Stefanie's Cello
 

Hello everyone!

I have been a member of this Forum for a long time, and although my progress has been slow because of time restrictions and a full-time day job, I have never given up the dream of taking this from a part-time prospect, to a full-time dream. In one more year, I will have enough years in my current job to be able to afford to devote myself to this endeavor full time.

My reason for requesting this critique is simple. I want some straightforward information on improving, and I want to know if you think I have potential. I am not submitting a photo for comparison. I think a portrait should be judged on its own merit, not nitpickingly compared to a photo. Besides, this portrait was made from a combination of different photos during the model's absence, and an occasional sitting.

I'm getting the hang of this Nikon 995, but it's still not up to par with the actual portrait.

This is Stefanie, my daughter's best friend. I gave her and her cello a ride home one day and she agreed to sit for me. I actually did several photos of her playing her cello, but really liked this pose, because she showed such "affection" for her cello.

I once read a rather puzzling post about the world not needing another painting of a cello. Maybe that's why this appealed to me so much. I've always been on the rebellious side!

Here's "Stefanie's Cello".

24" X 18" on Belgian Linen

Close Up
 

Here's the close up.

Of course you have "potential", Marta, and lots of it. With some adjustments this could be a beautiful piece to showcase your talents.

The first thing that jumps out at me is the eye on our left side. Generally speaking, the corners of eyes should line up with the edges of nostrils. (Hold a pencil up to the side of your nose and check this out for yourself in the mirror. The line may be off a bit - mine is - but it's safe to bet it will be the same distance "off" on the other side, too.)That position stays the same even if the head is tilted; that is, the eye doesn't slide off the face like a loose cannon in a storm. That eye also appears to be looking down. You're going to have to perform an eye transplant, like it or not. This is the kind of detail that you have to get exactly right. Post back here if you have never moved a whole eye on an oil painting and would like encouragement.

I'd eliminate or greatly reduce that line from the nose to the mouth on the right side. Without seeing your reference photo I'm not sure what's going on there, but see what you can do with subtle color changes. Remember that Caucasians have a reddish band across the middle of their faces, encompassing noses, cheeks and ears.

Hold your reference photo up to the light and really look at her neck - I'm betting that the shadow isn't as dark as you've made it here. Put more time into your sitter's clothing, too, and find believable folds and shadows.

You need to put some bones and knuckles into that hand on the left side.

I know you don't want any "nitpicking" and so I hestitate to go further. I will if you want me to.

One thing is for sure: you've put a lot of love into painting that cello, making me wonder whether you're a musician yourself, perhaps?

Best regards,
Linda

Thanks Linda!

Exactly the kind of things I need to hear! An eye transplant...now I had to laugh, even if it is true! I think it is so amazing how things you never noticed jumps out at others. Obviously I have a lot more hours to put in.

Your comments are sincerly appreciated! Thank you so much.

Marta,

I think the world can make room for one more cello painting. I like your composition very much.

I am in the process of doing a mouth transplant. It's an aggravating prospect and makes you appreciate the "measure twice, mark once" axiom.

This painting of your friend and her cello has great potential. Time spent is irrelevant.

Dear Marta,

The cello is absolutely beautiful! It is well defined and seems solid. Besides the wonderful recommendations you have been given, I would also recommend looking at her chin again and comparing it to your reference. It seems to droop towards our left and I would slightly shave that off or check how the impression of the chin on the hand casts a shadow. Again without a reference photo it's hard to say what needs correcting, but simply looking at it that stood out as being a bit off.

Follow your dream and keep painting!

Great cello!

I see problems with the other areas in the painting and I think I can figure out why. You wrote:

Working from many different reference sources may have led to the main problem I see in the rest of the painting.

The face and clothing looks "made up", like you had to cobble together information from life and more than one photo, which were perhaps shot from different angles and showed different expressions. I find that combining information from a variety of references is one of the most difficult things to do, and is sometimes downright impossible.

I would recommend choosing only ONE face photo to work from. You can use other photos for the clothing, but again, choose one main one. Any place where you have to make something up or combine different arm angles, etc, will throw you off.

Even better, if she will sit for you again, work only from that same life pose, and/or from one main photo that you take in the exact same lighting she's posing in and the exact same angle you're painting from.

I think this will help you a lot.

Some excellent advice in this thread.

Along the lines of what Michele's commenting on, there's a beautifully detailed visual example of how to use multiple resources on this month's newsstand - p. 66 of the May 2003 Artists Magazine has a short piece by Jason Bouldin on using multiple resources (photos, compositional sketches, life drawings, color studies) for portraiture.

