This Saturdays Long Pose

[Ian Bruce]

16"x20", oil on canvas. About 2 hrs.
I hope no-one mind the triple post. My camera is so uncooperative that no matter what I did to set the white balance and no matter what adjustments I tried in Picassa--I wound up with three photographic versions of the painting, none of which are correct! I hope that, together, they convey something of what I was attempting. Comments are most welcome.

[Descartes]

It must be difficult to photograph with the reflective surface and the strong reds in the background, which I think work well. I like the structure and the touches of blue/grey in the shadows. One thing that does look a little strange are her small hands.

[Ian Bruce]

Hi, Nathan, thanks for commenting. Yes her hands do appear small. I never quite got to them. Her left hand is actually OK--only the fingers up to the second knuckle were visible (not that it looks that way).

[carolkay]

you cn sure see the swinsuit lines on this girl. I think you did good for the time and its all to just keep on goin. Just to get the painting done in 2 hrs is a feat.

[bethanyt]

Nice dramatic colours, Ian- and some good structure/proportion as well.

[Michael Norwood]

Lovely work, Ian.

[trevors]

Looks good to me Ian and in varying colours as well!

Try including a piece of neutral grey card in the frame when you take the photo!

It may work better?

[Ian Bruce]

That is a good point Trevor. I have tried setting my white balance to a white card and also to a neutral gray card. I have not tried putting it in the frame--I guess that would let me pick that neutral gray in Picasas neutral color picker. That sounds promising--though I have to say I think my camera is pooched. i get better color and value with my cheap cell-phones camera.

[Ian Bruce]

I had to make another attempt at photographing this painting. So--frustrating!
I believe it is closer.

[kevinwueste]

Ian, I feel you on the camera color balance! For 2 hours this is solid. You might try to have just one shadow color and value for such a short painting - to simplify and then move forward from their.

With light, it looks to have been above her; her abdominals will, while being cooler ( as Carol says about the swimsuit) and shifting to blue/green, they will not be as bright as her shoulders/ breaks and in all likelihood - her forehead ( usually the brightest thing with this type of lighting.

Overall though - nice work!

-Kevin

[Ian Bruce]

Originally Posted by kevinwueste

You might try to have just one shadow color and value for such a short painting - to simplify and then move forward from their.
-Kevin

You are probably right there! I can't seem to stop myself from painting all the shadow colors and temperatures--and all the colors and temperatures of the lights. Everyone else is blocking in with one dark and one light then adding, maybe, two more values. I have tried painting in black and white to learn more about value--but I ache to get the warms and the cools! I can't stand starting with all my shadows Burnt Umber but once I start looking for an alternative shadow color in the subject--I can't pick one and stick with it. I just get sucked into color.

[wandathefish]

this is very good, the thing that I notice the most was the obvious longitudinal strokes on her limbs. color for the internet is the most frustrating task to set yourself because of the limited number of colors available. You mostly just resign yourself to approximating.