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Renoir's Boating girl.
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Message
Posted
I think it is Russell but not deliberately, they just always seem to end up like that. I have reduced them, I always seem to paint them too big to begin with. It's all about trying to improve and I really appreciate the advice and suggestions on here - if it's resulted in a better picture then we're all winners.
Posted
I like the improvements you've managed to apply Peter.
Especially the attention to the hand (fingers order) below the chin...
It wasn't make much sense previously, but after reworking it - much much better!
I'm struggling with people portraiture myself a lot, once it looks better, other time I can not look at it...
I do prefer painting animals, I find them easier to do, but the greatest challenge to me are people...
I'm always fancy to take that challenge on my chest, even if results vary - it's the way I can push my limits further ;)
This is exactly why I'm impressed with you Peter!
You aren't scared to try, you are going for it!
And this is right way to get better at people portraiture ;)
Well done!
Edited
by PogArt MasSter
Posted
Thanks - it's funny, if I'm painting a train I know instinctively if something is wrong and what to do to put it right. With people it's different, it's a little by little process until it all clicks. I do enjoy it though despite the occasional frustration!It's exactly me and animals, I just unconsciously sense the right way painting them ;)
Posted
It is very difficult - I rarely paint a portrait from photographs, for all sorts of reasons (including the origin of the photograph); mind you, I very rarely paint portraits at all - not from choice, it's just a lack of subjects available. But when I do - I have been known to feel the scalp/skull - maybe that's why I don't get many subjects, come to think of it.
They nearly always go wrong if you lose your sense of the proportions, the depths of the head, the relationship of features to each other - the only advice I can give, since it's not my major area of work, is a) measure, and b) don't paint 'eyes', or 'noses', as if they were objects in themselves - work out how their shapes react with others. Even using a grid method won't tell you that - you have to become physically aware of it - I'm sure regular portrait artists (hallo, Marjorie Firth!) could explain that much better.
Posted
Robert, your comments about approach ( loosely, paint the “ whole” as opposed to separate bits) agree with mine, though it’s still a learning curve! Coincidentally, I was re reading John Singer Sargent’s thoughts and here are a few which I’ve picked out. If only I had the time and the materials ( sitter and studio ) to immerse myself in this - that would be wonderful!
Edited
by Marjorie Firth
Posted
Good to see that marvellous portrait of Henry James again - (HJ was famous for his circumlocution: he was trying, without using the word, to ask if a woman was a prostitute: he thought he'd come to the point nicely when he said "is she, au fond, a femme du monde?" No, Henry, she's a tart...): but I digress. It's a great portrait of the podgy old duck, catching his reserve, caution, timidity and at the same time suggesting there was far more substance there than just a bit of excess flesh - you could put that in words, but especially in Henry's case it would take far longer to characterize him in any words than Sargent succeeded in doing in paint. That's what portraiture can do, in the hands of a great artist - which sadly, I am not: but I'd still like to have a few more cracks at it.
Posted
- the only advice I can give, since it's not my major area of work, is a) measure, and b) don't paint 'eyes', or 'noses', as if they were objects in themselves - work out how their shapes react with others. Even using a grid method won't tell you that - you have to become physically aware of it -You just have locked up the whole matter in few words Robert ;)
Edited
by PogArt MasSter
Posted
If only I had the time and the materials ( sitter and studio ) to immerse myself in this - that would be wonderful! Marjorie Firth on 22/01/2023 19:08:41I wish you to find the time to immerse yourself Marjorie ;) I did enjoy reading these articles, thank you for share! Especially few words do remain in my mind written by Sargent, when he wrote "there were many roads to Rome..." I feel for it, because I have no method, the way I'm painting is made of puzzles instead... Not being artist, not having art education, learning from YouTube mainly - did made me being cross breed alike, I choose whatever technique my intuition brings me up... I do remember a comment made by pencil artist the other day... He found out my post sharing my oil painting, and he went - " you must be very brave or a mad man starting with oils, when I'm struggling to decide whether use HB pencil or 2B" Sometime I think he could be right. The oil painting requires all that I'm lack of, my technique is a mixture of everything really ;) Therefore I'm happily reading those Sargent words, because I can see a hope within for myself ;) Thank you Marjorie.
Edited
by PogArt MasSter