Repairing Rick--a repair in progress...

[crafor]

Rick: 16x20" oil on canvas Asking for hard crits. I just completed two paintings that I am pleased with. Now this one, which only a few days ago I thought was finally coming along nicely, is not. First, the main reference photo (the other is of the vegetation):


Next, my first version. I knew the drawing was large, but the canvas is too, and I thought it would work for what I had in mind.




Someone suggested that I check the proportions. I did, to find they were way off. Both the nose and chin were about 1/2" too long. And that after hours of careful measuring, measuring again, and re-measuring every point that I could...I realized then that my idea would not work, so I painted out the hat and shirt and left most of the face, as it is pretty much the color I'll use for the face anyway. I added sky color and overhanging branches. Here's the result:


The charcoal lines of the new version are somewhat visible.

And THIS is where I am now. The lines for the features are stronger, but the original face is still there. I've been working on the hat for hours, and it's still not right. I blocked in the hair and a bit of moustache.

I had hoped to be much further along, but I couldn't work as fast as I would have liked. The hat is not cooperating. I don't think it will stay this color, and it's OFF, somehow. I can't see how, now. Help, please.
I'd really like to have the hat close to the real color. Any suggestions?

The original shirt is the color of blueberries, but that's pretty strong for me. Thought I'd lighten it, or make it a gray but I've never seen him in a gray shirt. These are clothes he wears frequently, and I'd like to stay with them or close, but this is a real learning experience. (PC for struggle, and other such words. ) Hard crits, please. Even if I cry, I'll keep at it. I want to do as well with this one as with the other two.
Thanks for looking. Hard C&C welcome.
Ella

[Yorky]

Great title!

Your first one was nearest for shape. There is no shame in tracing the outlines onto your canvas to get the essential positions correct.

Doug

[Andrewcody]

Crafor, I would focus on getting the drafting for the portrait correct before including any background or colour.
Grid both your reference and the canvas, 1" squares, and draw in the image, you can use paint to do this if you want.
Regards
Andrew

[crafor]

Andrew, thanks. Is there anything specific that stands out to you?
I don't have a printed photograph, so standard gridding is out. The original drawing was pretty close, except for the nose and chin lengths. After correcting for those, I had the drawing reduced to this size, and traced it. I'm not going for photorealism, but I do want a good likeness. As I do a side by side comparison, it appeas to me that the features of the drawing are on or close to the same parallel lines (to borrow from geography) on both, with the exception of the ball of the nose, and that is easily fixable.
Right now, looking at them side-by-side, maybe the main problems for me are the hat and skin colors are throwing me off. It also appear that perhaps the brim over the forehead is a bit too high. I also see the ribbon contour is way off.
Maybe I'll scrape the hat back and start on it again. The color of the first version was much better. I'll work to mix that again. It was viridian + ultramarine Blue+ a bit of cadmium orange, with white laid on. I don't like the color of this at all.
And of course, the rest just isn't there yet.

I'll continue with this. This is a study, an exercise. I want to learn to paint portraits by alla prima, and this started that way. The others were layered. This may be done again with layers...
Again, Thank you.
Ella

[maryinasia]

to tell you the truth, I like the look of the painting as it is right now. I would be tempted to leave it as is, and then do another more "finished" one if you felt like it.

[Debzy]

Ella, I agree with Andrew. I really feel that you should get the drawing and features in proportion first before adding background or paint. I feel you are going about this the hard way. Try to get a printout somehow of the reference picture and then you can grid it. Your foliage and sky looks lovely, and the hat looks ok to me, but really they should be focused on after the face. I would get the face drawing done first, then start with all darks and shadows, gradually working through mid ranges and finally the highlights. You will see the whole thing take shape that way, rather than bits here and there. Just my opinion, it is a great photo! You can do it!!! Good luck Ella. Cheers. =)) Debs.

[Eclecticart]

I few suggestions, that I have found work for many people including me.

Have his face outlined onto trace paper (directly off of an enlarged xerox copy of the photo if you can, this is not cheating by the way, it is just a techinque) Next thing is to use carbon paper or I just color the opposite side of the paper with a pencil I then lay I it over my canvas or paper, trace over my sketch and ta-da your outline is now on your surface. This is a very kindergarden thing to do but how you build on your surface is what counts.

The color of the hat seems to be an olive sort of military/fishing color. The best mixture I have found has been a burnt yellow, browns, and of course green. (yellow based green not blue based)

And lastly KEEP PUSHING FORWARD! It will be awesome! I was always told to stay away from the eraser and just go with what you've gotten so far. So just go with it and make small tweaks here and there.

