David without Palettes

[Lam Hon Pong]

Hello,

This is portrait of David, finished in Nov. 2002, oil on paper, 18" x 15". Would you mind giving me some comments?

[Lam Hon Pong]

Here's the original.

[Rochelle Brown]

Pong,

Nice work.

The first thing I notice is the face. If the brush was in my hand, I would tap in a little white mixed with tiniest touch of one of the browns into the upper right corner of the forehead and under the right eye. Also, I might want to add some yellow ochre mixed with cadmium yellow to the nose, and other parts of the face.

[Sharon Knettell]

Pong,

As you have indicated before, you don't particuarly care if your color is off, you like to make up your own. However, if you decide to go in your own direction, you should at least follow some rules of color harmony, that is, analogous color or complementary color. If you were using, for example, complementary color, your background should be a dull blue color to harmonize with the very bright orange of the face. If you were using analogous color, the background would be a warmer dull yellow instead of the yellow-green you have there now.

I would check out technical painting manuals as to the dangers of oil paint on paper. Even though many well known artists did that, they were meant to be only sketches. Many have not survived, and the few that have, have been lovingly cared for in museums. Ralph Mayer's, "The Artists Handbook", is a good source.

Sincerely,

[Lam Hon Pong]

Rochelle and Sharon, thank you for all of your comments. I think they can improve my painting technique.

And I will be more careful about the color and my own style.

[Lam Hon Pong]

Here's the detail. I just took this with a digital camera.

[Joan Breckwoldt]

Hi Pong,

I think you have improved on the eyes on the original. I feel like the eyes on the original aren't looking in the same direction, whereas the eyes on YOUR painting are both looking in the same direction. I wonder if you did that consciously or sub-consciously? Nice work.

Joan

[Lam Hon Pong]

Joan, thank you for your comments.

About the eye detail, I knew that his right eye did not match with the left when I was doing the sketch. The focus of the right eye in the original is different from the left, so I improved that.