Theresa in oil
 

What a wonderful model - beautiful silver hair, strong face , never moves - who can ask for more? The likeness is weak, so little time...We ( I was really painting in the dark,as I make all my students paint in the dark) but even for me it was WAY too dark.Still , they all promised not to tell:)

Oil, canvas, 14 "x 11".

There is no shorter peorid of time than the 3 hours you get in open studio.

Details. I try very hard, even in constained circumstances, to practice things I think are important - edges, color temps, yada yada

Chris,
This is beautiful! Thanks for posting the closeups - I admire your brush work!
Do you have a closeup of the ear?

Thanks!
Maria

Beautiful color Chris.

At about 3 hours I am still trying to figure out where the nose goes.

Do you mean your students paint in dimmed light like Gainsborough, so they will be only concerned with the major shapes?

As to where the nose goes, me too - If I had it exactly right I would consider the likeness complete.It is not.

As to the cave painting thing, I think I first read of this phenomenon from Peggy Baumgaertner. Then I studied with Bill Whitaker, who completely reinforced the idea that the notion of "wall presence" ( to me, few values,beautifully stated) requires diminished light. Sherri McGraw paints in the dark, too.

I don't know anything about Gainsborough's Garrett. But I have come to believe that a painting painted in dim light, when successful, will absolutely soar in any other (better) light.

On the other hand, perhaps we will all end up with beady little mole-eyes, scurrying around in our modern day mausoleums, unfit for human contact. But at least our paintings will look good:)

Actually I noticed that Tony Pro mentioned the (possible) pitfalls of painting in too bright an environment.

Fantastic.

I would like to ask, is the color in the original closer in value to the closeups? I ask because the green on the nose and cheek look more intense than the closeups on my screen.