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  • #990495
    Grinner
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        I am not sure who else is following news about the Kate Middleton portrait[/URL], but I thought it worth bringing up here. For all I know, the artist is a member of WC, so I do want to be as respectful as possible.

        So, the artist is taking a lot of heat for this, and I feel for him right now because a portrait can’t get much more high profile than this. But he is obviously both skilled and talented – look at this extraordinary drawing he did of Nelson Mandela.

        What are your thoughts, portrait artists? How do you decide on a facial expression if you are using a live model? I imagine a slight grin would vary from moment to moment, and may have been difficult to capture, but I could be wrong. Do you have others look at your works in progress, or do you go with your gut? Has anyone here done a commission that was not well-received, and you’re willing to talk about it, how did you deal with it? Did you start over?

        I’m just curious to know what we can learn from this since it’s rare that people at large are talking about portraiture, so I thought this would be a good opportunity for discussion. I wish the artist well, and hope that he is able to turn this attention to his advantage in the future.

        #1179078
        Thinky
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            Grinner,

            Thank you for bringing us this news! I find portraits to be very challenging, so much can go wrong…. This artist must have worked hard to get this level of realism. People should try to paint an oil portrait before complaining! It is easy to criticize, but hard to paint a masterpiece! :thumbsup: :)

            #1179073
            fulful
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                I think it’s certainly more interesting than most of the famous portraits I’ve seen-ex Princess Diane-past presidents etc

                #1179074
                kevinwueste
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                    I feel the bar was set so high by Nelson Shanks ( Lady Diana)
                    . Not to take away from this artist’s work!

                    the painting and the model and painter at work!

                    Kevin

                    i draw, paint and teach | my voice is hoarse | my shoulder hurts.
                    Talent is really a capacity for a certain type of learning of knowledge and a consuming interest in the facts that contribute to that knowledge~ Andrew Loomis
                    http://www.kevinwuesteart.blogspot.com
                    "kevinwueste" on instagram

                    #1179082
                    mooselover
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                        If the client is happy with the portrait, and she was,
                        that’s all that really matters.

                        #1179070

                        I really like the portrait. It has a soft quality to it which is difficult to achieve.
                        The colours are well done- she obviously likes it, which is important, too.
                        I would be proud if I had done this, certainly! (everyone’s a critic!)

                        bethany
                        moderator in figures & portraits blogs: artbybethany life-presence
                        website www.bethanyart.com
                        My inspiration is art... because without art, we would just be stuck with reality. ~Daniel R. Lynch

                        #1179077
                        Dave Johnson
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                            I was really surprised to see the pose the artist selected. Shoulders square to the viewer? That’s for mug shots and I.D. badges.

                            "A bold failure is better than a timid semi-success." John Howard Sanden

                            #1179071
                            carltonm
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                                It ain’t Holbein, but it ain’t bad. It’s my understanding that he was asked to do an “informal” portrait, so that’s what he did. I have a feeling that in a gallery, this would be quite eye-catching.

                                Carlton Macksam--Muskegon, MI, USA

                                #1179079
                                Anonymous

                                    I don’t want sound like a hater, but I do think he blended it to death – not a single discernible brushstroke anywhere. It has an almost airbrushed look that I typically don’t care for. It’s not a bad portrait per se, but I expect more from a royal portrait, I want some pizazz. To sum up: it’s a decent-to-good portrait, but it’s not a stunner.

                                    #1179083
                                    Coastal
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                                        I see the point of one critic that said he failed to capture the sparkle of life that is in her eyes and also aged her a bit with eye wrinkles

                                        #1179084
                                        BettiePage
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                                            I think she looks much older than she really is! Good portrait tough, very realistic and all…. but let’s say i’m not in love with it.

                                            #1179075
                                            bettythecat
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                                                tbf i think he made a valiant effort , not an easy commission at all with the world ready to pounce I’ve seen a lot worse commissioned for the royal family mentioning no names so take the money and run Mr Emsley and fair play

                                                #1179080
                                                Anonymous

                                                    I stood in front of this royal portrait for at least 30 mins recently. It’s Queen Sofia at Waldemarsudde, painted by the great Anders Zorn. A jaw-dropping painting!

                                                    Photo is way off in terms of color and value, but you get the idea.

                                                    #1179076
                                                    GraemeT
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                                                        Agree with Bettie.

                                                        No problem recognising the girl but not particularly flattering. Looked better in the paper than on a monitor.

                                                        #1179085
                                                        DebbieO
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                                                            I stood in front of this royal portrait for at least 30 mins recently. It’s Queen Sofia at Waldemarsudde, painted by the great Anders Zorn. A jaw-dropping painting!

                                                            Photo is way off in terms of color and value, but you get the idea.

                                                            [IMG]http://s3.amazonaws.com/wetcanvas-hdc/Community/images/14-Jan-2013/835002-rsz_anders_zorn_-_drottning_sophia_1909.jpg[/IMG]

                                                            omg so beautiful!

                                                            C&C always welcome!

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