Janet, pastel 18" x 14"
 

Detail, 8" x 9" approximately. Pastel on Canson Mi-Tientes.

Close-up
 

This detail shows some of the temperature variations in this portrait. The model was lit by an incandesent light coming from our upper left; a small amount of cool natural light peeked in from a French door to our right. The dominant warm light, and cool secondary light made this a lot of fun. About 3 hours.

Unfortunately, the session ended just as I was getting around to reviewing and restating my edges. I hate when that happens.

Command of Color
 

Chris, I am amazed at the command you have over your color choices. Remember the painting of the little girl I showed you? You recommended cooling down the lights by adding the same green as in the background. I keep putting it on and wiping it right off again, even though it is just a thin glaze rather than your deliberate, rich pastel strokes.


Every ounce of my being rebels against it, but yet I love seeing it on your work.

Dear Chris,

You know all this already, but I just wanted to post on this Forum that I really love your work. The fresh, deft color and the sheer aliveness of this portrait are very impressive. Most of us could use a little "push" in this direction. Thanks for sharing such a beautiful painting.

Linda

I want to comment on the elegant use of weight. I feel she is mature by the weight in the cheeks and pucker of the lips, but you made her sparkle and juiced up her flesh tones, kept the hair strong and energized.

Now, if she it 22 and I missed the mark totally, ... nevermind.

Still a strong and energetic portrait. Hard to keep the model lively after sitting for 3 hours.

Chris,

When you work in Open Studio, do you prefer oils or pastels? If someone as myself were to attend, wouldn

Dear Enzie, Linda, Debra, and Elizabeth,

Thank you all so very much for your gracious comments.

Enzie: Yes, I like to just be bold and put on the strokes of color and leave them. Try it, and see if ti works for you. If not (particularly in pastel), just brush it off.

Linda: Thanks. As always I appreciate all of your comments, and particularly your helping me at stumbling blocks (oh, so many).

Debra, Thank you as well. Yes, Janet is a model who is perhaps in her late forties, early fifties. I am now fifty myself, and I feel that I know how I would want to paint myself, and feel that I can bridge the age gap without losing the likeness.

Several years ago, I had asked an artist friend of mine to paint a nude of me for a gift for my husband. He shot the film, which was, actually great...but I couldn't deal with the concept of someone painting from the images. I think it would be very difficult for a (say) 50 yr old man to understand viscerally, how a forty-five year old woman might feel about her body. To this day, I feel that perhaps my judgment was wrong...water over the bridge. But I must say that I feel comfortable talking with my 50+ yr clients to understand how they want themselves to be seen.

Nonetheless, I digress. There is, indeed, weight that settles into the face, in a very characteristic pattern of aging. All of the detail is not necessary to say who the subject is.

Elizabeth, I can't say what medium is best for you. Generally I choose my open studio medium in this kind of priority; First, I think about what is currently giving me the most trouble: next, I consider whether I will really have the full 3 hours (I rarely do): last, I consider how late I am packing up to get there. Sometimes I am just so pressed for time, I can't deal with more than one readily available surface and some tools that I can drop in my Jeep and go. A piece of canson and some charcoal is always ready, but I have often grabbed a wet palette of oils or a box of pastels. Woe that I don't have the luxury of forethought and considered planning, but I am lucky just to show up in enough time to grab a space.

The main thing, I think, is to just go and draw. It doesn't matter whether you fail or not, the point is that you do the time.

Janet
 

Chris, again I am amazed at your color choices and how well they work. Her face shows character and dignity, I can almost hear her breathing. I guess I'll have to buy your book if I want to learn your secrets!

Jean

Jean,

Thanks. No secrets. Buy the book anyway.

Janet
 

Hi Chris, well I bought the book today and have already read enough to fill in some major holes in my knowledge (or lack of). Thanks for writing it. It's a beautifully constructed reference piece.

Jean