Portrait with WW2 theme

Terri Thickstun · 02-02-2010, 12:24 PM

I would appreciate any feedback on this portrait. It was requested by the client to have a WW2 theme, he had supplied the background print. It was a fun portrait to paint, I did the initial drawing from life and took color samples of the skin tones. Any thoughts how to better relate the vibrant skin tones to the overall dark background and clothing?

16x20, oil on canvas. Reference photo provided as well.

Thanks,

Terri

Thomasin Dewhurst · 02-02-2010, 12:41 PM

I like it. It looks like a memory. Very nicely composed and painted, and the aeroplanes in the background work so well - they are great to look at, and don't compete with the subject's face. I think you made up for the lack of colour with the texture of the various things in the painting - it doesn't look monotonous at all. Very nice work.

Terri Thickstun · 02-02-2010, 01:39 PM

Thanks Thomasin, your comments are very encouraging. I think the customer would be very pleased to hear that this looks like a memory, it's what he wanted to project.

Thomasin Dewhurst · 02-02-2010, 02:03 PM

Our family has been looking a lot at ww2 planes recently, so it is a nice co-incident to see them in your work - RAF? Some sort of dive bomber? (I am not at all good with the names of the planes!)

Terri Thickstun · 02-02-2010, 03:40 PM

Thomasin, I believe that it is a P51 Mustang....but I imagine that I know far less about these planes than you do :-).

Mara Schasteen · 02-05-2010, 12:07 PM

Terri, I rarely critique on the forum because I feel so much like the lowest artist who is a member here ... however, I also need to contribute to the forum, as I am so thankful for all the feedback I receive when I post paintings for critique. So here goes...

You asked how to make the skin colors relate better to the background and clothing. I am thinking it may not be color that you need to focus on, but edges and values, to achieve a better focal point in the man's face. When I look at this piece, though very well painted, I notice a similiar edge handling throughout the painting. It seems all edges, including skin, clothing, facial features and background, are all "medium soft." This continuity of edge handling causes my eye to wander around the composition, and disallows me to stop sharp at any given point. A nice hard edge would give me that urge. A well placed crisp edge somewhere in the shadows of his collar, for example, would shoot my eye to the focal point and let me rest there a moment. It would also serve to contrast nicely with the softly painted skin and facial features.

Secondly, when I squint at this photo, I see three basic values: blackest black in the shadows of his scarf and collar, a very dark value in his clothing and the background, and then the medium values in his face. When I squint at the painting, I see the darkest darks behind the figure. Perhaps, creating more contrast in value in the foreground (the figure) would serve to make him "pop" some more, which I think may be your desire.

To me, these two little suggestions seem fairly simple to address and if you chose to try them out, you may find color wasn't the issue to be addressed! Or perhaps they also may help clarify what may be bugging you about the colors.

Great Work!

Terri Thickstun · 02-05-2010, 05:20 PM

Thanks Mara, very good points! I'll need to watch those edges. It is hard comparing the values in the photo, there is so much that was different in the live session that i took most of my color and value input from. But you are correct in that the entire background does appear very dark in the photo. Great input, I appreciate it!

Terri Ficenec · 02-05-2010, 08:54 PM

Hi Terri, you might consider warming up the fleece in the collar of his jacket and perhaps trying to bring out a few points of color on the planes? Maybe bringing up some of the warmer ochre tones in his scarf... On my monitor at least, most all except his face looks almost black & white & on the cool side in contrast to his skin tones which are warm & maybe a bit towards the red -- could just be my monitor though. . ..

Terri Thickstun · 02-06-2010, 03:07 PM

Thanks Terri, I'm glad that you noted the lack of color, I am working with a new laptop and had adjusted the original photo to where it looked a bit washed out on my screen but printed well. The original photo did not seem to be calibrated well with my printer. I've posted both a close-up and a full image using the original photo and was curious as to whether this came across with more color for you. Thanks so much for your time!

Allan Rahbek · 02-06-2010, 05:09 PM

Hi Terri,
You already had some good advises which I agree in. I shall only address one issue.

How to make the head look like it is in the light?

When the light hit the skin in a face it will bounce around and uplight places that are not actually in the light, f.ex. the side of the nose, because the light is reflected from the cheek. Only the deeper folds, like the nostrils and into the fold between the cheek and the nostril lap and often somewhere into the inner eye corner, wil be slightly darker than the general value.

So what I will suggest is that you lighten the shadow of the nose in general and then add a coupple of darker accents to mark the deeper folds.

Just one more issue . The eye brows and beard, in the light, is also lighter than the ultimate dark that we know it is.