Thank you!
 

Thank you, I think now I have a plan. I appreciate you taking the time to help me out with this. I am finding this method frustrating because I don't think I can go back and change a little here or there to get a likeness once I am past the underpainting stages. I may be wrong about this, but that is how it seems to me. That's why I get so nervous about moving on to the next step.

Scott, again, thank you.

Joan

Hi ,

Perhaps helps you if you make a print of your photo but about 20-25 % brighter than original, in Paint Shop Pro (or equivalent). Less contrast and using the "Colorisation" function (I took Hue=25 and Saturation=107). Now you get a "milky" or foggy picture and having "room or space" to go darker (glazes) or brighter with opaque flesh tints.

I also think that is difficult to change the forms after the first glazes.. Hope you're not angry 'cause manipulating... :sunnysmil You can even see the reflected light on the shadow side. If you get problems to alter your photo send me and I send back per mail.

Cheers.

PS. Michael Georges works with underpainting, too. Verdaccio. :)

Lighten photo
 

Leslie,

Thank you for your reply, I think you have a very good idea. I will try and lighten the photo in the photo program I have, I have one that came with this computer. I may need to buy Photoshop since I hear a lot about that program on this forum.

I am not angry at all that you manipulated the photo, I am the opposite, I'm glad you did so you could show me your idea.

If I hold the photo up to a light, I can actually see a lot more tones. For example, I can see the reflected light on her cheeck and that is in my underpainting, though I don't know if you can see those subtleties in the post.

Thank you again,

Joan

P.S. Wo in Deutschland wohnen Sie?

Joan,

Upps, Photoshop is a very good software, but all for our purpose here, the Paintshop Pro is the best and more favorable program.

Download the 30-day demo at www.jasc.com. This one has very good half-automatic functions to make better a "bad" photo.
It is cheating :) but I think even the Old Masters would be using PC or Mac today... ;) I try to avoid from using it, but this underpainting stuff is just not so easily, isn't?

The photo is too tiny to see details.BTW, reflected light, you don't need to paint it in the underpainting. Details, finesse, like at the direct painting, comes at the end.

Have fun with your "Carravagio" ;)

PS: Ich wohne in Stuttgart.

Paintshop Pro
 

Leslie,

Thank you for the website for the Paintshop Pro program. I have a digital camera so I can take some photos and then manipulate them. I do like my old fashioned camera though.

Yes, I find underpainting difficult. I am watching Peggy's tapes on alla prima painting and I may just go back to that way of painting, she has some very logical steps that make that process easier to understand. I am probably making the underpainting method too difficult. I didn't even know when to add the reflected light, though like many things I suppose I could do that whenever I felt like it. It all just takes lots of practice.

Joan

P.S. Meine Mutti war in der nahe von Stade geborn. Stade ist zwischen Hamburg und Cuxhaven. Meine Tante sind schon da gewohnen. Ich habt viel mal besuchen meine Tante. Ich find Deutschland sehr schon.

P.S.S. That's probably enough german for the forum ;) ! Leslie, I may e-mail you in german because I enjoy 'talking' with you and I enjoy writing in german. Though I wish there was a german 'spellcheck' on my computer.