Practice run for commission
 

I have been approached to paint a military portrait of a VIP!

I was totally honest when approached and admitted that I had only been painting portraits for about 6 months, however, this did not put them off. This suprised me, but at the same time it was very flattering. If he likes the end result it is very likely that I will receive more commissions as a result of it.

The attached portrait is a 'dummy run' of a friend of mine who kindly agreed to pose for me to photograph him in uniform before I start the real thing. It is obviously not finished yet, I still have not touched the hands or hat and still have a lot of 'bits and pieces' to finish off.

I would be very grateful for any advice you may be able to offer. Thank you all very much for helping the amateurs like myself in this forum.

It is extremely good of you to sacrifice some of your time and expertise on my painting. :)

Nice Work!
 

Hi Barbara,

How wonderful to get this kind of opportunity! Please keep in mind as you read my feedback that I'm pretty new at this myself so these could be good suggestions OR they could be only worth a grain of salt:

- Consider adding more dramatic, deeper, cooler reds to the background to offset the warm green color of his uniform. Of course you would have to incorporate whatever color you use in the background into his coat to harmonize the color scheme.

- It might also be interesting to vary some of the edge definition, going much lighter right around the upper right-hand side (from the viewer's perspective) of his head. Also, incorporate some background color into his hair.

- What source are you using for light? It looks like a frontal flash to me. Try lighting your subject from the side and slightly higher than his head to get some interesting shadow play across his face. This will help darken his face and anchor it to the background.

- If this is a practice run before the 'real thing' you might want to consider posing your subject in various ways to see what best suits him; to me this pose has more of a timid feel to it than I would expect from a military VIP. For me, when I think of military portraits I think of Margaret Holland Sargent. Check out her collection of military VIPs here on SOG: http://www.portraitartist.com/sargent/military.htm

I hope this helps, Barbara. For only doing portraits for 6 months this is really good; I can't wait to see what you do next!

Warm regards,
Willow

Thank you Willow. Your suggestions were worth far more than a grain of salt believe me.

I agree about the acid greens in the background and I will get busy on that this week. I didn't like the greens when I was doing it but did not want to be too ambitious with colours with it being a military portrait.

The edge definition also sounds good. Do you think that it may take away the frontal flash effect somewhat?

If not, maybe I can add more shading on the viewers right-hand side to simulate light coming in from the side.

I have other photographs of him without flash that he didn't like (the flash tends to kill wrinkles!) Should I incorporate some of the more honest details in these photo's to the painting?

I will go and have a look at the web site you mentioned now.

Thanks again Willow. I will post the amended picture soon. :)

Barbara

I would agree with Willow's comments regarding the lack of strength in the pose. The hands clasped together has a feminine feel to it.

Additionally, if your subject is a bit overweight, having the arms cross the body in this manner only reinforces that appearance. Having the main light coming from the side and just slightly to the back of the subject and using a reflector near the camera to soften the shadows is particularly effective with overweight subjects. More area will be on the shadow side, therefore 'slimming' the body.

Two ways you can decrease the appearance of wrinkles are to bounce the light into a reflector such as an umbrella or large piece of foamcore or use a diffusion filter on the lens, or both. On-camera flash deadens the features and you should always avoid this. It also adds the illusion of additional weight to your subject.

A few adjustments
 

Hello again, Willow and Peter.

As you will see by the newer version I have taken note of both of your comments and I have been working to improve the portrait.

I have still got quite a lot to do on it but I do feel that it is looking far better and I hope that you agree. The background is a vast improvement, I think; do you think that I have gone far enough with it? Frankly, when I was painting it I was liking the effect so much that I didn't know when to stop and thought, better sooner than later.

I have attempted to simulate a better light coming in from the side, however, this was far more difficult than I anticipated and I struggled with it. I think that a spotlight will be on my Christmas list!

I also tried to make his pose more appropriate, I closed his hands a little but I was reluctant to go too far as hands are definitely a weakness of mine and I do need to practice more on them. Due to Peter's comment about him looking overweight (he would be horrified!), I slimmed him down a little. Doesn't he look better with a few pounds shed?

