Looking for help with checks - no kidding!

[Terri Ficenec]

I'm currently working on a painting where a large area of the canvas will be a shirt that has a light blue/dark blue gingham type check. I had originally thought ...well, it'll be tedious, but not really a problem... (what was I thinking!) Started out painting the individual checks but found that maintaining a consistent size and realistic color variations/shading across the fabric was a problem. The painting is 24"x18", so the shirt will cover roughly a 12"x14" area (see reference photo below).

SO, now I've reverted to painting the entire shirt as if it were the lighter of the two colors, and am thinking that when this dries I'll add the darker check pattern with some translucent glazes (vertical 'lines' then once those dry horizontal crossing ones) over top of the lighter color. Will this work??

I have a feeling this shirt will be very time consuming, regardless of how I do the checks... but I do want to put them in there! Any tips (either what has worked for you or what has not!) would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

[Michele Rushworth]

I would paint the shirt a solid color. The checks, if painted perfectly, are very distracting from the focal point of the face. If painted imperfectly, they will be even more distracting.

I give my clients a handout before a photo shoot and we talk about what the subject should wear. This discussion and handout includes a statement about "no distracting patterns, ie. busy stripes or checks."

[Ngaire Winwood]

Michelle what other important info should we think about as per your handout?

[Michele Rushworth]

I always recommend that my subjects wear solid (not busily patterned) clothes in classic styles that won't make the portrait seem out of date in a few years.

I usually paint kids and here's what I tell my clients: I might suggest khaki pants and a white button down shirt for a boy in an indoor portrait, or perhaps a light colored polo-type shirt with solid cotton shorts for outdoors. Little girls look great in white or simple solid-colored dresses, both indoors and out.

Things that I would recommend against would be clothing in a very strong color that might be overly dominant in the composition, or anything with strong stripes or other bold patterns. I would also not want to paint a portrait with a subject wearing a t-shirt with writing or other images on it.

In my portraits I try to aim for a classic and traditional feel, though not old fashioned. I usually suggest my clients have the subject of the portrait dress in a way that fits that concept.

[Terri Ficenec]

Thanks Michele! That's sound advice... and it'll certainly make this a whole lot easier to paint! I like the idea of the pre-emptive handout, too.

[Ngaire Winwood]

Michelle that is very useful information. It is so helpful having artists like you who share. Thank you.