Mr. Forbes and I need to sit down and figure out why I cannot get his face correct in the portrait I'm doing on gessoed paper.
Perhaps I did not start with a good, exactly proportioned drawing on the paper - always a problem when it comes to the painting stage. I'm still working on it - putting paint on, taking it off - I'm beginning to sound like an oil painter!
I just downloaded the Mary Whyte e-book from NorthLight Books - her work makes me swoon even though it's tighter than I would want to paint. Perhaps I need to print it out and read through it before trying to make any more changes to Mr. Forbes. When I wiped back the left side of the background, I saw that I had stamped sea turtles into the gesso in the background - so I touched them with some green - very hard to see them here but there's one diving down just over HIS left shoulder and another to the right of HIS hat. Can you see them? I guess I put them there since he's an island man, surrounded by things from the sea.
Dear Mr. Forbes, why are you giving me such fits?
6 comments:
haha Rhonda, yes I can see them and they look great, very in keeping with his environment I'd say - I really like this portrait of Mr Forbes and I think you've definitely captured him well - I wonder what he would make of all the paintings being done of him at the moment? It would be great if Li could see all the wonderful portraits done from her photos as well!
Hi RH, the top of the ears on "Island Man" are way above the eyes/eyebrows. I AM NOT an artist, but I recall from my 8th grade drawing class that the eyes/eyebrows and the top of the ears should be about the same level. Or something like that. What do you think?
Thanks, Sharon. Still not quite right - perhaps I'm trying to go in too dark with his skin tone due to the natural coloring and the shadows. Maybe this one goes on the back burner for another few days or weeks...
Pat, you're right - but the photo shows it that way (I just checked), I think because the photographer was looking up at him as she took the photo. I may have them too high, though. Although not an artist, a good eye can see what isn't right. Thanks for the reminder :)
I think the portrait is done. My suggestion is to start all over, to preserve this as is, and try another one. Make some composition changes, go further with the aquatic references, what about some of those nice runes fading in and out of the background, shells, jellyfish, plants--and the water media itself? Let it run and live and leak and bleed. Whatever. Mr. Forbes portrait is really nice as it is.
I have to say that the only way I manage a good portrait likeness is when I grid them out. Otherwise my face shapes look wonky. Of course, that is a problem in everything I attempt so no surprise there. LOL I think you are doing a lovely job with this though.
Bill, good idea except for leaving this one as is - it's wiped off again and I am trying again but maybe more loose and not so dark this time.
Sherry, I seem to sneak up on a portrait or figure drawing, working and lifting off and reworking. I should just try a really good drawing first on paper and then using that knowledge, go from there, just tracing onto we paper. But having this on gessoed paper means I can wipe it back and redo - which I what I'm doing now. Maybe 3rd time is the charm?
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