Eve's Alternative

[Kimberly Dow]

Terri - I guess...I dont even know enough about photoshop to really follow what you just said! I used fairly neutral gray - no blue in the background, but it still looks cool. The bottom part I added a bit of black and a darker neutral gray. It does appear darker than the original as I keep looking. The hip shape shows more than it does here - I think.

If anyone has ever used John Sanden's portrait colors - the neutral grays are what I used in the background.... I love those pre-mixed grays of his and use them for backgrounds a lot....don't really use the colors for skin though (before anyone gets after me).

[Sharon Knettell]

Kimberly,

The background does look olive to me. However, if them there apples stay you would need some green as a complementary. Even if you do not have a color corrected version on the web, it would most likely register more harmoniously than it does. A grey blue background would be better, then you could substitute les oranges.

Apparently a lot of posters think you have a lot of ability or they wouldn't be bugging so unmercifully.

I will try to post my study of Alicia Rose soon to show you how stupid, simple, easy and TIME SAVING an itty bitty 12"x16"color study is.

I was happy with Marvin's Paxton portrait colors and found them exceptionally easy to work with.

I do not use premixed colors as I find the background color so influences the whole composition that it has to be well considered and fine tuned. If you photograph during daylight, a set up of the out-fit against your background color in the same light, will give you the best information as to it's tonality.

[Linda Brandon]

Kim,

I held my tongue on your earlier post of this painting because I really do admire this painting, but them thar fruits are too close to the edge of the canvas to make me happy. If you had followed Sharon's directions to make a quick study first, you could have avoided this problem by either resizing Eve totally, or (and this is what I would have done) turning this into a square painting. When I do biggish paintings I cut out a big piece of brown paper the same size as the canvas and do a charcoal study to make sure I don't have compositional problems. More agile minds could figure this out in a 5" x 7" scrap of paper but I seem to need the same-size dummy scrap to visualize porportions.

You have a nice brush technique on this painting, nicely done!

[Kimberly Dow]

Sharon - you mean all this nitpicking is because I am wonderful? This is all good advice - I need to muddle through now what to do.

Linda - you will be pleased to know the hands and fruit are not that close to the edge - I had to crop the jpg since I didnt photograph it straight enough. It's in the studio, but I'd guess there is maybe 2-3 inches from each edge to the hands/fruit. Does that help?

Sharon - I guess I am going to have to start doing color studies or your going to nag me to death. Imagine the time I am going to save YOU from critiquing. What are you going to do with all that extra time?

[Michele Rushworth]

Love it --- your best yet, by far, in my opinion!

However........The asymmetry of her nose and mouth make her far less attractive than she should be (and probably is) and distracts a lot from the rest of the painting, I think.

[Kimberly Dow]

Thanks Michele!

About her mouth and nose - well just a bit of her teeth always show - like I have it, but the uneven upper lip - how it droops a bit on our right was a 'happy accident' and I left it because I thought it added character. If it were a commission or straight portrait I wouldnt have done that. She is jus too darned pretty this girl - I thought she looked too unreal. I did try to downplay her nose a bit - it is very round - and I also made her shoulders a bit smaller. She is one of those really tall girls with shoulders like a linebacker. Her hands and feet are huge too - what a very beautiful girl she is though. I found out after she modeled that she used to be in JCPenny catalogs and on Tide commercials when she was younger. She is the best model I have ever had for gracefullness. Those long lanky ones are wonderful!

[Jimmie Arroyo]

Hey Kim,

Very nice job, I really like the brush application. This is a critique area, so I will just say her right ear does'nt look like it received the same attention. It could just be my screen.
But......

Im wonderful.
I dont want to argue about it - your absolutely right - I am terrific!!
No - no - really...you know best and I have to defer to your opinion - I am wonderful

Yes you are, now if you gain about 20-30 lbs, you'd be perfect!

[Kimberly Dow]

Jimmie-

Thank you & I will for sure look at that ear again.

Ha! You are a funny guy Hey sure - I'd be a hot fatty, but 20-30 more and I'd have to walk sideways through my doorways, get sturdier tires on my car and better shoes....it would just be too costly

[Sharon Knettell]

My last word on this. Kimberly, I hope you DON"T have a major complex about this picture as it has a great deal to recommend it. Next time, take what you have learned and just post it in the unveilings section.

[Kimberly Dow]

Sharon - No complex here. I post here when I am open to suggestions. I hope you dont detect any defensiveness - there isnt any at all.