Shauna
 

This painting is 40" x 27". Let the "slings and arrows" fly!

Here's a closeup:

No slings and arrows here Michele, this a very nice piece, particularly the lighting. Excellent job with the hands and flowers, also the handling of the edges.

The only thing that caught my eye rather quickly is her left eye. I checked your resource photo and it appears that you have the position of her eye "dead on", but could it be the heavy dark eyes and eyelash against the extreme highlights on that side of her face? Could it be pushed back a bit?

Other than that, this is one of my favorites, maybe the favorite, of yours.

Lovely!

Michelle,

That's one beautiful painting.

I suppose you posted it so that nardewells like myself could nitpick it, so here's a couple.

I believe the vase would be even more beautiful if you gave it some darker values on our left, the back side of the light. I don't think the light would wrap around it so totally.

At the top of the subject's left shoulder as the line travels up towards the neck... in your reference the shoulder is visible behind the necklace, higher on the neck. A small matter, and one you may have calculated, but it does give a slightly off-balance weight to the shoulder-neck relationship on that side.

Beautiful painting.

Michele, when I saw your post I thought you had just gone and posted the reference photo. You show-off! This is a beautiful painting, my favorite of yours so far.

The only possible thing to do is to nit-pick, as pointed out by previous posters. I agree with Mike Dodson: I think the camera has overexposed the lights in your reference photo and blown out that eye closest to the window. In "real life" you should be able to locate the pink rim of the lower lid, reddish eye corners, highlights and the like.

Beautiful soft edges and I love the pearl!

Hi Michele,

This is a beautiful painting and I especially like the soft atmosphere you have created. It's like the sunlight is slowly filtering into the room.

All I can add besides the eye issue that has already been pointed out, is that I would anchor the vase with a cast shadow. If this is an accurate representation of the original, then the vase seems to float next to her.

Michele,

Beautiful! I thought that candelabra would really take away from the girl when I saw the references, but you did a fantastic job.

Background
 

I think the background stuff is wonderfully done. I too want to understand why the vase is not dark. There are many nice touches like the straps.

Hi Michele,

Beautiful painting of a beautiful young woman! I was going to say that there is a funny dark spot just above the tip of her nose, and when I went and looked at the photos I saw that the spot is there as well. I guess there is a spot of pigmentation there, but I never noticed it when you posted the photos. I think the way the light strikes the rose leaves is just perfect. There are too many good things about this painting to list them all. Any manipulations I might suggest could only be done from a direct viewing of the painting. On my monitor it looks perfect. The clients are going to be very pleased!

Michele - Gorgeous! :thumbsup:

I also thought I was still looking at the reference photo when I first pulled this up. The likeness is remarkable!

This may be a stylistic choice on your part, but as I looked at her a bit longer, her neck seemed a bit long to me - maybe the collar bones are a little low, giving that impression? (using the distance from the corner of her eye to the crease of her mouth as a reference...)

Michele,

I just wanted to point out that you have said you are slow. It was less than 2 months ago you posted the reference photos for this one. Considering the size and complex background, not to mention you said (I think) that you paint 4 hours a day - I'd say your working at a good speed.

Michele, this looks lovely. I think you did a wonderful job on the background composition, and the hands and flowers are so delicate and expressive. My favorite of yours so far.

Lisa

This turned out beautifully Michele. I was also concerned about the candlabra, but you pulled it off. The vase almost looks translucent.

Jean

Hi Michelle,

Beautiful painting. The only nitpicky thing that I really noticed at first was the window/curtain in the background. They seem to be at a slight angle, rather than straight up & down. Perhaps this is due to camera distortion on the source photo. But I still think you did a remarkable job!

Best Wishes,

Thanks, everybody, for your very helpful thoughts. I have implemented some of the suggestions, and the other input will help me on the next painting I do. Much appreciated!

This is the most important commission I have done to date and I'll deliver it next week. Wish me luck!

Thank you all for your comments and suggestions, both of the reference photos and of the painting I posted. Your tips all helped make this a better portrait.

I delivered this to the VIP family a few days ago. When they first saw the painting the teen depicted in the portrait grinned and said "Oh, wow!" The mom (art collector and owner of lots of originals by Sargent, Monet, etc.) smiled and said, "That's very beautiful!"

I'm so glad this one went well. They have friends in very high places, and they also have four more children that they want me to paint when each reaches their senior year in high school. (That was the purpose of this painting.)

What a big relief it was to have the delivery go so well! I fretted over this commission day and night from the moment I got it many months ago. Now I can sleep better...

Michelle,

Congratulations on this important commission.

It sounds like this family is going to impose a burdensome load on you. I just want you to know that I'm here for you. Unselfish gesture? Sure, but that's the kind of person my creditors have asked me to be.

But seriously, I think you have that rare combination of aptitude plus industry, that stuff which stars are made of.

Thanks, Mike!

Girl with a Pearl Earing
 

This is the stuff that great art is made of!

Congratulations, Michele!