Photo resources for demo
 

Hello,

I'll be demonstrating at a show here in Madison in May. These are some photos I already have that might be fun to do. Could you please advise on the suitabity, quality, and ability to generate some interest in portraiture? Or do I need to start from scratch?

Jean

Hi Jean,

You have the time, I would really go after more photos of the little redheaded guy. Market -wise, he will have universal appeal, and I love the vantage point, the lighting and the expression.

The problems with this photo reference are the hat/hair, and the lens distortion. Do you see how enormous his hands are compared to his face? To fix this you have to get way back and zoom in or use a higher mm lens. However, the lens distortion will become a non-issue if you just do a head shoulder, vignette. Personally I wouldn't probably try to invent the light on his gorgeous hair, but if you go ahead with this resource, I think you should try it out first, before the show.

Regarding #2, the pose doesn't feel very dynamic, and the figure, as well as #4, would require ( at least for me) much too much time for a demonstration, as I would see that they'd have to be on fairly large canvases in order to be anything resembling "portrait".

And wow, the yards and houses in the redhead's background look so Wisconsin!

Hi Chris,

Isn't he just wonderful, (the little redhead). I have more pictures of him that I'll check out and I may be able to twist an arm to get another photo shoot with him.

The young man in #2 is my next door neighbor"s son. He had so much fun modeling, I could easily get him back again. He had locked himself out of the house and came over to borrow the phone. He became a victim while waiting for a key. No planning (obvious) but smoky good looks.

I'm planning on having most of this portrait done, per Michele's advice, so it doesn't matter too much if it's larger. This is part of "Gallery Night" here and I'm not teaching, hopefully talking and pushing portraiture. The area behind the little redhead is by the stadium, and West high school. Beautiful neighborhood of old homes, stucco, and university professors.

Jean

While I like the image of the "smoky good looks" dude, and the one of couple together, I agree with Chris that the little red-headed boy will be the best subject for you to paint. See if you can shoot a pile of new photos of him to choose from.

The most important thing I learned from the ASOPA conference I attended a few years back is that children's portraiture is two-thirds of the market. I think this subject will be the most likely one to get you additional work.

I'll try to get another shoot with him. I took these over a year ago, so I hope he's still cute.

Jean

Other than the technical issues Chris pointed out for the red head, I'll offer this:

As nice a shot as that is (I love the skin tones and opportunities for good grays), it's still a snapshot. Are you going to do a demo, then try to stress the importance of a carefully composed reference photo? Don't be surprized if people want portraits from their snapshots after watching you do a good job with this one. What wil you tell them?

Hi Jean.

I too would recommend you to concentrate on the boy with the ball, his colors are so painterly. My reservation on why you should not use this shot is the same as Chris mentioned. Also the background would seem hard to do.

I have a way to decide if a motif is usable. I close my one eye, and if I can still see all the structures clearly, it may pass the test. When you do this you see things in 2 D.

My first concern about a motif is if there is anything that I can not explain and I think that the hat is a good example on that problem. The hat is almost a part of his (present) personality, so it

Thank you Jeff and Allen, your comments are noted and I'll address them a little later. I've been having some problems posting images (file size) so this is a test to see if I've finally figured out how to do it.

Here's another photo of the redhead, hopefully!

Jean

Well, still a no go. I'll be back in later.

Good news, I was able to track down "Noah", and spoke with his mother tonight. She's delighted that I'd like to paint him, and we're going to meet next week, and talk tomorrow about how to depict him.

Jeff, Madison is kind of "casual chic", so I'll probably be doing an informal portrait. But, hopefully with a better composition and less hair problems. I hope I can find the same type of lighting, his skin tones are just perfect in the other photo. I'm glad you brought up the snapshot thing, I don't want to paint from client's flash photos.

Allan, I love the hat and basketball too, at that time it was definately part of his personality. But this is almost a year and a half later, who knows what little boy things he's into now! I'll squint and close one eye and ask for advice on this one. It will help my nerves to at least feel like I'm a half-pro.

Jean

I just got back from my photo shoot with Noah. What do you do when you have about 60 great shots??? This kid is delightful! We went to Tenney Park and I just let him do his thing. Here's three of my favorites. I also have closeup shots for details.

Jean

Jean,

The third one is the charm. Although the second is cute snapshot, it will not give you any visual variety to use - the top one's lighitng is very nice, but the expression won't work.

So go no farther, and let us know how the demo goes!

Jean:

What is really appealing to me about the original snapshot of Noah from a year ago is the soft and diffused lighting that works so well with a young child's face. The hues of the skin tones are where they should be; fresh clean unadulterated colors. I would choose this photo of all you presented.

The potential problems I see with the new batch are partly lighting issues. They are all back-lit, compromising his cute face in an obscure dull shadow. A couple of them have strong raking sunlight in a direction that does not particularly flatter his face. To paint this, you will be a slave to the photographic color, and not the clean natural skin tones of a year ago. I would strongly recommend reshooting him on an overcast day, or when the daylight is diffused like your first shot.

