Nora

[Molly Sherrick Phifer]

Hi Brenda!
I have to admit that I have a tendency to make my daughter's nose a bit pointier than it is naturally. It tends to move around slightly, getting wider and narrower as I change shadows, etc.
One thing no one mentioned yet is that what started out as highights in her hair stayed chunky because Nora loves the look. At one time she had chunky blond streaks and she begged me to keep the chunks in.

I'm sure as I go along, I'll find my best color combinations. It may take months or years, but I love beautiful color and I'm willing to work at it. For now, I guess, I'll be experimenting with "mud pies"! I am quite certain that I have violated some basic principles of this palette, unwittingly. Once I get this palette worked out in Marvin's class, I'll be heading off to Arizona to take Chris Saper's workshop. I really adore both (different) ways of approaching flesh tones.

Maybe when I get the color mixing worked out, I can paint this over again. Hmmm. I wonder how long that will take?

[Kimberly Dow]

Molly, I think this is lovely. The only comment I;d have is that the neck seems too wide on our left. I know she is leaning in a way that emphasizes that, but it seems to draw the eye, for me anyway.

[Molly Sherrick Phifer]

Thanks so much for taking the time to look! I totally agree about the neck. I feel kind of sick about it at this point and am thinking of doing a neck job in addition to the nose job. It's funny how things look so innocuous and plausible in a reference photo, then when you get into painting it, they rear up like a giant sea monster from the deep, overpowering your painting.

When I started this painting, I had come to a sticking point on a full length portrait of my son, where I encountered a similar problem. I had realized that his arm and hand were in an awkward position for a portrait, even though the photo looked fine. I did a reshoot for better arm and hand references, but needed relief from working on the problem. So, I started this painting. Little did I know the problem was stalking me in a different guise!

The good news is that I am quickly developing an eye for these problems. I hope that by posting this in the forum, other student artists will learn from my mistakes. Having the opportunity to get help from experienced pros, like you and the others, is invaluable! Thank you.