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| Author |
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scochran
Posts:233
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Materese
Posts:123
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| 03/28/2007 2:37 PM |
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| There are a few things I think you can do to help this along. The thing I noticed immediately is that the photo has beautiful strong contrast of light and dark, your values are completely different. In portrait work, it's very important to focus on the values because that is what will give you both depth and likeness. I hate to say this, because you've worked on this very hard on this, but the placement of features is off quite a bit: the right ear is too high, eyes are much too close together, too much space between the bottom of the nose and the upper lip, and the angle of the left temple should be toward the right, not the left. If you look at the photo and squint you will immediately get the big pattern of light and dark shapes on the face, this should also help with your placement. Portraits are tough, especially when working from a photo, keep at it and it will come out fine! |
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Materese
http://www.ghostwoodstudio.com
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scochran
Posts:233
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| 03/28/2007 3:01 PM |
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Materese,
Thank you that is why I put it our there. I know there are problems, but I just could trace them down. I will use your advice.scochran |
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shana cochran |
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scochran
Posts:233
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| 03/28/2007 4:57 PM |
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I see those things now, do you think I can go back into it and fix it, or scrape it and start anew?
I used the cooler(blues) shadows because of adding the flag. I thought it might tight it all together better, but it is so different than the orginal I may not have made the right choice. This is a family favor.
scochran |
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shana cochran |
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rpartin
Posts:430
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| 03/28/2007 5:24 PM |
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Shana,
Materese has made some good points.
One thing I would recommend is comparing your painting with the photo while looking at both in a mirror. This is a good thing to do at various stages of your work and help you catch things that are out of place before you get too far along.
It's just a suggestion, but it really helps me.
Good luck! |
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Ron |
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Materese
Posts:123
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| 03/28/2007 5:27 PM |
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Hi Shana
I keep thinking about your previous work, the still life with a pitcher and flowers - that work is so loose and lovely and you really caught a beautiful contrast w/ the values. I can tell you are holding back with this one, the difference is that evident. My suggestion is to start a brand new one, and here are some suggestions that will help you along. With a very light pencil lightly sketch in the outline of the head and shoulders as well as the flag - do not put in any of the "internals" such as eyes, nose, etc. Double check this "cartoon" for placement and proportion - hint: turn both the photo and your drawing upside down - you will be amazed at what you will see! You should do this after each step. Next, with pencil do the "squint thing" and gently outline the "internal darks" - the line that runs down the right side of the face, the big dark area that signifies the eye sockets, the shadow under his nose, and the line that runs down the neck and the hairline. check everything for placement and proportion.
Now, you can pick up your pastel- first fill in your darks with those lovely loose strokes you do - the face looks like it may be a combination of raw and burnt umber (with indoor lighting the lights are cool, so you will get warmth in your shadows) also,fill in the hair area as one major dark area, (save the midtones and highlights for last) fill in the uniform as well.
Now you have what we call the "abstract" , if the picture does not hold together at this point, it won't hold together when finished. Another way to check you accuracy is to get a hand mirror, and look at both the photo and the drawing in the mirror, side by side - beleive me, every single placement error should come out and grab you.
At this point, you should block in your half tones and the local colour and blend to model. You will have 90% of the work done at this point and can then go in to add highlights. Finally, remember, there are no lines on the face - do not add eyelases, or lines around the eyes, - everything on the human face is shaped by shadows.
good luck, I know you will do fine!
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Materese
http://www.ghostwoodstudio.com
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Materese
Posts:123
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| 03/28/2007 5:36 PM |
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| Sorry, one more thing - after you get the abstract finished, which is the nuts and bolts of any drawing or painting, and hence, the most "technical" part, start thinking about this man. What made him special - warmth? friendliness, humour? Hold that in your heart as your finish the portrait - it will make a huge difference. |
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Materese
http://www.ghostwoodstudio.com
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heatherm
Posts:2120
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| 03/28/2007 9:15 PM |
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| I agree with Materese's suggestions. Plus the skin needs the warmth of earth tones to give it a creamy look. This one is too pink and cool. The human skin is soft so try to achieve that. So far you are doing well, and when you have finished the new piece, please post is here so we can see. If you run into problems while doing it, post it stating it is not finished yet and we will do all we can to help you. |
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Heather
http://www.heatherartist.com |
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scochran
Posts:233
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| 03/28/2007 9:32 PM |
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| Thanks to all of you. I appricate the insight from all with your trained eyes. Somethings work and somethings don't, I really did not have a feeling for this one. I never knew the man. He pass away before I came into the family. But I am going to try the approaches that you suggested.I will just call this a lesson. scochran |
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shana cochran |
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scochran
Posts:233
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| 03/29/2007 7:33 AM |
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| Before I totally scrap this piece, do you think I could go over some of the areas with some oranges & yellows,and browns to warm it up, do more blending around the eyes(widen the bridge of the nose) and work around the flag to correct the ears?If it doesn't work there is really not loss. scochran |
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shana cochran |
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Frank
Posts:125
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| 03/29/2007 8:17 AM |
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In my opinion, to scrap the entire painting is too drastic especially if time is not on your side. This painting can be "repairable" I think. I found that in order to correct a part of a pastel painting, first you need to pick up the pigments from area you want to correct, I normally use a Q-tip and moist it (wet it and then squeeze the water out) then pick up the pigments with the Q-tip use several if you need to. After it is dry, use the fixative can and spray the area lightly. Now you can rework the area without smudging. Hope this helps
Frank |
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Anna
Posts:131
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| 03/29/2007 8:46 AM |
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Hi Shanna!
