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Old 11-09-2009, 06:19 PM   #7
Debra Rexroat Debra Rexroat is offline
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Joined: Dec 2008
Location: Auburn WA
Posts: 44
I agree that the values, all around, need to be deepened. And her eyes could be darker, not quite as clear bright blue. The nose and mouth could to be slightly widened. In my opinion her skin tone could also be warmed up a little. All the tones in the painting seem pretty cool so far. Don't be afraid of using some reds in the shadows on her face.

And if you look at the brim of the hat in relation to her left side (our right) the hat could be a little wider. It extends beyond the arm in the photo. It looks like you may have had it there at one time!

When I find myself frustrated and doing so many start-overs, sometimes I play with the image in another medium for a while. That can help in problem-solving because there are different ways to meet color and value needs in different mediums.

And once when I was having trouble with a portrait of a child about this same age and "softness" I actually practiced my colors (I was using pastels) directly on a black & white photocopy of the reference photo. I am sure you could do this with oils, especially if you could use a little clear medium to coat the paper and mount it to a support for your testing. It works similarly to grisaille, allowing you to really see the values as you are adding color. It can also help you gain a better feel for the proportions you are seeing in the reference photo.

She is a cutie, and I am sure you will get this figured out.
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