Take a look (image now present)

[Jesse C. Draper]

A portrait of my little brother.

[Karin Wells]

This is a charming little portrait. I'm inclined to crop a bit off the top (see below) in order to draw more attention to the figure. Nice job Jesse, is this oil paint? watercolor?

[Jesse C. Draper]

Cropping it does look nice. It is an oil painting.

[David Dowbyhuz]

I can see Karin's point, but I kind of like the vertical-ness of your composition, Jesse. Your subject's looking down creates a top to bottom movement of the eye (with a brief detour to the the bright area on the left horizon). Ordinarily, I'd feel that spot competes with your true center of interest, but the effect doesn't last; you're still drawn back to the seeming sadness of the little boy's face. (That little bush-thing is a bit distracting though.)

As you take the time to read through the various postings here in Critiques, you'll find more on receding/soft/lost edges. If you can track them down you'll find examples on how the softening of a jaw-line (especially the gentle contours of a child) can vastly improve your work.

I look forward to seeing more of your work (and perhaps a re-working of this one?). Good luck!

[Maxine Gilder]

I really prefer the vertical over the cropped version. It shows the subject from a childs perspective. I think it's an important part of the painting.

I agree with David about the chin area as well. The light on the upper lip and V shape where the shirt closes is a bit too dominant perhaps. I like the overall mood and charm of your painting!

[Stanka Kordic]

I love the immediacy of your paint application, as well as the boldness of your composition. The fact that he is not looking at the viewer makes it extremely compelling and mysterious.

I would consider making more of a color shift between his hair and the skin tones. Glazing the hair more golden would work, and help it glow.

Very nice job!