Practice study
 

I have been trying to improve my treatment of edges and to get away from my tendency to be overly linear. This is a recent study, not a commission. (I haven't gotten that far yet.) I will post the photo if I can first find it. (I have been trying to clean up my bulging hard drive so I suspect it is on a disk somewhere (I hope).

I was wondering if people had any comments about this.

Mary,

I really like the flesh tones, especially the reds in the ear and the back of the neck. The edges appear to be nicely done but the photo is of a lower resolution and it is difficult for me to see the edges clearly.

Very nicely done.

Thank you John. Actually I was trying to use softer and lost edges so if it looks blurred to you it may be a good thing. Granted it isn't high resolution. I am trying to work in a more painterly and less linear way by softening some of the edges.

In working on this I find that using a dark background helps immensely. Whenever I use a light background I have trouble. I am wondering if anyone else has problems with light backgrounds and how they solve them.

Dear Mary,

My apologies for not responding sooner! I think you are moving in the right direction, given your goals of improving your edges and painterly surface quality.

I think you have done an excellent job on the figure placement/composition

Thank you Chris,

Those are very good suggestions that I will try as soon as I get back in the studio. I am still looking for that photo. The reference was taken outdoors in a rather overcast autumn light so it does have a somewhat bluegrey cast

PS Light backgrounds aren't a necessary problem, and I have seen many wonderful pieces with light grounds.

I think that the issue is to stay true to your subject. Very obvious paintng from life, but much less so trying to deal with a photo,esecially if you are trying to renvent background/light sources etc. I really think you have to start with an image of tonal compositions.

I have made some subtle changes here. I had a real struggle with the eye. Just want to see what you think of it now.