Instead of starting a new one I think you can try to fix it frist to see how it turns out.
In addition to comments from others, I would make the right jawline a little stronger and the left cheek area a little thinner as in the photo.
Anna |
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Materese
Posts:123
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| 03/29/2007 10:09 AM |
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| You can give it a shot Shanna, but what you will run into the redoing the entire picture anyway. Let me explain. The ear, could be corrected on the existing work without too much difficulty or throwing other proportions off. But when you correct the distance between the bottom of the note and the upper lip, lets say you decide to legnthen the nose, you'll find that the nose will be too long, (it's actually placed correctly and the legnth is fine as it is right now). Ok, so you then bring up the placement of the mouth, well then your chin is too long, bring up the chin, the neck is to long; widening the space betwen the eyes means that you must widen the bridge of the nose, you need to adjust the width of the cheeks / jaw etc. In portraiture (well, in all drawing, but especially portraits), each feature is related to every other part in proportion and placement, rather like a jigsaw puzzle - and when you move one thing, you have to correct another, and so it goes ad infinitum. You can do this! It will be fine! |
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Materese
http://www.ghostwoodstudio.com
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troyatlarge
Posts:76
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| 03/29/2007 10:15 AM |
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There seems to be a toss-up between restarting the work and working over the one you already have. What the hey, do both!
I think Materese has a great way of looking at things and it should be considered deeply. However, I also know that the drawing of a face can be somewhat over powering at some levels of drawing skill (its actually true of drawing anything, but we tend not to “see” other objects as refined as we see the human face, which leads to the illusion that faces are more difficult to draw than other things.) If the face is a bit much, then you can always try the following which will work to improve both drawing and seeing even though it is so elementary.
Make an enlarged copy of the photo. Place a grid on that enlarged photo, such as dividing it into 5 equal sections across the top, and seven along the side, or something like that. Then cut the photo up along those grid lines.
Next take your drawing paper and place the same sort of grid on it (in proper proportions). Pick one piece of the cut up photo and draw it as best you can in the correct grid on your drawing, and if you find it helps, draw it upside down (that is, hold the picture and the drawing upside down). This will produce a far higher degree of likeness and still hone up drawing skills.
With respect to color, copy the color from the photo while making the eye to do the most that it can. That is, find some area in the photo and pick, from your pastels, that exact color (or a couple of colors that when mixed make that color). Do this by eye as far as you can. When you have the color, scan it and with the computer, compare it to the photo color. The computer can tell you if it is the same, and best off all, if it isn't the same tell you in exactly what way it is off ..... pay close attention and make corrections. Do that for most of the colors in the photo ...... you will then have your color pallet selected.
Last, being it is pastel, you can actually “draw” with the proper colors to start with if you like (as opposed to some sort of sketch which you color in), but that of course is up to you.
That doesn't do much for having a flag and other creative sorts of thing, but it will hone up ones seeing, both for drawing and color. It tends to produce a slightly more tense end product than the method Materese suggested, but it can be a help in building confidence and certainty of touch in the face of, well, faces.
In any event, its just another option one has.
Troy
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scochran
Posts:233
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| 04/01/2007 3:30 PM |
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Thank you everyone for your advise, but my niece came by today and took the painting.
She loved it. I am sick of it. I started not to put my name on it,no one on that side of the family knows anything about art. I hate for another piece of bad work to out there in the world.
I see what everyone was saying, and I am going to use what you said on the next piece.
This is a great learning forum. I am so happy I came across this group. Thank you again, to all.....scochran |
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shana cochran |
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