Boy in question

[Garth Herrick]

Dear Pat,

I hate to say it but I feel Alex is right. There is too much to correct on this canvas. Also the rendering of the light and shadow makes little sense with many inconsistencies from the reference. You will feel much better and confident with a clean good start.

Start again. Pay very close attention to drawing, proportion, and measurement. Pay very close attention to keeping the values consistent with the reference, so the light and shadow masses read well and make sense. Take your time on this and don't give into pressure to hurry. A careful start will make the finish a breeze by comparison. Be willing to make big changes and revisions in your drawing (I constantly revise and refine as I paint). Don't over-sharpen edges, and don't feel any edge or shape is so precious. Revise, compare, contrast, measure again, and refine.

Make a print of the reference image to the exact same scale as your painting, to aid in your proportion and measurement visualization. You wil feel so much better and more confident!

Garth