Gymnast post for Jennifer Geary
 

Administrator's Note: Jennifer was having trouble posting and she said her request for help was urgent, so I've posted for her.

The photo was the only one the client had, and she wants THIS one painted. She wants an oil, about 24" x 30". The trouble I am having is what should I do with the background? Part of the balance beam in the bottom right side is conflicting with her foot. Should I just take her and put her in a totally different background? What do you think would work? I am seriously needing some advice, and I know that the members of the forum can steer me in the right direction.

Jennifer,

I'll offer this one tidbit. Usually you can find more information in a photo if you lighten it up with your photo software. This lightened version gives s little more info in the dark shadows. Is this a cropped image? I think I would give more air around and beneath the girl.

Jennifer --

You have here one of the most challenging reference sources I've seen, particularly with respect to the extreme foreshortening in both legs and one of the arms and hands. There's precious little information in or about the face. Eyes "closed" for all intents and purposes. Almost no visible hair. You've been presented with a very difficult project, and if you can pull it off convincingly, you'll be eligible for both talent and courage medals. How much better would be this same "pose" in profile. I realize that there's nothing you can do about that -- other than turning down the commission. It's not for me to tell you whether or not to do that.

Since the girl is apparently doing a floor exercise routine, you're right, the pommel horse in the background doesn't really "belong", save for the thematic suggestion of a gymnastics venue, but that's going to have to be apparent from the girl's appearance in the first instance or not at all. It seems to me that this is one of those depictions that cries out for a more abstract background. Any recognizable objects would have to be very skillfully pushed far back into the background, at risk otherwise of interfering with the representation of foreshortening in the limbs.

Whew. Good Luck!

For the background, I would suggest a very blurry, depth-of-field type of effect. It would help suggest action as well. As for the image you have, I have had similar commissions where things are just not going well for the image. I would suggest taking a large scale image of it into Photoshop or PaintShop Pro and play around with it. Crop just the girl or play with lighting and colors. That's the only thing that seems to help bad situations like this.

Hope I've helped. If not, please smile and nod like I've done good.

Foreshortening
 

Jennifer, unless you are about to lose your phone service, don't do it. It is an odd phenomenon that somehow things that read in a photo don't always translate to a painting.

One of the most important lessons in portraiture or any commissioned work is to learn when to stand up to a client.

I can't see how this will ever work.

One thing that you can do if you are desperate is sign it in an illegable cartouche of your initials. I have one of those hanging around. I hope nobody ever figures it out.

Cropping options
 

Hi Jennifer - I'm going to agree with the common theme of the responses to this reference. If you have any doubts, try some preliminary sketches and you will see very quickly how the legs, specifically, are going to distract the viewers eyes. A simple contour drawing will show you very quickly. Check out this thread opened by Marvin for more theorizing about the importance of preliminary studies. http://forum.portraitartist.com/show...?threadid=1491

If you must do it, I would recommend cropping out the problem areas as follows

However, the reference photo problems don't stop with the forshortened limbs. Look at the following simplified image, similar to what you would find in a value sketch, and you'll see you have very little form to deal with on the face.

This seems a little gaudy quoting myself,
Sharon's quote in this thread brought to mind the above similar discussion. Best of luck, Jennifer.

whew, indeed!
 

Thanks everyone for getting back to me so quickly! I agree with you 100% about the photo! However, it gets a little tricky, considering that this girl drowned 3 years ago and her mom is just coming to grips with being able to get a portrait done. She feels that this picture represents her daughter the most. Any thoughts on how I should handle this? Do I attempt to paint this as best as I can, giving her a discount if it doesn't turn out right? I am in the corner with this one. How would YOU handle this?

I played around with the image in Photoshop a bit. I cut the girl out of her old background and placed her on this new one...just a thought. I did a watercolor filter to see how this would look painted.

Thanks, everyone, for helping me with this!!!

Gymnast
 

Jennifer, talk about being between a rock and a hard place!

Ask yourself the following questions.

