WIP-Hannah

[Terri Ficenec]

This piece is intended to go to a local frame shop, along with some business cards, to hopefully generate some commission interest.

This is my first more traditional, as opposed to figurative, portrait, and my first that is (near) life-size. I didn't realize before how much more impact a life-size piece has - this has been really fun to work on. It is (obviously, I guess!) a work in progress, but I am hoping to finish it by the 15th.

As this will be a fairly visible piece, I am trying to keep it fairly simple in hopes that I won't look back on it in a couple of years and cringe! Please feel free to comment or critique - I know I've got a lot to learn yet.

'Hannah'
20" x 16"
Acrylic on Canvas
(still planning to try a portrait in oils some time, but currently have a much higher comfort level in acrylic)

[Terri Ficenec]

and the reference photo

[Terri Ficenec]

I think I'm mostly done with the background/clothing here and am ready to start on her. How're the edges where her clothing meets the chair, the background etc.? Do her shoulders read as too flat? Any thoughts appreciated!

[Linda Brandon]

Hi Terri,

This is a lovely girl. You have the right marketing idea - displaying a portrait of a little girl is a good move to get business. If you're going to do this kind of thing again, I'd dress her up a bit more, something more formal than a t-shirt. My personal rule of thumb is: t-shirts outside only; more formal clothing can go anywhere (including on the grass).

You might want to take photos of this painting in its stages and display them with the portrait. People would find it interesting that you start with a bright blue underpainting.

You have the drawing down very well here. I'm looking forward to seeing your progress on this.

[Terri Ficenec]

Linda - Thanks so much for the encouraging feedback! I've no experience with marketing at all, and this will probably be the only thing I put out there, for awhile anyway. We'll see what kind of response it gets! The idea of displaying the portrait with some 'process' photos is very interesting. I've taken some along the way so that would be feasible - maybe initial underpainting and an intermediate stage together with the finished portrait? Would it be tacky to put something like that on one side of a postcard with a little blurb describing it and perhaps a pricelist on the back? You know - something that people could take with them if they were interested?

Here's where she's at now... I've still got work to do on some of the color & transitions on the arms but am planning to start fleshtones into the face Tuesday... and will finalize all fleshtones (arms and face) together once the face is caught up to the arms.

Wow Terri - you're doing this all with acrylics? That's wonderful. How will you modify the transitions? You obviously have a lot of experience to work with - do you have a set method or do you go with the flow? Do you save colors to work back in as glazes so you can modify the edges? Which brand of paint do you use?

I like the edge quality you're getting in the low contrast shadow areas. I just switched to oils a year ago - I was under the impression that they were more toxic than they are, and wasn't aware of safe but effective solvents like Turpenoid natural. (No flake white though, sorry Steven). I painted in acrylics for about 15 years but was never able to get the effects you're getting which are nearly oil-like - what's your secret?

Lisa

[Steven Sweeney]

No flake white though, sorry Steven.

Just don

Yes, I can usually restrain myself from eating my paints, but I don't have such great luck with my 1 year old. Or my 8 year old for that matter.

Terri, I just re-read the other thread where you said you were thinking to order some oils from Dick Blick. Did you get them? Did you try them?

I agree with most of what Steven said about the process being different, but would like to point out that his observations are part of the charm and challenge of acrylics. Your overcoming these challenges will make working in oils a breeze in some ways - and you'll see clearly a whole new set of challenges.

Still, I'm wondering how you do what you do!

[Terri Ficenec]

Steven - Thanks so much for your thoughts! Usually I do work all around a painting but this is the first time I'm using an underpainting. And I think I spent so much effort to achieve the likeness, that I started in on the background as sort of a light, non-stress relief. Then at some point, I started avoiding the face, (you're right! ) because I do think getting it to look 'real' will be the most difficult. I had meant to at least do all the skin tones (arms and face) together but somehow still wasn't ready to mess with the face when I did the arms yesterday! Well, I can hardly avoid it anymore! Hopefully it'll still all come together.

Lisa - I'm a little bit overwhelmed by your comments! Thank-you

I think the only 'secret' I've got is pure determination to get it looking the way I want it to, regardless of how much time it takes. So far I've invested 38 hours in this piece, I'm not sure how that compares to someone painting a similar piece in oils, but I gather oils would be quicker? I'm using Liquitex high-viscosity acrylics. When I want soft transitions, I'm painting the base colors in first then painting over it with paint that's been watered down (sometimes to what looks like my kids' water colors out of the little plastic box). Or I'll dry brush over an area, then use just a wet brush to spread that around (or a moist paper towel to pull it off if I don't like it). I'm not saving colors (but probably should!), but use a fairly limited palette and know what I was mixing to get certain colors so that I can get back to the same color (or close).

[Terri Ficenec]

Lisa - As far as trying the oils, I've yet to do that. I have painted in oils before - years ago, and not portraits. Switched to acrylics because they seemed so much easier to work with. I'll give it another shot and let you know how it goes. I may just be an odd duck who prefers acrylics.