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Frank Bingley

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I’ve been recording the Sky Arts programme Portrait Artist of the Year on Freeview channel 11. Although I’ve seen some of the episodes before (when I had a Now TV subscription), being very interested in portrait painting, I never tire of watching artists wrangling with the difficulty of trying to get a good likeness. I wondered how I would fare in their shoes. Could I get a good likeness - probably not, though with a bit of squaring up like a lot of the artists do with their iPads, I’d be in with a chance, though squaring up to get a good likeness is not a sure thing. In this painting I am having a go at painting Georgina Campbell, who has such a beautiful face. It’s certain that this will not end up up as a a realist piece of work, but I hope that I can get something of a likeness. I am working with acrylics on acrylic canvas paper, a little bigger than A4. Started with a sap green wash, then sketched the initial outline with a long handled thin brush using burnt umber. Careful study of my marks compared to the image on the screen showed I was going wrong in a few places at this stage. I think getting the shapes right early on can save a lot of work later, so in the second stage I’ve tried to correct the lines, by lengthening her head, strengthening the lines and using some background colour to push her head into shape. I’ve left it there for now, her face still may be a little too full, but I’ll work on it. Here’s the screen still image:

Denise Cat

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I'll be very interested watching this develop Frank. I love trying my hand at the odd portrait even though, I find them difficult. Looks like you are off to a good start.

Frank Bingley

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Thanks Denise, hope I don’t disappoint. This session, I blocked in her features that gave the basic form to her face and shoulders. It isn’t quite her yet, difficult to work out what is going wrong, think I’ll have to accept an ‘ok’ portrait by the end. One more go should finish it.

Denise Cat

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If you have looked at any of my WIP with portraits Frank, you would wonder how I ever managed to finish them. I think you get to a difficult stage before the refining and finishing stage. That's what I've found anyway. I think it's going well.
IMG_6882

Paul (Dixie) Dean

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It looking good Frank you have the shape  of her face correct , with the fine tuning it will be really good. 
heather self2

Heather Love

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Looking really good.   If it was me I'd check the size of the eyes as one looks a little too large (or the other too small) and I think her mouth is a tad too small in fullness.   Having said that it's a good likeness and I really like the fleshtones.

Frank Bingley

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Thanks Paul. Denise, I don’t know if I’ll be able find your portrait WIP’s, as I find navigating the forum a bit of a challenge. Thanks Heather, well spotted, though with her face not being full on, one eye does measure slightly smaller on the screen - I’ll re-check.
With Sarah, Phil, Ellen, Rose the dentist, and the granddaughter whose name I forget.

Robert Jones, NAPA

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Cautious about giving portrait advice, given the trouble I have with them; but fools rush in..... Comparing your painted version to the photograph, the upper lip on the painting is less full than that in the photo.  It nearly always is the mouth, where the real problems happen.   You're nearly there, though.  

Frank Bingley

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How true Robert. Mouths and noses difficult for me. She does look a bit puckered up now I look at it. Last go at it tonight or I shall overwork it.

Frank Bingley

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Well, here's the finished work. not perfect by any means, but I'm happy to leave it here.
IMG_6882

Paul (Dixie) Dean

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I would be very pleased eased with that myself. It look good and I know you find them difficult to do  so particularly well done Frank.

Denise Cat

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Well done Frank, you have definitely caught her likeness. Think I might have to paint one soon.
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