Of the poses in your three new shots, I like the last one best by the water, because it is the most stable pose. If he were to sit for you this is the kind of pose he could hold the best. Even though you are working from a photograph, I think this priority still holds true. He will look better hanging on a wall in a pose he could truly hold for a sitting.

See if you can get more pictures. It will be good practice, and he seems a willing model. You will have an easier time with the demo portrait too.

Good luck!

I will go along with Chris, that the third one is the best.

Have a good demo!

Chris and Garth, thank you both for your comments. We have brilliant sunshine here today, and 55 degrees. A beautiful day to be out. I'll check my other photos (like I said, there are many good ones). And if necessary I'll take more, he didn't mind! I think on what you said Garth, but I do love the one that Chris likes too, and it would be a hit in this area, highlighting our beautiful lakes (casual chic). I'll be back in later, hubby wants the computer!

Jean

Hi Jean,

Follow ups are always hard to do. It looks as if boy is "acting". This can be very hard to deal with.

I had reservations to the elder shot of him for the reasons that I told. But at a second thought I would now stick to that same photo, because it seem to be the easy one, compared to the others. And it has a paintable lighting.

If you consider, and if possible, change the background to an easier one, it will save you some trouble, when sitting at the show.

Plus two other things, make the hands smaller and turn the hat a bit.
No problem when you know how to do it on a computer.

I don

Hi Allan, I don't know how to manipulate photos on the computer and don't want to take the time to learn. I prefer to borrow " body parts" from family members and friends! I love that first photo of Noah for all the reasons that have been noted, but am going ahead with the one in front of the water. I won't have to guess on anything, and it will appeal to a wide range of people here in Madison.

Garth, I also love the skin tones in the first photo, and I could borrow one of my grandsons for the distorted areas and new hat placement. So it could work, but I'm not very good at the subtle variances yet. Your portrait of Tom Livesey is wonderful, technique and subject in perfect harmony. I'm just not that good yet. And I don't want to try to paint in front of people and learn a new technique too!

I think I need to add a little more head room and an inch or two to the left side of the canvas, I'm also going to tone the bright red shirt down a little. I converted it to greyscale and it doesn't look bad!

Allan, I'm going back to your thread about pitfalls in photo references, and will print it out and tape it to my easel. I will do my best to give Noah some life and energy.

Jean

Hi Jean,

Why not ask for help from somebody on this site, I am sure that someone will help to replace your background, if you have another, maybe even water.

And about the over sized hands, they should be easy to reduce, I mean for a proooooo.

I really think that there are so many good qualities in that first attempt that you should stick to it.

Allan

Allan, you made me laugh! Maybe I should just start a poll, basketball or cowboy? I'm not worried about the background in the first photo, that can easily be replaced or modified. I can also go back there and photograph the same area without all the distractions. As Chris says, it is a typical Wisconsin neighborhood.

Chris, I respect your opinion, what do you think? That hat is fixable, the hands and basketball are fixable and the lighting is the best (a happy accident).

Jean

Jean,

I can only tell you what I would do - and that's the cowboy hat. When you learn how to use Photoshop, you can always go back in and experiment with the basketball picture.

I have always found that people respond well to the kind of lighting drama with the cowboy hat image, and as I said, this kid has beautiful hair, and I would take the opportunity to showcase it. And I don't know how you would "fix" the baseball cap.

Thank you Chris. :sunnysmil

Basketball Noah...
Well I figured out that I would have to decrease his hands and the basketball by 32% for it to be right. I would also want to fix his jacket (the left side is turned back) and add the rest of the jacket to the bottom of the painting. His hands are too close to the bottom edge. Then, turn the hat and guess what his hair would do. Now to the background, I can't put him by water cause people just look different when they are close to water. So either a plain background, or soft neighborhood behind.

Cowboy Noah...
Paint it like it is. No changes, No additions, or guessing. The show is in a old historic building right on Lake Monona, 20 feet from the entrance is water. Madison is built on an isthmus, and surrounded by a total of five lakes. Water just seems right. I will soften the deep shadows.

I love the light and his expression in the basketball photo, but for a demo, I think I'm safer with the cowboy. Since I love that version also and will have fun painting it, I think that's the one I'll go with.

Thank you everyone, your input was really helpful.

Jean

Cowboy Noah!
 

Dear Jean,

Good choise. I bet you'll draw crowds. Let us know how it goes!

Thanks Garth,

I'll be posting here as a work in progress so you'll get to see it as it develops. I want to have the painting close to done by the eighth (demo day), I thought I would print out 8x10s of the painting at different stages for people to see. Then they would get a better idea of what actually happens during the "creation". Noah and his mother are going to come just to liven things up!

Jean