My sincere thanks to both of you.

Barbara

Looks good!
 

Yes, I agree - this is coming along nicely. The background looks reminiscent of a sky after a battle. Just an image I recall from the paintings in my history textbooks when I was a kid.

The work you've done on his face with making up shadows does a lot to deepen the features and make them stronger. However, the equal and strong contrast around his head with the background makes his head appear to jump off the canvas. The rest of him doesn't do this very much; note the way you've lost some edge on his (from the viewer's perspective) right shoulder. The way the edge is lost and found there anchors and secures him to the background. I think you need to do the same with his head; either by lightening up some of the background around his head to the same value as his hair or darkening his hair; maybe both.

Yes, he looks better after the Jenny Craig treatment but I still think that he looks timid. Perhaps you could strengthen his gaze, or redirect it so that it engages the viewer. I've been thinking about something you said about him not wanting any wrinkles to show. You might want to point out to him (maybe you already have!) that wrinkles in photographs are not the same animal as wrinkles in paintings. While in photos, where every wrinkle is dreadfully and tediously recorded :bewildere , in paintings they can be abbreviated, alluded to, added just enough to show the subject's age, wisdom and experience. They can add some interesting shapes and character depth without overwhelming because you've just hinted to a few of them, not recreated every one. I notice there are a few more wrinkles on your second pass but he still looks like he has the smooth skin of a baby - and that doesn't toughen up his image! ;)

Anyway, looks great and is coming along just fine!

Cheers,
Willow

You've probably gone as far with this portrait as you can go. Now, start again.

Re-shoot your subject, if he will agree.

Buy a piece of white mat board or foam core. Place your subject next to a large window with diffused light, so that the light comes from the side. Put the mat board on a chair on the opposite side of the camera from where the window is, so that it reflects light coming in from the window back onto the shadow side of the subject. Turn the gentleman toward the window, a few degrees at a time until you find the pose you like. Shoot many samples. Put his right arm down. Just before you shoot every picture, ask him to take a breath. This will extend his chest and give you a better line to the body. Try to get him to smile ever so slightly. That should do it.

Good luck. Post the results when you're done with both portraits. Hopefully, this will be the start of many such commissions.

These other posts on lighting might help.

http://forum.portraitartist.com/show...ight=reflector

http://forum.portraitartist.com/show...ight=reflector

http://forum.portraitartist.com/show...ight=reflector

My thanks to Willow and Peter for the much needed advice and support through the 'creation' of my first military portrait.

I will, of course, finish this portrait to the best of my abilities, using the poor photo references that I have. I have learned a substantial amount in the painting of this one, which will surely help with the one that I am planning to do next. I will not accept a commission until I am entirely happy with what I produce on my 'practice run', therefore, another one is essential to me.

I have printed out the thread by Mike McCarty on lighting which Peter advised me to look at. I plan to use the advice within, and have much better material to use for reference. I will be starting another portrait very soon.

If you would both be so kind as to continue with your support I will keep you posted on the progress.

Oh! By the way Willow, I will be adding a few more wrinkles, whether he likes it or not! After all, he isn't buying it as it is for my portfolio.

Barbara :)

Barbara,

If you're not familiar with the Forum's Resource Photo Critique section, you might want to consider posting possible resource photos there before you even get started on the painting. It could help to avoid some pitfalls before you get too far into the project.

Dear Barbara,

As you consider your next portrait, I wanted to suggest thinking through the center of interest in your painting before you begin. As I look at the your progress in this thread, there are a couple of things that come to mind.

First, the way you employ edges is very critical to supporting the center of interest, which I'm sure is meant to be the face. However, the sharpest edge, combined with the greatest contrast, and placed against the strongest color, is the hat band, followed by the medals. As a result, the eye is pulled away from the face.

