Soft light or strong light for model?

[Alexandra Tyng]

You are right, Joan, there is no correct answer. If the light moves you, go with it. Just be constantly on the lookout for a beautifully lit subject and then, if you can't take a photo right at that moment, try to replicate the light for your painting.

Personally I like the light in the two reference photos of your daughter and your mother's friend the best. The light/shadow relationship is definitely not too subtle and, in fact, is excellent for a portrait. If you're going to be painting from life in a studio with the dark green-gray walls, make sure there is a good, clear, even light coming from the window and move the person near the light source. If you take a photo, you can manually set the light meter for the light side of the face, or use spot metering taken from the light side. Were you using artificial light for both of the dark photos? That might not work very well, but I couldn't say for sure, since I've never tried it. (My studio walls are off-white.)

Alex

[Joan Breckwoldt]

Originally Posted by Alexandra Tyng

You are right, Joan, there is no correct answer. If the light moves you, go with it. Just be constantly on the lookout for a beautifully lit subject and then, if you can't take a photo right at that moment, try to replicate the light for your painting.

Hi Alexandra,

I apologize for taking so long to thank you for your post. You help reinforce the fact that I can pretty much try what I like. I'm a 'rules' person and I like having rules . . . but I realize once I learn the rules (not that I have) then they can be broken.

In the samples I posted at the beginning of this thread, the girl with glasses was shot with artificial light in the studio where I take lessons. I'm going to look next classperiod at what kind of lights are being used. The photo of my son was taken indoors with a combination of weak artificial light and some light coming in a window.

I am beginning to understand that the subtle/soft light transitions can be desirable. Now I just need to paint them convincingly. As I said before, they're my biggest challenge.

I spent some time with my camera's manual and came up with what I think is a good reference photo of my daughter. I only wish I had dragged along some kind of backdrop, oh well.

Here it is:

Joan

[Linda Brandon]

Joan, I just wanted to add to this excellent and interesting discussion that there seems to be a modern portrait "convention" (certainly not a "rule") that the younger the subject, the narrower the value range between the lit side and shadow side in the face.

This was not always the case in portraiture. I can think of several Sargents, for example, that feature young subjects with darker value shadows. I suspect that many clients today would find such portrayals of their young children as too "gloomy". The emphasis (in this country anyway) for children's portraits is on charming, fresh, light, happy, etc. . As I browse through websites and look at hundreds of contemporary portraits, it seems to me that darker shadows are often reserved for subjects who require qualities such as intensity, power and drama.

[Michele Rushworth]

I would also add that many women's portraits have a lower contrast ratio between the lit and unlit sides, too. Women "of a certain age" (ie anyone my age or older!) generally prefer somewhat softer and more frontal lighting to minimize wrinkles, compared to what you'd see on a man's portrait where, as Linda said, the emphasis might be on boldness and drama.