View Single Post
Old 12-12-2004, 12:18 PM   #2
Steven Sweeney Steven Sweeney is offline
Juried Member
PT 5+ years
 
Steven Sweeney's Avatar
 
Joined: Nov 2001
Location: Stillwater, MN
Posts: 1,801
There may be occasion to paint that as is, but in terms of traditional portraiture as well as realistic and believable color, the chroma (intensity) of the scarf is very, very high, and the value is a bit too light, especially in this back-lit subject. This would be a portrait of a scarf, with an incidental figure. I'm reminded of drawings and photos done in black and white, with a single object in color; that can be very effective, but it's obviously manipulated and not realistic.

I do like the backlighting itself and would work to make that more prominent in the overall effect. By reducing chroma and value of the scarf (which clearly remains "red" for your thematic purpose, albeit "red" in the "true" lighting of this pose), you can play up that backlighting.

You will have other challenges, such as modeling the heavily-shadowed coat (as well as the scarf) to avoid a cut-out look -- perhaps your original photograph has more information in it than we're seeing in this manipulated version. But just this rather ham-fisted adjustment to the scarf already, I think, brings the figure more to life:
Attached Images
 
__________________
Steven Sweeney
[email protected]

"You must be present to win."
  Reply With Quote