The same thing applies to the strong general color of the uniform, which overpowers the more tentative colors used in the skin tones. I find it helpful to keep the center of interest in the "conscious" front of my mind when I paint from photos, since they are misleading in regard to edges, color and values. When I paint from life, I can let the thoughts move more into the "subconscious" zone, since all the information I will need is in front of me as I paint.

Thank you, Cynthia and Chris, for taking the time to guide and advise me. I am indeed very impressed by the professionalism of the people in this Forum. To me personally, it means more than you could know, as I am quite isolated where I live, and, in addition to that, I am also a foreigner to Belgium (where I live).

Before I start the next portrait I will have to educate myself a little more in regards to photographing the subject. I have already made plans to buy a spotlight.

I have a Sony Cybershot camera, which takes excellent shots; however I think that a tripod will also be necessary for the future. In the meantime I have been told that a bean bag will do the trick! Is this true?

Another small query if I may. My photo editing software is Photoshop and it has the facility in the 'filters' to change the lighting in a shot. If you have the perfect shot but the lighting needs a small adjustment, how successful is this? I have a strong feeling that you are going to say, "No can do", either a perfect shot or shoot again. Right?

I see exactly what you mean, Chris, about his face being overpowered by the medals and band. I don't think that it helped me when I agreed to 'play down' his wrinkles and use the more washed out photograph that was taken with flash. I will definitely be more honest and less 'tentative' with the skin tones next time.

My thanks to all once again.

Barbara :)

Barbara,

I would like to comment on a couple of the items you brought up. About the tripod, as far as photographic equipment goes this is not a big ticket item. I find them to be a big help when I shoot indoors in natural light. I don't think the bean bag would give you much flexibility. The height of your camera should not be determined by what you place your bean bag on. I would also suggest a cable shutter release. Another inexpensive item.

As far as adjusting the lighting of a photo in Photoshop. Why would you not? If all else is what you want, and you can bring it up to speed, I say do it. Also, some scanners will create darker lighting than the reality of the photo. I know mine does. A quick adjustment in Photoshop brings it back. It's just a small part of the creative process that you control.

Thanks for the advice, Mike.

It was all good news from you. No need for my husband to buy a tripod for me, he's now your No. 1 fan! As for the shutter release, he will not notice that one.

It opens up a lot of possibilities for me now that I can play about with photographs in Photoshop. I did some experimenting after I read your comments, and some of the effects I can obtain are amazing. I just wish I had known about the lighting filter long ago. Never mind, better late than never.

I am attaching the final picture of my painting. (Unless anybody can suggest any more improvements - other than re-painting it!)

I am now making plans for my next one with a lot more confidence.

He has agreed to pose for more photographs, but unfortunately, he does not approve of my sending photographs of him over the web as Cynthia suggested.

Barbara

Nice Job!
 

Barbara,

This looks fantastic! I am sure he will be pleased with this. Thanks for sharing your process on this board - it helps everyone learn new things, I think!

Warm regards,
Willow

Hello to all,

Just to let you all know that I have landed the military portrait commission! I am going to take the photographs next week.

I am very nervous about it, and I have been educating myself in your portrait photography forum which helped me a lot.

I have also printed out a selection of military portraits for him to select a pose that appeals to him.

To ensure that I would be offered the commission I told him that the usual non-refundable deposit would be waived in his case. In short, if he wasn't satisfied with the portrait, I would keep it. He seemed very happy with this.

I did not tell him that I had only been painting for three years and only painting portraits for six months. Was that naughty? Truth is, I really wanted this and I intend to use all that I've learned on the 'practice run' to produce a portrait that he will be proud of showing (fingers crossed).

I will be unable to send a photograph of him in his uniform which is unfortunately a drawback for me. However, I will keep you fully posted with progress shots of the painting when started.

Thank you all for helping me land this commission.

Barbara :)

I would hazard to guess that anyone who has had the guts to succeed did at some point place themselves out on a limb. Forget about what you think you don't know. Do the best you can and when you present the final product, do so with all the confidence of a Michelangelo. Even if you throw up afterward.