Thank you all so much for your kind and helpful comments!

Mike: Thanks for taking a potentialy gut wrenching experience and making me relax about it!

Enzie: I'll look at the chin again. Thanks. And I will keep painting, even if MY chin droops for awhile.

Michelle: Confession: I did use one particular photo reference for her face, however, her hair was drooping over that eye and I couldn't see it well enough. Perhaps Karin's warning about bad photo references applies more than I wanted to admit. I'll work on it.

Mari: Thanks for the great resource and taking the time to help!

This painting is pretty much a learning tool, not a gift or commission, so I have no problem digging in and trying some changes. If I get to the point that I'm sick of it, I'll just start a new painting. Each one seems to go a little better.

Marta,

What a beautiful and sensitive composition! I love the posture of ease and confidence that Stephanie displays with her cello and her soulful and direct gaze speaks volumes about her passion for her instrument. Once you iron out some of the technical problems with this piece, I believe it will be a very strong painting indeed. Good job!

Thank you so much Valerie! Where did you say you wanted that check sent again? (Kidding)

Right now, Stefanie and my daughter are in New York City on a high school field trip. Stefanie is first chair cello in the orchestra, and my daughter is in the Madrigals choir group. They performed at the Statue of Liberty yesterday!

When they get back later this week, I'll get Stefanie to pose for me so I can do some corrections.

Update
 

I decided to dust this off and bring it to the top again with some corrections. Didnt want you all to think I took your advice lightly, I really appreciate everything you pointed out. Just been working a lot of hours on my "day job" and haven't been able to devote as much time to painting as much as I'd like lately. I hope that doesn't classify me as not being a serious portrait artist.

Linda,

I did the eye transplant, I hope it looks better now. It seemed harder to see the problem than fix it.

I added more red across the face.(This particular comment has made me look at peoples face's more, especially during boring meetings at work.)

Her neck was pretty much hidden by lots of hair and shadows from leaning forward. I tried painting one in, but was unhappy with the results, so I removed it. Didn't want to make up things, as Michele says some of my painting looks made up.

Worked on the clothing more, but still don't have the folds correct. The top she was wearing was covered in dark leopard spots, and I wasn't going to attempt that! So, the folds probably looked more made up, because of missing information. Another lesson learned about better planning.

The fingers were a nighmare for me this time. I make myself do hands a lot, mainly so I'll get better at them. But the lighting made them look washed out and finding the correct forms was not easy. I worked on them some, but I'm afraid it's another case of you can't paint what you can't see, or it looks made up.

Enzie,

I rechecked the chin and redefined a bit, since she was leaning on her hand, it looks a bit uneven.

Thank you all soooo much for your comments! I can't tell you how much I respect everyone's opinion on this site!

New Close Up
 

Posting like this just doesn't do the paintings justice, but what the heck, you get the idea!

Just for fun and comparison
 

I'm going to post some pictures of Stefanie with the painting. Some of the painting has glare on it, but you can see what Stefie looks like in life.

One more
 

Stefanie is really a lovely girl. To the point that I sometimes wished some of you could have painted her!

Here's a cute story:

I went to a local art fair a few weeks ago with my daughter and Stefanie in tow. In one artists booth, I was studying his paintings when I heard a distinct French accent. I turned around to see the rather good looking, long haired, french artist wrapping up a painting for a customer. I was just in time to see his jaw drop open when he got a glimpse of Stefanie. She's very tall and looks much older than she is. He stopped mid-wrap and stepped forward to whisper in her ear. She blushed and the girls left immediately. I only heard part of it, but what he said was "You're very beautiful, but don't tell anyone!" Luckily, her age and lack of experience with lines like that made her run, but you can see what I mean.

Dear Marta,

Stephanie is a beautiful girl and when I saw her I thought gee, that's one good looking girl that has escaped Mike Mc Carty's camera lens. :sunnysmil HE is usually the one with the drop dead gorgeous models.

I like the addition of the shadow under her chin. It now reads correctly and I get a sense of her chin weighing down on her hand. Well done.

Thanks Enzie! Mike doesn't have a corner on all the good looking models, although he paints them as well as he photographs them!

I think it looks better too, although I'm sure I will be nitpicking it forever. I am really tired of it, and am working on a new project now. But if anyone wants to give a final critique that's great. More knowledge to take into the future, you know. I have been known to take things off the wall and do improvements on them, but I think that happens less now as I learn more.

Marta

That was me faking the French accent.

You are tooooo funny Mike!

If I'd known you were coming, I'd have baked a cake.