Baby Johann

Alice Leggett · 02-11-2005, 05:31 PM

Yes, if you are adjusting brightness and contrast in general, the simplified programs will do. I'm not familiar enough with them to give advice, but it never hurts to experiment on a copy of the file.

How's the portrait coming, Julie?

Julie Gerleman · 02-16-2005, 11:50 PM

Sorry it's taken me awhile...I actually used some pto today and took the day off of work so I could work on THIS for awhile...isn't that just silly? But I haven't had a chance to work on it since I posted last...

I was able to lighten the photo in photoshop, but then I had to mess with the RGB vs. CYMK settings to get the color separation right for printing, etc. etc. It helped to have that lighter reference around.

I'm pretty happy with this so far. I think I've got about one more sit with this then I'm going to call it done, lest I the little guy. I'm not really happy yet with his right eye, so I've still got to resolve that. It helped just to turn the reference and the painting upside down and relearn how to see his face. I felt like I was getting tight and making prejudgments about what I was seeing. I got some super-soft brushes, and some Graham Walnut Alkyd so I could glaze and blend a little better. I really love the alkyd - it dries quickly, non-toxic and just makes the paint like butter. I'm really glad I read about it. Besides the eye, I think I've got some of the go back in on some of the highest highlights and the darkest shadows, but I don't think I'll paint again until I've had a chance to look at it for awhile.

Thanks for looking and thanks for all of your comments -- they really helped!

Julie

Julie Gerleman · 02-16-2005, 11:51 PM

His irises look really funny to me all of a sudden! Guess I'll add those to my list of things to touch up!

Terri Ficenec · 02-17-2005, 01:14 AM

Hi Julie-- I'm seeing some areas of concern in the updated images you've posted. There are some drawing issues. Though his nose looks to be proportioned correctly, his other features (eyes/mouth/ear) have gotten rather large for his head. The more areas are focused on, or reworked, they tend to grow or expand (in painting), it's something to watch out for. It can help to get away from it for awhile and so that you get a fresh look at it... or from further away to take in overall scale.

It also appears that the contrast between light/dark details may be somewhat exaggerated and is distracting from the sense of form. The bubbles on his lips, in particular, aren't reading well (too light?). Though this may be the quality of the photograph or just how it appears on my monitor rather than the painting?

It's clear you've been working hard on this, please don't get discouraged. Just wanted to give you an honest assessment. Hope it helps!

Alice Leggett · 02-17-2005, 01:41 AM

Hi Julie,

I think you're really close to being finished, and it's looking good! I especially like the little mouth.

I sometimes use tracing paper to get an exact size outline of the features and hold it or tape it over the painting to check proportions. It's a helpful thing to do as long as you're reasonably sure your photo reference is not too distorted. Our human eyes see so much differently than cameras. However, a more "high tech" way to check your work is to "draw" an outline on the computer over the face, and print it out the exact size of the head in the painting, but on inkjet transparency film. That way you don't have the "cloudiness" of the tracing paper. See the example below. You can achieve the same thing with a Sharpie marker and transparency film as long as your photo head is the same size as the painting head. The only problem is trying not to overwork the painting with excess detail, unless that is your goal.

That said, I think the right eyelid needs to come down a little at the upper lash line. Do you like to add the highlight on the iris? I do. I think the eyes should have the most detail on the face. And this baby is all about the eyes - so cute!

Happy painting!

Julie Gerleman · 02-17-2005, 09:28 AM

Terri - that would figure that the nose is pretty well proportioned; it's the thing I've touched the least!

I'm also used to working big and this is 9"x12" and the features are a lot smaller than I'm used to painting, so maybe my brain is trying to make everything bigger. Hmph anyway.

I'm really grateful for your photoshop pictures. Wow. Now I know I've got another tool to use to keep things accurate. Of course, I wonder if the best way to keep features in proportion isn't just to get it right the first time so there's minimial reworking of the area! If that's the case, time and practice (and subsequently confidence) will certainly contribute.

Looks like I've got a bit more work to do on this than I thought...I might not want (or be able to) to totally rework the area, as per your demonstration, Terri, but at the very least I'll bring the eyes down a bit, as per Alice's feedback. At least now I know why I'm not satisfied with his eyes!

Thanks - this is exactly the stuff I need to hear about!

Julie Gerleman · 02-17-2005, 09:30 AM

Oh yes, Alice -- I definitely will be adding iris highlight. It's usually the very last thing I do, though.

Terri Ficenec · 02-17-2005, 11:32 AM

Hi Julie--
It is nice to get the drawing right the first time... but sometimes it doesn't work out that way, and things can still turn out fine. When I'm in a hurry, tend to measure less in the flurry to get things on canvas and wind up having to go back in and correct later. (As long as ridges haven't built up!) On my recent painting of the little girl and her Dad, her eyes started way out of whack. Every go 'round kept shifting her right (our left) eye down. Probably wound up moving it the whole height of the eye by the time was finished. It happens. When I'm really careful to get the initial drawing right... sometimes it's so constraining not to mess it up in later layers that the piece can seem a little stale. But that's just how it works for me. . . depends on what mood

Like your new avatar!