[maryinasia]

Oh, forgot to mention -- lots of ways to grid on the computer screen --experiment using any photo editing program you might have -- just don't use white-out

[crafor]

Thanks, all.
Maryinasia, thanks. I'm going to continue with this one. I may use the layer method on another one after this. I finally found directions to make a 1" grid on GIMP. So I will check my drawing and the photo. It will be interesting to see the results.

Debzy, thank you. I should have done this via layering. I just wanted it to be finished in less than several weeks.
Rachel, I will try your recipe for the hat color. I susre don't like what 's there now!
Ella

[crafor]

Update--Friday AM. Just to let you know, I was very hesitant about posting this repair in the first place, but wanted more eyes and some guidance. Because of that, I learned how to make a 1" grid using gimp, and was able to check my drawing against the photo.
Changes made were generally small, and there were several. No matter how small, correcting them makes a big difference between a realistic portrait and a realistic portrait of a specific person.
My daughter at age 6 posed for a life portrait class of about 40 people. There were 40 variations of her, and of the 6 I managed to go home with, none really resemble her, but most were good portraits of a dark haired child in a black leotard with a tutu on.
Because of your help and guidance, my RICK has a better chance of looking like that man than he did otherwise.
Some changes made include lowering his left eye about 1/4", adjusting the forehead and cheek line, enlarging the ball of the nose,dropping the chin about 1/4", adjusting the line of his neck and the hat brim.

Thank you all very much for your words. I couldn't have done it without the graphing program, and your encouragement. I am grateful.
Ella

[Debzy]

Ella ... good to hear that you are sounding more confident with repairing Rick! A portrait is a big challenge and especially if you want it to have a close resemblance. As you say, you can have a similarity here and there, a man with a hat on and a moustache, but if you want it as much like the person as possible, then it's worth doing the measurements and giving it the extra foundations before painting. Then there are the challenges of painting.... skin tones, shadows, etc. etc. but at least if the drawing is right, you can work over and over the colours until correct. Cheers Ella, and looking forward to the next stage. Debs. =))

[TX Rose]

You are doing a great job with revisions and, through what you are learning from others, sharing a lot of information with those of us not proficient with portraits. I'm enjoying your thread.

I see a few little things not mentioned by others but, as I said, I am not expert in portraits so accept my comments only as observations and check the information for yourself. In comparing your piece to your reference, I think you may wish to look again at his left eye (our right). To me, that eye should be closer to his nose and the eyebrow is not as close to his eye as we see in your piece. Also, his lower lip is fuller in the reference. His eyebrows are unusual and will really add character to your portrait. Good luck with this. I'll be following....and learning with you.

[crafor]

Originally Posted by TX Rose

You are doing a great job with revisions and, through what you are learning from others, sharing a lot of information with those of us not proficient with portraits. I'm enjoying your thread.

Thanks. I hope this does help others. I'm new at all this, and have SO much to learn, and learn to apply!

Originally Posted by TX Rose

I see a few little things not mentioned by others but, as I said, I am not expert in portraits so accept my comments only as observations and check the information for yourself. In comparing your piece to your reference, I think you may wish to look again at his left eye (our right). To me, that eye should be closer to his nose and the eyebrow is not as close to his eye as we see in your piece. Also, his lower lip is fuller in the reference. His eyebrows are unusual and will really add character to your portrait. Good luck with this. I'll be following....and learning with you.

I fully appreciate, need, and more importantly, perhaps, WANT your input, no matter your level of expertise, as long as your goal is to help me. One huge advantage of forums such as this is the wide experience of other people and what they see, then their willingness to give that experience and information to help others such as me. When you mention these things,I do go back and check, see what I need to do.

I was off the computer most of yesterday and worked on him only a little. I hope that later today I can post two updates to him, one of which will be the corrected drawing. I think you'll see a few changes. Even so, they are still only indications of placement. The lip line remains the same, as it's the center of the mouth, not the lips themselves.
Ella

[crafor]

As promised, two updates.
The first is the corrected drawing with the hat color corrected. Rachel, thanks for your color suggestion. I used raw umber and prussian blue. The previous mixture was viridian and ultramarine. This is much more satisfactory. I scraped about half the hat back because the texture of the leaves and branches was too heavy and made the hat lumpy. It was fresh enough that scraping it wasn't too hard. It still shows some texture, but I'm okay with this. The shape of the brim was corrected, too. I still have the higihlights to add. Now the features are basically in the appropriate places.



The second photo has some refinements of the drawing. I painted the remaining original blue for the jacket both as filler and underpaint and because it was starting to dry out, and I didn't want to lose it. I'm glad I did--I think I'll go with the original dark blueberry color of the jacket.



I feel like it's back on track now, thanks to you all.
Hard Crits and helpful comments welcome.
Ella

[Andrewcody]

I think you are back on track too
Forget the tree branches for the moment and work the face
it is looking much better
Regards
Andrew