[Chris Saper]

Dear Renee,

Thank you for the opportunity to review your painting! Although you specifically asked for a background critique, I had some general thougth to share with you....

You mention that the lighting was very poor on your photograph, and that you needed to invent lighting. You are right to want the lighting to come from a sideways direction. It so very difficult to "imagine" lighting, particularly when it is flat on your resource, because you don't have a good basis upon which to judge the differences in value or color between shadow and light. Light has temperature (warm to cool) and without good information, (or many years of painting from life) it is difficult to see what color you are after. The skin color in shadow will be a different color that the skin color in light, rather than a darker version of the same color. In one of my very first workshops, given by Doug Dawson, the class showed portfolios on the last day. He looked at mine, and was very quiet, and finally said "Why would you accept such poor resource material?" It was one of the best pieces of advice he could have given me.

When you paint from photos, it is so important to have the best visual information you can get...good directional lighting (no flash) is really essential..it will establish the tone for your entire composition.

As I look at your background, I think your sensing a need to balance the portrait image at the lower left with something at the upper right is right. I like to balance pictorial elements, but in unequal amounts...the flowers are roughly the same size and value as the figure, so it is more difficult for the eye to know where to rest...and linger with your center of interest. A thumbnail sketch before you begin the painting is a great way to think through the placement and composition of your piece.

Best wishes, Chris