A study of Cole

[Garth Herrick]

Dear Dan and Sharon,

Thank you both so much. It means a lot to me to have responses from great experience. While this did generate from just a spark of an idea in six or so hours, there is nothing that seems out of the ordinary to me about that. It was meant to be quick and loose, and not too specific. Given that, there quickly comes the point (for me) in laying down the colors that everything is just about where it is going to end up in blending and resolution, and there is no point in going further. While I typically could delve another six months into cleaning it up, I am not sure it would really improve on the spontaneity I wished to preserve, just for once.

So I remain in awe of your collective masterfully rendered pastels, and am honored to hear you think I did well working within the scope of one extended evening.

Garth

[Marcus Lim]

Hi Garth,
You've perfectly captured the essence of the boy's shy, quiet character. Skin tones and all, especially the soft shadows falling on his face. What i feel lacking is that "fleeting moment" quality that will bring up that time-lessness enigma that he has with him too.

I imagined the surroundings blurred as if in the super-fast vibrant shake, but yet not in an energetic way. Kinda like the image we see in our eyes over an object, as we switch focus as we turn our heads.
I wonder if i gave this image to you out right.

[Garth Herrick]

Hi Marcus,

If I am hearing you right, I like the notion of giving a slight motion blur to the props, surroundings and background elements. In reality, there was a stately oak paneled wall behind Cole. I would downplay and blur it a little, anyway.

Thanks for your insight.

Garth

[Marcus Lim]

Hi Garth, you got that right.
I was actually proposing downplaying more than you usually do - and in fact, at one particular area of the painting, have a daring bold blur to give it that edginess contrast to the boy's soft demeanour.

This bold blur should be obvious but yet doesn't steal the fire away from the boy's expression. That's what i can add to your current new idea you have.

[Garth Herrick]

Originally Posted by Marcus Lim

Hi Garth, you got that right.
I was actually proposing downplaying more than you usually do - and in fact, at one particular area of the painting, have a daring bold blur to give it that edginess contrast to the boy's soft demeanour.

This bold blur should be obvious but yet doesn't steal the fire away from the boy's expression. That's what i can add to your current new idea you have.

Thanks Marcus; great idea!

I have not actually reworked this drawing, but I played with a virtual selective blur in Photoshop: Motion Blur, horizontal, 88 pixels, and then applied the memory brush to restore the sharpness selectively. It looks interesting to me. Is this kind of what you meant?

Garth

[Steve Craighead]

Very nice Garth. I think you have the right degree of sketchiness. I wouldn't refine it any further. Nice compositional idea too.
I wish Dan hadn't mentioned putting on the tie though. I keep seeing that now. Perhaps the drum sticks need to be rendered just a tad more to keep the viewer's mind on track. I wouldn't obscure the drums.

[Alexandra Tyng]

Garth,

As you know I think this sketch is superb. I did see the drumsticks for what they were, when I first saw this. On the other hand, I think the cymbal should be clarified somehow or else removed.

This pastel is not only brilliantly executed, it is also wonderfully spontaneous. If you can try to maintain as much as you can of that in the oil painting (as much as the client will accept), it would be a positive move. The portrait won't be a big, formal one and you might just be able to get away with it.

[Garth Herrick]

The client loves the pastel, stray hair and all! It makes things simpler for me.

Originally Posted by Steve Craighead

Very nice Garth. I think you have the right degree of sketchiness. I wouldn't refine it any further. Nice compositional idea too.
I wish Dan hadn't mentioned putting on the tie though. I keep seeing that now. Perhaps the drum sticks need to be rendered just a tad more to keep the viewer's mind on track. I wouldn't obscure the drums.

Dear Steve,

Thanks so much for your encouragement and vote of confidence! I really respect your work. I am not sure if I will do much more with this pastel anyway, since it is merely a working cartoon and has served it's intended purpose. I should tweak the drumsticks and a few things. I don't care for the blurred version all that much. Your insight is very helpful.

Garth