Katie and Charley

[K8K9SAR]

MY IMAGE(S):




GENERAL INFORMATION:
Title: Katie and Charley
Year Created:
Medium: Watercolor
Surface: Paper
Dimension: 15x22
Allow digital alterations?: Yes!

MY COMMENTS:
These are two paintings that I did for my aunt of her two grand-daughters. I worked from photographs of each girl. I am totally open to suggestions so my next pieces will be better.

I was not happy with the hair and shading on the hand of the painting on the left (the kid's left hand and the hand on the right of the left painting) . In my defense, the kid on the left does have a funky pinky finger and it looks just like I painted it!

Suggestions for painting kid's teeth are very WELCOME!

MY QUESTIONS FOR THE GROUP:
The painting on the right is still a work in progress in the photo.

[Andrewcody]

K8 - you need to show us a larger photo of the picture on the right.
Critique on the one on the left - I think the two fingers on the left of the painting are very well done - concerns with the pupil on the eye we can see - top lip appears flat compared to the lower lip - you have not show us your reference photo but I would be surprised if her teeth looked like little paving stones.
I think this is a particularly fun composition
Well done
Andrew

[tgsloth]

Wow, it's so challenging to do full face portraits with watercolor; so much easier with oils so my hat is off to you. Regarding the teeth: two thoughts. First, are they so crooked in reality? I bet second from top left can't be at 45 degrees in life. This sort of drafting error tends to sink the painting as it's a magnet for the viewer's attention so you've got to fix it somehow. Second, the teeth are in the mouth so you need to "seat" them by glazing down the value. Right now, they are the lightest light in the whole painting and you want some highlights in the face to take on that role. If the darks between the teeth stay too dark so you have too much contrast, you can go after them with a scrubber brush or even cheat and pop some Chinese white on top. You've got to get the teeth to stop being a point of focus.
Same issue with the whites of the eyes. You've got them way too light. Easy fix with some glazes.
And finally, look carefully at your reference to add modeling so as to seat the mouth into the face. Right now, there's a abrupt edge between the red lips and the cream face. It looks like the lips are pasted on. This is easy to fix also because you'll be adding mid-tones.

[eyecandy2]

Listen to tglothl. He is right on with his critiqu. As a retired dentist, I know that the first teeth can be quite white. They are often called milk teeth for that reason. However, they are not quite that white. Because you have made them so white, they attract the eye first and I don't think that you want that. Glaze them down with a little yellow ochre. I can see that you worked had on the eyes, but I think that the pupil is a bit off center. The sclera or white of the eye is too white as wel. I hope that his gums are not that color. If so, I suggest having him checked by his doctor. I think that you need to consider the color and shape of the upper lip. It usually appears darkere than the lower lip. I would also darken the corners of the mouth since the recede. As tg said, portraits are difficult in any media and particularly in water colors. I hope my critique is helpful.

[K8K9SAR]

Great feedback, but I need to start speaking your language! I use watercolours, so I don't really know what you mean when you say "glaze."

[K8K9SAR]

This is the reference photo if it helps . . .

[tgsloth]

Glaze just means to put thin transparent paint on top so it darkens and alters the hue without creating a new layer.
I've notice that the photo is showing the teeth and eyes the brightest but this is not how the eye would see it; it's a problem of a flash photo and I'm sticking to my suggestions in the previous post. Flash photography is the be bane of art.

[K8K9SAR]

tgsloth--Thanks for the two clarifications as they are BOTH very helpful! I agree about the flash and may try to repaint and put the eye highlights more accurately and tone down the teeth.