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Some advice on eyes.
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Far from perfect but I think the time has come to stick her in the gallery. I'm really grateful for all your input, it's a much better picture for it.
Posted
Coming late to this - you tend to paint almond eyes: long, a touch Asiatic; eyes are nearer round than you're painting them. In your latest version, too, there's an area on the left of the face which looks as though you intended to be hair, and then changed your mind: it's added what I'd call a 'non-shape' - the face has its planes and shapes, and any depiction of parts of it which seem shapeless is going to look wrong (well: it will be wrong). By left of the face, I mean her left. You have chosen a difficult angle to paint: straight on is easier - tilted to one side and it's so terribly easy to get the proportions out of kilter.
Paint older faces first, maybe - not mine, obviously, for t'is flawless, but the face of someone whose facial flesh is sagging, lined, has interesting crags and peaks which show where the bone lies beneath the flesh and muscle; draw cartoons and caricatures - turn the poor old Princess into a gurning hag - keep drawing these grotesque studies, because provided you don't exaggerate to ludicrous effect, they'll teach you a lot about the shape of the head and relationship of features.
Posted
No, I paint for fun Robert and when I've finished a picture I want to enjoy looking at it. I wouldn't want a gurning Princess on my wall. I'll settle for what I can achieve and hope for better next time.
Many thanks everyone for taking the time to help me, it is much appreciated. I'll try to incorporate your suggestions into my next picture.
Posted
I felt really fed up with myself this morning so the best way to get rid of the feeling is to paint, obviously.
I've done this very quickly; it's a random photo so I wasn't worrying about who she is, it's black and white so I wasn't worrying about the colours, all I was trying to do is get the proportions right, especially the eyes. It's just a sketch, it's not going on the gallery or anything but it's made me feel a lot better.
The daft thing is I prefer it to the one of Catherine....I wasn't relaxed painting that.
The daft thing is I prefer it to the one of Catherine....I wasn't relaxed painting that.
Edited
by Peter Smith
Posted
We have a saying at our art club - don't copy the photograph, produce a painting. Finally I've done that, thrown away the photo and redone the eyes again. For a start I'd got them the wrong colour (as far as I can tell).
I've removed it from the gallery, people must be getting fed up with me.
And that really is it!
And that really is it!Edited
by Peter Smith
Posted
No, I'm sure none of us are getting fed up with you, and this is SO MUCH better: Peter - really, honestly, we ALL get fed up with ourselves - it's all part of the journey we're all on. Don't regret it, take advantage of it - you just have to be humble enough to realize you're learning, and you have been honest and humble enough, and you've learned. None of us is really any different! We might strive for perfection - we all know we won't reach it, but we try, and try, and try again to get that bit nearer to it. This is GOOD, me old duck! It shows you're not stuck in bad habits, you can learn and develop - be proud of yourself, because you deserve to be.
Edited
by Robert Jones, NAPA
Posted
Thanks very much Robert, it really is good of you to say it. I needed a kick up the arse, first from my friend Sue in the first place and then from all of you on here. I'm going to put the picture in the Upper Broughton exhibition this weekend, we'll see what happens.
The next one will be of Carol Kirkwood, I've just watched her doing the weather on breakfast and thought she'd make a good subject for a picture of an older lady. Watch this space!
This is the picture I copied:
