WooHoo I did a portrait!

[ChrisW]

<IMG SRC="http://www.wetcanvas.com/Critiques/User/portrait1.jpg" border=0>
This is my attempt at a portrait after changing a lot of stuff in my paint box. Its about 3x5 inches, but I am really pleased with it,even though its little.
Chris

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ChrisW

[This message has been edited by ChrisW (edited December 28, 2000).]

[Beau]

Chris..this is your first portrait??...Jeeze dont stop!..This is wonderful! Now do bigger ones!

Cant wait to see em!

Go Chris Go!!!

Beau

[gmc]

chris, you should be more than pleased, you should be proud. now tell us what you changed in your paint box. and from what i see don't change back!!!!!!

[oleCC]

Holy Moley!! 3 x 5 ?? How in heck did you do this so small??? I am so impressed. Also what medium? Keep painting, this is really nice - http://www.wetcanvas.com/ubb/smile.gif Carol

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http://www.artistnation.com/members/lofts/olecc

[Suz]

Great! Keep painting and posting.

[cagathoc]

This is so beautiful!


Is this Meryl Streep???

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aka Cindy & CkA

[Ruth]

WOW! I can't even see anything that small, much less paint it! http://www.wetcanvas.com/ubb/biggrin.gif Is this oil paint? Beautiful!

Ruth

[ChrisW]

Originally posted by gloria777a:
chris, you should be more than pleased, you should be proud. now tell us what you changed in your paint box. and from what i see don't change back!!!!!!
Thanks,I really am happy(heeheehee) about this picture. I haven't been doing any painting because of family stuff,for about 5 years and when I decided to start again I knew I wanted to change some things. Mainly the biggest change was starting to use lead(flake) whites. It made a HUGE unbelievable difference. Its a small painting because I still don't feel I know exactly what I am doing...you know like,well THIS one was OK, but the NEXT one might be due for a trip on the garbage truck express. I remember when I was a kid that I fell off my bike plenty before I learned to ride well, so I don't think this will be much different. At least I wont have to buy so many bandages....(canvases maybe,but not bandages)
Chris
p.s. Its from a photo of a high school friend

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ChrisW

[digistyle]

Great eyes!!! IMVHO eyes make or break a portrait. Good job over-all http://www.wetcanvas.com/ubb/cool.gif

Digistyle

[KaTee]

Chris

This is very impressive, and so small.

Keep at it, show us more.

Karen http://www.wetcanvas.com/ubb/smile.gif

[gmc]

Originally posted by digistyle:
Great eyes!!! IMVHO eyes make or break a portrait. Good job over-all http://www.wetcanvas.com/ubb/cool.gif

Digistyle

i totally agree!!! the eyes!!! i had a teacher that told me not to pay attention to the eyes, that no one does, and that the shadows on the face bring the "distinguishing (sp.) characteristics....the personality. I go right for the eyes. "the gateway to the soul."
Chris, flake white, hey? I always used titanium. I will try flake. I was told that flake white yellows. Titanium stays white. Thanks for the tip.

[ChrisW]

Originally posted by gloria777a:

Chris, flake white, hey? I always used titanium. I will try flake. I was told that flake white yellows. Titanium stays white. Thanks for the tip.

Old Holland Cremnitz White to be exact. My paint is much easier to handle when I use it. As for yellowing, I think its the oils(linseed etc) in paint that yellows it,BUT because the lead white pigment grows more rapidly transparent than the titanium, the yellowing shows up faster in lead white.At least I THINK thats the way it works(gulp). That in turn means you have to limit the amount of medium you use-the least amount the better. As far as my feeling about lead white yellowing,hey,its fine with me. The benefits are so much greater with this stuff that I'd just as soon learn how to use it so it doesnt yellow, rather than go back to titanium which made my paints greasy and uncontrollable, which made me think I couldnt paint.The colors are nicer with lead too. But be careful around food,dont feed it to the dog, and wash your hands etc.,etc.
As for the eyes being the focal point in a picture, they were the one thing that I tried to emphasize. They have the whitest white and the sharpest edges. I just like to paint eyes the most, with noses second and mouths last because they are the hardest for me to paint. Forget about ears altogether. http://www.wetcanvas.com/ubb/mad.gif I'd welcome a tip on painting mouths(or ears) if any one out there has one.
Chris

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ChrisW

[TeAnne]

Wow, keep up the good work, this is brillient and for the size of it. WOW

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THE HIT LIST (http://members.iinet.net.au/~fireice/List.html)
I give back what I receive

[ChrisW]

Originally posted by gloria777a:
ME TOO!!! http://www.wetcanvas.com/ubb/smile.gif

I will definitely try the flake white. Do you use any medium at all when you paint? If so what do you use?

Well,I'm experimenting right now. Sometimes its Maroger medium, sometimes its copal in walnut oil. I gave up on store bought mediums and now send away for them or their ingredients (thanks to the Web). I used to use 1/3 damar,linseed and turps. It made things even more uncontrollable and frustrating http://www.wetcanvas.com/ubb/eek.gif for me so I decided to try something else. I really like the Marogers, which is what I used on the little portrait, but it's controversial.I heard it may deteriorate the painting, which I hope isn't true because it makes the paint really nice to use. The copal/walnut oil is excellent also, I'm trying a small landscape with that. I don't mix medium into the paint (or at least not much of it) but mostly brush a little medium onto the canvas and paint into that. Seems to make things easier that way, for me at least. I'm not the person to ask about mediums(or painting) though, as I am still learning what kind of medium does what.
Chris

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ChrisW

[gmc]

Originally posted by ChrisW:
I'd welcome a tip on painting mouths(or ears) if any one out there has one.
Chris


ME TOO!!! http://www.wetcanvas.com/ubb/smile.gif

I will definitely try the flake white. Do you use any medium at all when you paint? If so what do you use?