Thursday, September 30, 2010

THE HARDEST PORTRAIT - FINISHED?

Well, I'm very glad I did this one on 300# Arches because it did need some scrubbing when the nose decided to just run all over the face!


And I used some white gouche touched with yellow for areas of the hair and a bit to reshape the nose with a pinkish beige, too.  Hey, when it's the 4th time you've tried this portrait and it's going south again, you pull out all the tools!  Jerry says it looks like her, but I think it's too stiff.  Becoming looser and more free with colors and shapes in portraits is the goal...I will get better, the more I do...so still going to do one a week (maybe now on to someone I don't know).

Oh, and dropped in some dark Indanthrone Blue in the center of Morning Glory pool so it's done and I've begun something totally different (as Monty Python used to say).

13 comments:

Elizabeth Seaver said...

You are really challenging yourself! I find portraits very hard. Congratulations, Rhonda!

Cathy Gatland said...

Isn't Arches great? This doesn't look scrubbed at all and you have some lovely skin tones. The looseness will come, and probably much easier when painting a face you don't know and not trying so hard for the likeness - jolly hard!

Carol Blackburn said...

Mornin' RH, I know exactly how you feel. I am striving to improve my watercolors too and even though others make them look so easy.....they're hard! That brush and paint just has a mind of it's own. When someone tells me they see the likeness, that's all I can hope for at this point. Wishing you a beautiful day.

Pam Johnson Brickell said...

Love the skin tones you've achieved. Bravo!

Sandy Maudlin said...

That nose turned out really good - and so hard to do. Keep it up!

RH Carpenter said...

Thanks so much, Elizabeth, Prabha and Cathy, for your kind comments on this one - it was a struggle from the start. Some block in getting it right will need to be worked out next time.

Carol, watercolor is not for sissies! ha ha

Thanks, Pam and Sandy. One a week, like it or not, until I get better!

Vicki Greene said...

This one is my favorite. This one is more that just a painting, it has personality.

RH Carpenter said...

Thanks, Vicki, I hope her personality shows a bit but was unsure.

jane said...

Hi Rhonda!
Her TEETH are great-and they are so HARD to do but you made it look easy
take care,
Jane

jgr said...

This turned out beautifully! You've really captured her expression - Congrats to you and thank you for sharing as always.

RH Carpenter said...

Thanks, Jane. The teeth are hard to get just right - you have to push them back into the mouth but not let them get too grungy looking!

Jane, glad you see the expression - happy, etc. I got a new magazine (Best of Watercolor) and there are some amazing portrait painters in there).

Ann Buckner said...

Rhonda, each time you post a portrait I can see a lot of improvement. Getting the likeness of someone close to you has to be one of the biggest challenges in portraiture. Hope to see another one soon.

RH Carpenter said...

Thanks, Ann, maybe in another year I'll be able to paint a portrait without a lot of do-overs!