First post
 

Hello to you all.

I'm posting a portrait of a cousin of my girlfriend, done in oil. This is only my second portrait in oil (my previous portraits were B&W - in pencil) so I'm quite pleased with results. But sure there are a lot of mistakes - any comments (critiques) will be most welcome.

Matjaz

Matjas, Congratulations on your second oil painting!

Oil painting does show up all the problems not yet resolved in your drawing skills. The most obvious would be the eyelids and sockets. You would do well to do a close study of drawings of the mechanics of the eye, eyelid, fold of skin, and the eyes as they relate to the nose and surroundings in the various views. It appears that the fold of skin over the eye follows too closely to the eyelash. In life, it is not parallel, but has a different line. Also, the eye on the far side in the shadow needs more foreshortening, and perhaps to be a bit more hidden by the bridge of the nose. These are basics in drawing, which, if not carefully studied in drawing, will show up in a work like this, where you don't want it to show up. Keep up the good work!

Lon

Composition suggestion
 

Because of her gaze to the right, I would like to see a different placement of this figure on the canvas. See below...