Need Advice

Hare · #1 08-02-2006, 07:52 AM

Hello,

I have just finished a portrait of my daughter. It is my first one, so for this reason I am happy with it, however it is not as 'perfect' as I would like it to be. I think I've made her eyes and the shadows on her chin to dark. Can anyone give me advice as to how to improve it or areas that I need to look at more closely.
I have attached the photo that I worked from.

Thanks

nancyl746 · #2 08-02-2006, 08:25 AM

great first try. Looks to me like the head is too thin and the eyebrows tooo dark. other than that looks good to me
Nanc

**Dana Design** · #3 08-02-2006, 09:35 AM

Yes, one of the things that let us know it's a baby is the roundness of their little baby heads. Yours is far too narrow.

Also, you've placed the baby's eyes to high. Sight measure the forehead and you'll see you haven't placed the eyebrows and eyes low enough. That also is a defining mark of a baby.

As nancy suggested, some of the areas are drawn too darkly...the eyebrows and the area around the baby's mouth.

Hare · #4 08-02-2006, 10:18 PM

Thank you very much for your feedback Nanc and Dana. Now that you mention it and I have had a bit of a break from looking at it. I see I've made quite a few areas too dark. I'm a bit heavy handed with the pencil. And I've given her an egg-head (whoops).

Do you think the distance between her mouth and nose is too big?

**Dana Design** · #5 08-02-2006, 10:26 PM

Yes, a bit too much distance. I'd leave the features for now and reshape the head.

Valri Ary · #6 08-02-2006, 11:37 PM

YUP... egg head for sure but thats ok! you have tried to paint a person so close to you and you have succeeded in alot of ways. I still can't paint my own kids and have it look like them and I've been painting FOREVER. I guess I must really be toooooooooooo close to them. I applaude you for doing this.
If you wouldn't mind, I'd like to try a quick watercolour of your baby. Let me know if that's ok. THANKS! ((PM me))

Kate Mc · #7 08-03-2006, 02:44 AM

Looks like you've got some good advice here--let us see the revision!

As Valri said, it's harder to paint someone close to you than someone else. I've done my husband about a bazillion times, and each time there's something missing. I think it's his sweetness. It's hard to capture.

I love the openmouthed smile you've caught though.

Kate

Hare · #8 08-03-2006, 08:13 AM

Thank you to everyone for your feedback.
I have taken a fair bit of time today to go over the whole piece. I've lightened it except for the ears and just under the ear (on our left) - I will be doing this hopefully tomorrow and I want to fix up the eye on our left. It looks a little as if she is cross eyed. Anyway here is the updated version and the photo. I am feeling a lot happier with the piece now.

Amanda

Hare · #9 08-05-2006, 07:15 AM

Here is the finished picture. Thank you everyone for your advice. I think it looks a lot better. Even a little like her

Amanda

pei_kathryn · #10 08-05-2006, 08:40 AM

Wow.. great job and the changes you made improved it 100%... I know how it's hard to do someone close to you.. I've tried doing my partner's portrait in pencil and I get lost in the details.. very frustrating... Kat

Hare · #11 08-07-2006, 12:13 AM

Thanks Kat,

I managed to get her head and face fixed up rather easily, but her eyes....I did each one 7times (my paper was starting to go a bit 'fluffy' - if that's the right word for it.) So I didn't want to fiddle to much more with them. (I'm still not 100% happy with them).

It's my first ever portrait of a person, I feel like I've learned a lot from it. So that's the main thing. Hopefully they'll get easier with practise

Amanda

Mike_Beeman · #12 08-07-2006, 11:00 AM

Ditto!!!

Quote:

Originally Posted by nancyl746

great first try. Looks to me like the head is too thin and the eyebrows tooo dark. other than that looks good to me
Nanc

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