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Classical Realism Portrait Attempt

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Hang on Studio Wall
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meprofile

Gary Martin

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I'm pretty pleased how this is going so far so thought I would share some work in progress shots as I go. I'm going for pushing my technique as far as possible, influenced by Bouguereau, Cesar Santos and Joshua LaRock. It's 12x10 inches and here is the charcoal drawing, colour block in and as far as I have got on the first colour layer (the muzzle and mouth still needs doing before I move on to the rest). Any comments and critiques welcome. Image reference from Draw (Brighton).

Edited
by Gary Martin

P1080764

Carol .

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Skillful work, Gary. You make your work more appealing to view as you present your art from start to finish.
IMG_8857

Marjorie Firth

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Love the subdued palette Gary. Can I ask…is it your own image?
meprofile

Gary Martin

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Love the subdued palette Gary. Can I ask…is it your own image?
Marjorie Firth on 11/06/2024 17:18:05
Thank you Marjorie and good point, I should have mentioned where I got the reference, I've amended the original post but it's from Draw (Brighton) on Patreon.
meprofile

Gary Martin

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Skillful work, Gary. You make your work more appealing to view as you present your art from start to finish.
Carol  Jones on 11/06/2024 16:46:27
Thank you Carol, yes I always like seeing how others art progresses so am starting to take more photos for my work stages.

Denise Cat

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Super work Gary. I always believe there is much to learn by watching other people's WIP. Their preferred method and any difficulties they come across and overcome.
meprofile

Gary Martin

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Thanks Denise. Yes, I have (and still do) spend a lot of time watching videos of artists working. There's so much to learn!  So here's today's work. I never got round to the one arm and I'm not too pleased with the one I did work on (it looks to much like a cylinder - when I work over it I need to pay more attention to the shapes in the arm but it was towards the end of a long painting sessions and I think I was flagging).
With Sarah, Phil, Ellen, Rose the dentist, and the granddaughter whose name I forget.

Robert Jones, Napa

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Take your time with the arms, you can still recover them - the rest of the portrait works very well, though you have chosen a very awkward angle to paint (and a very awkward pose to hold, which suggests you're working from a photograph - which I always avoid if I possibly can). 
meprofile

Gary Martin

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Thanks Robert. Yes it is a photograph but it's an exercise rather than a commission (and I'm a slow worker so don't think I could get anyone to pose for the amount of hours involved in this - especially, as you said, an awkward angle - it's the light/shadow shapes that drew me to the pose). My main goal is to use a layered approach, refining each time. Here's the first colour layer finished. Now to let it dry and then a (final) colour layer. I'm following a 10 hour Cesar Santos Video where he uses layers to paint his wife (I wanted to use a different image so I could try and take his techniques and apply it to my own image. I think that's a better way to learn). Strangely I do feel the photo has enhanced contrast of the values on the arms (or my eyes are failing and I'll need to adjust some values in the next pass). Anyway enough wittering...heres the image:
meprofile

Gary Martin

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Thanks Robert. Yes it is a photograph but it's an exercise rather than a commission (and I'm a slow worker so don't think I could get anyone to pose for the amount of hours involved in this - especially, as you said, an awkward angle - it's the light/shadow shapes that drew me to the pose). My main goal is to use a layered approach, refining each time. Here's the first colour layer finished. Now to let it dry and then a (final) colour layer. I'm following a 10 hour Cesar Santos Video where he uses layers to paint his wife (I wanted to use a different image so I could try and take his techniques and apply it to my own image. I think that's a better way to learn). Strangely I do feel the photo has enhanced contrast of the values on the arms (or my eyes are failing and I'll need to adjust some values in the next pass). Anyway enough wittering...heres the image: