Dean and friend - Page 3

Jean Kelly · 01-21-2003, 01:20 PM

One more time, I've deepened the colors in his face. darkened the shadow side and deepened the bridge of his nose and under eye on the shadow side. Used a new color combination that I like, burnt sienna and ultra violet for the darks. This color stuff never ceases to amaze me. It seems that he fits more in the whole painting.

I'm almost done now, so this agonizing process will soon be over.

Jean

Jean Kelly · 01-21-2003, 01:23 PM

Just finishing work left. Hands, finish Bear's scarf, check for anything else.

Jean

Michele Rushworth · 01-30-2003, 01:06 AM

I'm sorry I'm coming into this critique so late in the process. You've probably already presented it by now.

If it's not too late I think you'll find the painting much improved by reducing the contrast, values and saturation in the background. (The all important aerial perspective.)

It will give a greater sense of depth, but more important, will focus the attention on the subject. You can accomplish most of this quite simply with a glaze over much of the tree area. Also, scumbling a light neutral over the foreground dirt will help reduce its complexity too.

I also showed an alternate cropping. You probably don't feel like putting this canvas on new stretchers to alter the composition to this extent, but this tighter cropping suggestion may help you when it comes time to doing your next painting.

Jean Kelly · 01-30-2003, 01:46 AM

Hi Michelle, no, not delivered yet. I'm still working on getting the perfect likeness. One of these times his face will light up and dance, then I will be happy. I wish I had increased the size of the figures on the canvas for many reasons, first it would have been easier to get the likeness. and second more emphasis would have been placed on the figures and less on the landscape. The client has already seen it and loves the background though. It has special meaning for them, the colors, the time of year, and that particular area. I can't argue with that, it has special significance to them and I have to honor that.

I had to take a break from working on it, so finished his charcoal, and did a pastel of my stepdaughter. Today I came back to this and have been working on it all day. You must be psychic (a right-brained thing)! Thanks for taking a look at this, all your suggestions are noted and appreciated.

Jean

Jean Kelly · 02-04-2003, 03:37 PM

Eight faces later, I've made a thousand minute changes. Raised his head, increased the "tilt" of his face, changed color harmony, adjusted eyes, nose and mouth. Michelle, I used some of your suggestion and did darken the background slightly, also increased intensity of the main figures.

I spent alot of this AM trying to photograph it. Its -2 degrees outside (with windchill) and snow finally, but I courageously sat on the ground and used my favorite spot for picture taking. When I imported the pictures, they were all "glare" so the search started for a new spot. Thirty pics later I finally have a second one.

So here goes, to me he finally "dances".

Jean

Jean Kelly · 02-04-2003, 03:41 PM

Michelle, I think it looks better,thanks. What do you think? Client is coming this aft to view again, I have my fingers crossed.

Jean

Michele Rushworth · 02-04-2003, 09:18 PM

I haven't really looked at your changes on the face, but, just looking at the overall values of the other large areas in the image, to be honest, I don't notice much of a difference from your previous version.

I would, personally, still do much more to smooth out the detail in the foreground and, especially, darken and flatten out the background much more. (There's a quote in another post on the forum that I definitely agree with: "The chief job of a background is to stay back".)

I posted your version from a few days ago, your most recent version and my suggested changes all in one image. Perhaps seeing them this way will help you see what I mean.

It may be too late to make changes at this point, but for future reference I think you'll find that if you think in terms of large solid masses of value your compositions will be much stronger.

Good luck!

Jean Kelly · 02-04-2003, 10:01 PM

I've got his face, stance, and the twinkle. Client very happy. Now I can actually concentrate on what you were saying Michele. And I get it. I'm going to the gallery with her on Fri to pick out the frames for both this and his charcoal drawing so have time to some value massing in the background.

My concern with the version you posted is that it almost looks like nightime, I get what you're saying but am unsure of how to accomplish softening the background without making it much darker and losing the "light". Do you have any suggestions or other work I can look at? I need to keep the forest green and golds in the background and foreground because inadvertently I duplicated the colors in the room this will be in. (I had never been in their home) Must be another 'right-brain" thing.

Thank you for the time spent on this, Michele. I know this will be a better piece because of your input.

Jean

Michele Rushworth · 02-04-2003, 10:42 PM

Perhaps having the tree trunks and the shadows between them all at a similar deep medium value will help instead. (Perhaps 6 or 7 on a nine-value scale with nine being black.) My main concern was with the strong contrast between the trees and the spaces, creating a dramatic picket fence backdrop that fought for attention with the foreground.

You can preserve most of the light in the tops of the trees in the background, to keep the feeling of bright sun, as long as the saturated colors, complexity, etc don't take too much attention away from the figures.

It may be too late to make much change here. Next time when you are setting up a photo shoot, choosing a less attention-getting background will probably help you a lot.

Glad they like it!

Jean Kelly · 02-05-2003, 12:58 AM

I've been softening and darkening all night, just quit for now. I photographed it by a mix of incandescent, flourescent, and color corrected light, but it still came out yellow. This afternoon I downloaded a free program for Mac computers called Pixelenhance and have been playing with that to correct the image. I'll post the final pic when I have better lighting although this new program is really nice.

You were right Michelle, I can already see that the figures are much more prominent in the painting. Thanks!

Jean