need some tips

[Cheryl Ellicott]

Hi all,


I feel intimidated posting this, but I could use some in-depth, professional critique.

Don't be kind....just be honest.

This is a post-humous portrait I've been working on for awhile. I've previously done pastels and have just switched over to oils.

This is the first portrait I've completed in oils... it has been fun and challenging.

The hardest part is the reference photos. As some people here recommended previously, I used a better reference photo with good lighting here and just tried to adapt it to be the guy I'm painting.

Any ideas on how to make him look "less stoned" and to make this better, etc., will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance.


Cheryl

[Cheryl Ellicott]

Here are my reference photos..... not good but it's all there is.


Cheryl

[Michele Rushworth]

I think you could make a decent portrait from just the photo on the left. You might want to open his eyes a bit (by raising the upper lids.) I wouldn't try to incorporate any material from the second photo however. He changed too much and the exposure and lighting is much worse.

Once you settle on just ONE photo for a portrait reference then you can then begin to address the hundreds of issues with making all the shapes and lighting exact for a precise likeness.

[Marcus Lim]

Originally Posted by Michele Rushworth

Once you settle on just ONE photo for a portrait reference then you can then begin to address the hundreds of issues with making all the shapes and lighting exact for a precise likeness.

I agree with Michele. The left photo makes a better reference for your work. In fact, i can also see that you're attempting to change the posture using the photograph alone. Without adequate study of the reference, chances are the composition might look "off". Using paintshop, i sorta put in some lines to help you correct those postures - i hope Michele and fellow forum artists can help point out any mistakes i made have made here.

Another technique to get it right is by having someone, who's about the same build as your client, to pose for you just to get the right posture.

[Cheryl Ellicott]

Originally Posted by Marcus Lim

by having someone, who's about the same build as your client, to pose for you just to get the right posture.

Thank you, Michelle and Lim. I really appreciate the ideas.

I actually received that same recommendation, before I began, and so I chose this photo as my overall posture and composition reference (because the photos were so poor).

The client requested the white jacket. That made following the reference photo harder.


Cheryl

[Linda Brandon]

Hi Cheryl,

You've picked the most difficult possible subject for your first oil painting: a posthumous portrait of a young person who seems to have left behind no good photo references. Many portrait painters wouldn't touch this challenge and it's a credit to you and your good heart that you are taking this onto yourself. I admire you very much.

The first thing you should do is try to find somebody with a similar build and coloring and set him up with good indoor lighting in a pose in which you can try to work the features in from the "real" subject. Can you find a model like this? Forget about using the other photo you posted (Johnny Depp?), it won't work for you.

I like the first head photo you posted as the reference, if you have only two to choose from.

[Cheryl Ellicott]

Linda,


Thank you again for the wonderful ideas.

I appreciate everyone's help on these. They would be hard enough with good reference photos. But I never have even decent ones.

I'm going to look into posing a similar model for my next one.

Now I have a little break. I have two fun commissions to do before I get back to another portrait. First is a kitty and then an abstract.


Many thanks.


Cheryl