A. Is the mother a friend?
B. Who will see this painting, how will it affect future commissions?
C: Will it be a work you will be proud of?
D: Will it help this unfortunate mother with her grief, in other word a kindness?

Some tips. The Photoshop thingy does look like she is leaping into her mother's arms. I will be pilloried for this advice, but here goes! TRACE IT!! Have the photo blown up to the size you want it and maneuver a piece of tracing paper along it to elongate slightly the torso,limbs and neck. Most commercial artists use all kinds of drawing aids, camera lucidas, projectors etc.. They are useful for somthing like this, but they can stunt your drawing capabilities and style. Also they do not work well when you work large and use classical proportions. Good Luck!

Jennifer, might it be possible for you to ask for more photos of the girl? Maybe by familiarizing yourself through quick sketches from other photos (even in other poses) you can become more familiar with the characteristics of her face and the subtle nuiances that made her who she was.

How sad to know that such an energetic young girl has lost her life. I wish you the best of luck this is truly a challenging commission!

Well, it is obvious that the person wants a portrait that relates to this girl being a gymnast. Now how about doing a montage?

Use this or a similar action picture as a minor element, and then another image for the likeness. Since she is not available to pose at all ask for other photographs, preferably professionally taken that you might use even if she is not in her gymnastics uniform. For an example of what I am referring to, see Dick Bobnick's site and some of the sports figures he has done portraits of.

Link to his site at SOG http://www.portraitartist.com/bobnick/bobnick.htm

It is always a challenge to do a portrait from photos alone and the posthumous portrait is perhaps the hardest. Getting the best photos you can is key to successfully pulling it off. I would not commit to doing the painting until you had all the reference you need to feel comfortable that you can complete the painting to a standard you will be happy to put your name on. Not just now but in the future. You do not want to look back on it and regret it is still around as a example of your work. Remember it is not your client's name that will go on this painting for eternity it is yours and once you deliver it, it is out there as a example of your work for the rest of your life and beyond. So yes, take the commission, but insist on getting more reference and if they really want the best painting from you they should give you what you need to make that possible.

With all the replies I have received on this picture, I think I have come up with a good idea as to what I am going to do. I will ask the mother if I can go through her photos of her daughter, especially a good face shot, and add them around the gymnast figure. I have done montages before, and they were successful, I think. I will certainly take your advice, Sharon, and trace the sucker! I know this is going to be hard for me, but I have to try. If I can get the proportions right (as far as the foreshortening), then I will figure out a way to trace this to the size I need. I have an overhead projector at work, I wonder if that will do?

Again, thanks for everyone's input! I have learned immensely from this and all your comments as well! You guys are great!

Not at all Sharon, although I may sound anti-photo I am all for doing whatever it takes to complete a commission be it for a portrait or a illustration. Although It may sound hypocritical of me I feel that when it comes to work and making a living sometimes you must do what you must do to get the job done. Even the great Norman Rockwell used these tools There was a lucidagraph in his studio in Stockbridge.

Gymnast
 

Jennifer, I think Michael's suggestion is excellent. I have done montages in illustration before and they can be very beautiful.

Use the tracing paper to get an accurate drawing, use a photo close to the size you need. I sometimes get blowups as big as the painting I'm working on. It almost eliminates the need for a cranky model. Go to a place that reproduces drawings for architects or a Photostat place. They should be able to do a black and white copy exactly the size you need. They are fairly cheap. Get a couple of different sizes to play around with. You can get them on transparent vellum as well.

Do not use an overhead projector unless it us sharp, sometimes they can distort. I have the best camera Lucida ever made; unfortunately it is out of production. It projects your copy accurately 4x up and reduces 4x. It is good up to about 30" x 40". I plan to sell it on this site soon. It is fabulous for fine graphite rendering. It is however 92" x 40" with its own curtain. Too bad you live too far away to take advantage of it.

Ebonies are very good also, but do try the Berol Turquoises. Also blow up Grace's picture to the size you are rendering (if possible). It is almost as if the person is there and you will get a more accurate reference point, especially if you place them side to side.

Sincerely,