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  • #461841
    equinespirit
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        This is my first portrait and I literally have no idea what Im doing, I think its called winging it :clear:

        I did a grisaille to begin with then realised I wanted a different BG so changed that and realised I should paint the hair roughly in or my skin colours would be out.
        So Im now working on skin colours with glazes and adjusting anything else as I go including where my values don’t quite work.
        The eye on the right ( our right) is slightly out still and I haven’t touched the eyebrows or eyelashes or lips yet which makes him look a bit odd, or finished any area yet….
        Any comments/suggestions appreciated, Im about 6 hours in with the 3rd pic.

        Oil on stretched canvas, 16″ by 12″

        #692754
        Freesail
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            I like it exactly where you currently have it. Looks great and would be something very different where it now is.

            Solvent = Leaner Oil = Fatter Drawing is the basis of art. A bad painter cannot draw. But one who draws well can always paint. (Arshile Gorky)
            #692750
            OziAfricana
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                I wouldn’t touch it further except maybe to paint in the bottom of the chest so it doesn’t look like it’s floating. Love the merging between the hair and the background.

                Art is the only way to run away without leaving home
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                #692760
                ronsu18
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                    (i’m no help with portraits)
                    you’re aware of the eye, then this looks beyond exciting. are you aiming for realism and was this a commission?
                    like OziAfricana, i see the makings of something new, something different.
                    if this is a learning project maybe browse around a bit for contemporary portraits, realism+?

                    C&C welcome

                    #692755
                    equinespirit
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                        Thank you very much, Freesail, OziAfricana and Ronsu, your feedback is much appreciated.
                        I definitely want to improve the skin tones and finalise the values and details on the face, Im sort of aiming for realism-ish on the face but more painterly on the BG and areas of less interest.
                        Ive done a little more and am now thinking to maybe darken the BG on the left so I can integrate the hair with a soft edge, maybe, Idk….
                        Oh and its not a commission so I have a fair degree of freedom but it is my best friends son so I do want them/him to like it.
                        I like the work of Joshua LaRock and Florent Farges to name a couple of modern artists, obviously they are a million miles above me though!

                        #692752
                        AnnieA
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                            equinespirit…wow! This is terrific! For someone who’s “just winging it,” you’re sailing very high! I agree with your intention to take it a little further with values and highlights, but OTOH, I can also understand why some in the thread like it just how it is. I don’t really know about the idea to darken the left background, but want to point out that doing that would tend to create a lot of contrast where the light hits his neck, which may or may not be what you want. It would tend to draw the eye, but the degree to which it would do so would depend on what you do with your highlights and other value contrasts on the face. I think Ozi is right about bringing the chest/shirt all the way down to the bottom, but it may be a question of personal taste.

                            Thanks for mentioning LaRock and Farges, as I hadn’t heard of either of them before. It looks like LaRock is a classical realist, while Farges is a tiny bit more stylized in his approach. They’re both outstanding artists and I can see why you’d want to emulate them. LaRock seems to use a Carravagio-like style with the light planes of the face emerging out of darkness, and I suppose if you darkened the background you’d be able to accomplish much the same thing.

                            This is already terrific – can’t wait for the grand finale! Your friend and her son are going to be thrilled!

                            [FONT=Arial]C&C always welcome ©[/I] [/font]
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                            “Life is a pure flame and we live by an invisible sun within us.” ― Sir Thomas Browne [/size][/font]

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                            #692756
                            equinespirit
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                                Thank you so much for your lovely words, Annie!

                                Im still pondering the BG, yes,it did occur to me after I posted that darkening the left side would highlight the neck, so I will have to think more on that.
                                I was thinking to do the shirt in a painterly way over the BG but I don’t think it works as you are both right, it just gives the impression of floating.

                                I love watching Farges paint, he has a lot of videos on youtube, its nice to watch somebody who knows what they are doing lol.

                                #692753

                                I like where you went with the 3rd stage very cool, very original. Looking forward to seeing more. Thanks you for sharing.

                                Fall down seven times, stand up eight.

                                #692759
                                Ju-Ju-Beads
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                                    If you don’t know what you’re doing, please let me tell you: You’re doing GREAT!! That’s what you’re doing!

                                    I see the concerns about darkening the left BG; have you considered darkening just the upper left? There are 2 darker “bands” on the lower right, you could extend those to soften the hair.

                                    Looks terrific, Equninespirit.

                                    #692757
                                    equinespirit
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                                        Thank you so much for the lovely comments Retrospective Glance and Ju-Ju, it definitely helps me to keep going :heart:
                                        Im about 15 hrs or so in now and its coming together finally.
                                        Haven’t really touched the hair yet and the left eye and socket area needs darkening still and more work to do on the other eye, eyebrows and jaw and various highlights/shadow values.
                                        I will probably fiddle with the BG some more too.
                                        First pic is from about 12 hours in yesterday.

                                        #692751
                                        OziAfricana
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                                            Maybe you can consider toning down the colour on the eyebrows. They appear a lot more vivid than the rest of the painting.

                                            Art is the only way to run away without leaving home
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                                            #692758
                                            equinespirit
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                                                Thanks Ozi, I haven’t finished yet, that was just the first layer on the eyebrows, they and the hair are just blocked in atm.

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