Background help

[Elizabeth Schott]

Jeff, I think you're right about something there. I think it might be the value problem with the skin tone.

Tim I don't have this book, so I'll see if I can find a web site.

Thanks!

[Gina Rath]

Hi Beth,

My two cents worth. Right now you have a very dark background behind the lightest area of the face; the stark constrast is what pushes that side of the face forward.

Remember aerial perspective, the lightest lights, the darkest darks and the purest colors (usually) come forward. (As always, I'm sure there are exceptions.)

In the reference photo the background (as Tim said) really looks like a medium value, if you lighten this to the correct value I think you would notice improvement in the face.

Check Peggy's tapes, this lighting is very similar to her demonstration.

Your tenacity is paying off!

[Cynthia Daniel]

Beth,

David Leffel does not have a web site. The only option I know is to purchase the book (by clicking it on the left, of course, so I earn about 30 cents in commission ).

[Sharon Knettell]

Beth,

I have it, it's great, worth every cent!

Sincerely,

[Elizabeth Schott]

I wanted to go ahead a post the progress of Marius before I add the glasses. I am sure there are still area of concerns, and his sweatshirt is not complete.

[Elizabeth Schott]

I shot this outside, late afternoon. It is a rather gloomy day.

This is the close up of the face:

[Elizabeth Schott]

I went ahead and blocked in the glasses. Here is the result thus far.

[Tom Edgerton]

Beth--

Couple of things, quickly.

I think you threw out the baby with the bathwater on the background. This is by nature a dramatic painting, and thus will have more contrast than a soft, pastoral outdoor view of a little girl with pansies, for example. A very common technique in portraits is to have the darkest part of the background against the lighter part of the face, and vice versa. It's a matter of degree, value-wise. To me, the strongest area of interest is the way the light part of the face cleaves the dark backgound--that line down the extreme left edge (our left) of the face is the graphic pivot on which the composition hangs. Especially since his gaze is directed into the shadow, not the light. Very unusual and effective.

I like the glasses a lot. Adds interest. The drawing in general is more accurate in this version also.

Remember: mass (contain and simplify) the values into a few simple areas. Background, dark part of face, light part of face, etc. are big shapes FIRST, then smaller shapes within these areas. You can subdivide areas of indentical value with color shifts, between warm and cool, without value shifts, and still descibe form. One common mistake that beginning painters fall prey to is to weaken areas of common value with too many colors and too many values--for instance, don't fall in love with the complexity of reflected light, and the colors, in the dark area of the face--basically keep it all one shape, value and color with VERY SLIGHT shifts of warm and cool colors and value within the shadow to describe his features, so the overall shape stays very unified and simple. You've mostly done that very well here, but some of the colors could be simpler in that area. Check especially the value and color of the shadow area where the nose meets the cheek, it may be a little dark and cool and thus is pushing the left side (our left) of his face too far forward relative to the near side of his head--cheek and ear etc.

Same goes for the background.

Keep it all simple and his inner spirit will thus come forward with less struggle through the paint.

[Chris Saper]

Hi Beth,

There is very little I have to add after the excellent critiques you have already received.

However, I wanted to comment that you have some really nice lost edges going on, especially in the forehead's slihouette edge in light, and in the beard areas. The glasses look good as is, so if it were my painting I'd leave them alone.

The only constructive thing I might add is to review the edges of the lip in shadow and the eye in shadow; think about knocking down the edges and contrasting values in the shadow. You have properly desaturated color in the shadow areas here. Last, consider softening the hairline, especially at the widow's peak.

Fine job!

[Elizabeth Schott]

Tom and Chris,

Thanks for those really helpful closing reviews (well, hopefully closing). The temperature element of portraiture always amazes me and I am going to sneak my easel somewhat close to you in Arizona Chris and you near you in NC, Tom, just so I can watch.

I did a ton of internet research last night on the points you were making. Finished up a pastel commission yesterday that frees me up to tackle this today with a ton of enthusiasm! Because of all the images I reviewed yesterday, I must admit I am in a quandary as to where to take the value behind the dark side of his head after I darken the background of his "lit" side, but I think it will somehow come together.

Thanks again, for the sake of others I am going to post my two favorite portraits I found last night relating to this thread.

This first one I really love. It is full of so much drama, and is appropriately named "Early Sorrow", by Louis Lejeune, 1869.

Please note these reproductions are not the best, they were downloaded from sites and I tried to increase the size a tad with out too much bitmap.