First one of 2019

Hey, Michael, I love all the wonderful patterns – wall paper, tablecloth, rug – in your piece!

Doing a few necessary touch ups on this one from last summer

Katie (Unfinished), 18×24

The problem with painting from a live model is that eventually he/she leaves and it limits how much further you can take a painting. I was going to blend the edges of some of the spots of color/value, but decided not to because without the model to look at it’s really shooting in the dark – this is why her skin looks a bit splotchy. So it’s far from perfect but still, I think I’ve done pretty well here considering that this is probably my sixth figure painting ever. But my camera doesn’t take very good photos either. Do you think this is good enough to post elsewhere on the web?

[B]Annie,[/B] if this is from last summer, at this point I think you could try making some modifications and corrections? Trust your instincts and what you have learned in figure drawing class. If it doesn’t work, you can always wipe it off. I am seeing something ‘off’ with her lower back, like maybe it needs a bit more of a curve? And her bottom needs a bit more rounding perhaps? Overall, it is a very fine study. She has a very piercing gaze.

Oh, I did make quite a few corrections, including improving the something “off” with her back, although not solving it completely. The problem there was that the instructor made some corrections but based on the view he had, while I had a slightly different view and she may have moved somewhat between sittings too. It was a very difficult pose to paint to begin with because she was twisted very acutely with her upper body facing one direction and her lower body another. If it were a more normal pose I probably could take it further but at this point, without seeing her, I don’t think I can hit it any better. She was very skinny which may be what you see at her bottom, another area which I just recently improved from how it had been. And she remarked herself that I had nailed her expression which can indeed be pretty piercing (it may be something to do with the intense lighting while she’s modeling) – I was pretty thrilled to hear that! This was a 5-week pose during summer session (I could have used 10 weeks, which apparently is how long the class is during most of the school year), but I’m improving! Despite some frustrations with the length of the class, I learned a lot. Thanks for the feedback, Marcia!

Still working on this one…

Anne A: I am thinking her “crack” may be to far to the right…round out her right cheek some more, and add a darker line (shadow) under her bottom?…hope this helps…..This really is a gorgeous painting….

are there any forums/threads having a monthly or weekly project in oil or critiques in oil?? thanks Linda….

Check this page: https://www.wetcanvas.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=10

There are challenges, and you can post your work for critique, but it is kind of hit and miss.