[Tom Martinez]

Michael,

You have done a great job!!! I would like to comment that I agree with Cynthia to a point. When I look at what Cynthia has done, right away I think photograph. In a photograph, all that is not in the field of focus, is blurred. In the field of vision, all is sharp for quite a distance. As artists to achieve a three dimensional effect, we soften edges as they recede into the distance. Therefore, to soften all edges outside of the subject bespeaks of a photograph. Softening all of the edges along the clients back and not the front, is not correct also. Some of those edges are in the same visual plane as corresponding edges in the front.

Some of the background surrounding the clients face and hair needs to be unified with the rest of the background. As it stands, it appears to be part of the hair and part of the face, especially near the chin. Some of the trickling water neads to recede, not all of it.

As a matter of opinion, I believe that when a client comes to us to paint a portrait, it should look like a painted portrait. Realistic, yes, but not photorealistic. After all, the client could get the same from a photographer and possibly at a lesser price. When we use photos as reference, we tend to copy what we see and don't use our artistic licence to achieve realism. Caution must be exercised. Otherwise, we are in the same catagory as the photographer.