soon.

Yes, she is a good subject and I am learning how to paint her after about 5 subsequent paintings of her this past year. I'm not sure if getting a likeness is easier when you know the subject this well or harder?

Thank you again Steven.

Mike McCarty · 09-25-2002, 10:08 AM

Denise,

I think what the window had to give was the light. After it gave that, I don't think it has much appeal. One option would be to eliminate it all together and just have a classical dark background. Give a little touch of light on the edge of her right sleeve to seperate it from the background. Just one option to consider.

John Zeissig · 09-25-2002, 12:28 PM

Hi Denise,

You've already gotten some good comments about composition etc., so I have only a couple things to add. Like you, when I work with a photo reference, I usually make pencil/charcoal drawings before I start to paint.

I noticed that in the photo your daughter has a slightly wide-eyed expression that almost suggests mild fear or surprise. This comes partly from the light catching the sclera (white) of the eye more than the more nasal portion, and partly from the elevation of the eyelid. When you're doing drawings you might play with the eyelid height and the value in the white to see how the likeness is affected. Sometimes the camera freezes the subject in a micro-gesture that's not really characteristic of what we perceive.

My other comment is that I really like the sweater/top with its colored embroidery. It's a fine complement to your daughter's fair hair and coloring.

Really looking forward to seeing how this one progresses!

Mari DeRuntz · 09-25-2002, 05:40 PM

Hi Denise,

I really like the photo, keep us posted on your progress.

At first I thought the embroidered shirt would date the portrait, but take a look here at Denise Racine

Denise Hall · 09-25-2002, 09:52 PM

Mari,

Quote:

I can't quite read the form of the mouth

The photo in person is much better as far as reading the mouth, as well as the color and outer line of her profile. It all looks fuzzy here - poor quality digital shot I guess. Her mouth is really very defined and from the profile is much easier to paint than the front view. I usually mess up everyone's nose and I enjoy painting/drawing profile noses - so much easier.

I also think the embroidered shirt will be very much simplified - it is one of those retro 70's shirts they are all wearing now. The shirts I wore when I was in college - but now they are all much differently colored.

Thank you so much for your attention. I will post after a few more days to get advice on the progress I have made.

Quote:

one option is to eliminate (the window) altogether and just give it a classical dark background

Thank you Mike, I am going to do just that, but I think I will put a little of the window in it. Since it's 24" x 30" I think I need something to have her doing on the viewer's left side since she is obviously gazing out the window or something like that. I want to make the outside very hazy-ish.

John,

Thanks for the comments and advice. I already have realized that eye has some strange things going on. I need to get her to pose for me in that same position when I get to it a little more detailed. Right now I am adjusting value, color and planes.

Any advice from anyone on getting this blonde color of hair would be much appreciated also. I sometimes get it too green in my attempts to not get it too yellow!

Thanks again for the help and look for it soon as a painting to continue to give this much need critique !

Denise Racine · 09-25-2002, 10:44 PM

What a pretty daughter! You are lucky to have your own full time model!

I love the pose but I would be careful about making sure you know where the back of her silhouette stops. In other words, the line where her hair stops and the background starts. Remember Peggy's classes - A good silhouette is one of the most important elements.

Good luck with the embroidery, I know I had fun doing the brocade for "Andr

Sharon Knettell · 10-03-2002, 09:50 AM

She is your daughter, right? She is so beautiful! Her face shot is so gorgeous! So grab her and reshoot her with a medium to dark grey green background. Use Portra NC professional film with a reflector fill. The darker background will set off her hair. The geometrics of the window fight the graceful arabesques of her shirt design. Spending too much time in Photoshop can alter the sensitivity of the original shot and make it too mechanical. Just do it over again. It would probably take you less time in the long run. Don't work with material you are not perfectly happy with.