Which Chair

Brenda Ellis · 08-20-2005, 02:04 PM

Now, I may be foolish for using the reference photo of this little girl, but for some reason I'm drawn to it and must give it a try. However, the orignal chair she was in was boring. So I've found two other options for chairs. I'm not sure which one is best. I like the thin black lines of the black one, but I'm wondering if the canvas is too small to support this chair. The brown chair is fine but it leaves me that upper right corner to do some vertical thing with and I'd have to go find something vertical to put there.
Any suggestions?
The value study of the little girl is not quite finished.
Thanks in advance!

Brenda Ellis · 08-20-2005, 02:06 PM

Also, the seat of the brown chair does continue to the left edge of the canvas. I got crazy with the eraser in photoshop.

Julie Deane · 08-20-2005, 07:13 PM

Hi Brenda -

I vote for no. two. I feel that it fits the subject better and doesn' t distract like all the lines in the larger chair do.

Brenda Ellis · 08-20-2005, 07:47 PM

oh darn.
I just finished putting in the black chair. I think if I make the background dark (her dress is white), it will be all right. Hmm. Maybe I ought to change it.

Brenda Ellis · 08-20-2005, 07:51 PM

Thank you for your vote, Julie!
I think I will let it dry now and tomorrow darken the background and see how it is. If it's still too overpowering I'll change it. (But there is something about the over-powering that I like.)

Brenda Ellis · 08-20-2005, 07:55 PM

Sharon Knettle,
This was all drawn freehand.

Lacey Lewis · 08-20-2005, 07:58 PM

Hi!

Maybe you could chop off part of the chair. You could: A) Omit everything above the arch B) omit A plus omit the verticle lines on that part of the back C) omit all of that and have a straighter, lower back. I have sloppily illustrated C in photoshop, below (hope you don't mind).

I do have a chair like this with a small shape on the back and if you like I can e-mail you a photo of it. Good luck with the painting, I'm sure it will be lovely!

Lacey Lewis · 08-20-2005, 08:01 PM

Here it is like "A."

Brenda Ellis · 08-20-2005, 08:12 PM

Hi Lacey,

I like "A". That's what I was thinking about doing, but I am in love with those lines above the arch. Here is where I have to be ruthless I suppose. The chair is rather unusual and I love it for that (it's a cross between a Queen Anne and a Windsor--kind of the Quaker version). But I think that because one doesn't see the whole chair, those spindles above the arch are just odd.
Oh well. I'll have to use this chair in it's entirety in another painting.
I think I will probably end up going with "A". But I'll sleep on it first.
Thanks!

Enzie Shahmiri · 08-20-2005, 10:25 PM

Hi Brenda,

Whichever chair you use make sure that her elbow is not floating, but touches the arm of the chair. Hope that helps!