My Wife
 

Hello!

I tried pastel on velvet. Cont

Hi, here is a reference photo :

Did you use all three media -- pastel, Conte, and graphite?

What made you decide to use velvet as a ground?

The mixed media and the ground make it difficult to offer anything constructive, especially since, as you've said, this is intended only as a sketch in preparation for a portrait.

You're not thinking of painting the oils on velvet, are you?

If you squint at the photo and compare the result to the painting, you'll see that you've given up most of your darks, cutting the value range by nearly half. If you want any form and depth in the piece, you'll have to recapture those dark values. And you'll have to reduce the "light" values within those darks. For example, there are right now a number of light areas on the shadow side of the face that are in fact lighter than similar areas on the lighted side. That doesn't "read" right. It's negating the form.

Hi, Steven,

Thank you for your comment!

NO, I don't want to paint on velvet!

I meant this as a study (better, an exercise), to be traced on "right" canvas later, perhaps.

I used only Conte. Graphite only the right side, to darken, but as you said, not enough. Dark is not dark as this. I'll try to correct it.

The digital camera can make a few mistakes, too. The image is not sharp (furry surface?) nor the contrast right.

I found velvet in a Canson catalog, even in many colors.

I never used pastel or Cont