Dailey

Yes, I think I'd love to see you paint those gorgeous eyes in the light. The cocked head is quite nice though. She's a beauty! What a gorgeous family.

[Kimberly Dow]

Thanks Jeff & lisa!
The photo is a loser, but she's gotten a good ego boost.

[Mary Sparrow]

I agree about the indoor lighting by a window, I recently took some pictures of my daughter by a window and couldn't believe "I" took those, maybe I will post one or two and see if I could paint those in your prof. opinions. My question is what if you want your background to be an outdoor one? For some reason, most of my clients seem to like the little barefoot girl all dressed up and standing outside. I tend to paint very impressionistic backgrounds and only imply the out of doors, would it be feasible to take the pictures indoors next to the window and still imply that she is outside?


KIM, your daughter is BEAUTIFUL! I think the reason you think she looks a little too old is because she looks a bit serious, almost sultry, if there was even a hint of a smile I think she would seem younger.

[Linda Brandon]

Kim,

What a terrible experience for your beautiful daughter. Be sure to tell her she has a big fan club here on the Forum, okay? You'll create such wonderful paintings with her as your subject.


Mary,

Most of my commissioned work is outdoor portraiture, so I hear you on this one. I think outdoor portraits are terrific; I just think they're harder to do well, for a lot of reasons. Believe me, I've spent a lot of time lately thinking ("stewing" is a better word) about this. A well lit indoor portrait shows subtle value and color changes that aren't as evident outdoors. The thrill of an outdoor portrait is in the color and temperature changes; the thrill of an indoor portrait is the subtle three dimensionality of the form. (Or, the dramatic three dimensionality of the form, as the case may be.)

If you wander through the SOG gallery you can look at how different artists handle this. When I see a lot of subtle modeling in an oudoor portrait I always suspect that the subject was shot inside and an outdoor scene was inserted later. I used to be vehemently against this but (just for the record) I'm starting to recant. I really LIKE controlling everything that's going on in my painting. Besides, indoor light is more flattering to many faces. Children look good anywhere, of course. Definitely, try shooting your daughter inside and putting a landscape in the background, just to see if it you can paint it believably - so that the viewer thinks you really did paint her outside.

Color and atmosphere are so important. To me, indoors is "intense" and outdoors is "fresh and lively". I am even going so far as to use a different color palette in indoor work than I am in outdoor work. A few years ago I was concentrating on plein air landscapes and I think that experience really helped me "see" the outside. As a portrait painter you have additional challenges because you can't just go to the local open studio for practise and paint the model under indoor light (either natural or electric). You have to get a model out there in the back yard and paint some flesh from life in the fresh air, and translate what you've learned from that exercise when you paint from outdoor photos of your subject.

I was at a museum recently where there were ten (wonderful) brooding, dark, dramatic indoor portraits and one (wonderful) light, fresh, colorful outdoor portrait. I think it was a Frank Benson. I stood and watched for a while as the entering crowd invariably went and clustered around the painting that was full of light and color. Now, this may mean nothing more than the fact that the museum was in Maine and nobody had seen the sun for weeks, so everyone was pulled to the warm and fresh painting. But that painting just radiated that sense of "outside".

Personally, I'm in the process of moving subjects inside, in part because I now have the space to get a good setup. I just have to figure out how to get up there and control all that light coming from my skylights.

Sorry to ramble on like this, it's a subject I've been pondering lately.

[Mary Sparrow]

...getting and using good source material, until this forum I had never given it so much thought. Now I cringe at everything I used to think was ok. I will do what you suggest about trying it out on my own children. Keep thinking on this one and share any tips you come up with!

[Michele Rushworth]

Linda, you raise a lot of good points. I was especially struck by what you said about the crowd at the museum gravitating toward the light-filled, colorful outdoor painting. I think that is the reason people are drawn to the Impressionists. I don't think it's the brushwork!

I photographed and painted two kids last summer outdoors but was able to control the light source by following a tip in a portrait photography book. By blocking the light above them with the roof of my porch I was able to get softly modelled form and an outdoor background and color.

Shooting outdoors under any kind of cover, or positioning the model very close to a structure of some kind (like standing next to a wall) will give you the shadowing and rounded forms we like in indoor photos.

[Mary Sparrow]

you just confirmed exactly what I came to the computer to ask about! After reading Linda's post I left to run errands all the while thinking about this and was thinking why wouldn't it work to take the pictures on my front porch.

I have a large old southern style porch and standing near the railing would be the same as standing by a window-correct?

[Elizabeth Schott]

Well Kim, I certainly feel like the idiot!

But I know sometimes not all families want "classic" portraits, and figured that was not what you wanted to do. I apologize if I was leading you astray, I think casual poses with kids can make great portraits.

I am attaching one that may not be technically correct after all I have learned regarding classical realism in portraiture, but it is a pastel that has brought the family much pleasure.

I am so happy to hear your daughter is doing so great!

[Michele Rushworth]

I think everyone would agree that casual portraits with kids can be great. (I really like the example you posted, Beth. Terrific color!)

The main problem I see with this photo, though, is the shadow areas across the face. Since she'll rephotograph her daughter, she'll find it a lot easier to shoot indoors. It can still be casual.

[Jeff Fuchs]

How do posts just disappear from the forum? Kimberly's second post has disappeared, so now the next two make no sense (mine and Kimberly's). Is this a fluke, or do the moderators snip away at these threads?