Boy in question

[Garth Herrick]

Dear Patt,

I apologize for the bluntness, which is rare from me, especially when you need an affirmation to bounce off of. I too have made all these same "mistakes" in portraits I have done, and more than once I have started again, for the right result. I painfully came to the conclusion that I needed to paint Arianna and Taylor again (yes, there are two versions of this painting), and also Laura at Thirteen , the first version of which still haunts me, sitting in a surreal way on a big chair in another room. I had a bad start on Laura's face, and starting over was the right thing to do. I know it is not easy to focus again on a new canvas, but the courage and conviction returns when everything falls into place, as intended. So I've meant this critique to be affirmative for you, while blunt.

Here are some basics I'd keep in mind:
1. Relative to the shirt, the head is somewhat larger, and quite wide and round. Getting this relationship right will better represent the scale and age of this boy.

2. Get the vertical center line of the features, off center to our right, as shown in the reference. You seem to have reversed this.

3. Pay attention to the angle of the features, thinking of an imaginary angled line running through the eyes.

4. Note that the nose is shorter, but even wider in its wings; and that the eyes are wide set in relation. Draw a triangle traversing the tip of the nose and the eyes, and you will see it is vertically very shallow compared to your portrait.

5. The smile is wide. Pay attention to the shape of the mouth and lips.

6. The ears are diminished in semi-shadow, especially his left ear. Don't make the ear as bright a value as the chin! Also note the geometry and placement of the ears, especially in how they relate to the tips of that smile.

7. Be careful in explaining the hair color, which appears to be a standard winter-time blond so common with kids. I am confused by the dominance of dark and rich umbery browns, denoting decidedly a darker different hair color. On the other hand, much has to do with the nature of the transition from the light mass on the forehead diminishing as it reaches the hair. Get those transitions right, in relationship, and you can use dark values that describe blond!

8. Echoing what I just said, keep the modeling of the light in shade in relationship to the reference, without any unexplainable deviations, as (especially) in the neck.

While your current portrait has a degree of resemblance to the boy, it will be a strong likeness and winning portrait if you keep these guidelines in check. I do indeed wish you the very best with this commission!

Garth

[Garth Herrick]

Patt,

A good tried and true centuries-old technique to get the placement and drawing right, and spot-on, is the Grid Method. It's worth a try, and just as effective as tracing or projection. Make certain the aspect ratio of the start grid on the reference and the applied grid on the painting are the same (!) or you may get the face too wide or too tall. It is easy to get right. Print a spare reference image for the grid lines.

Also print a reference to scale with your painting. That's always a big visual help!

Good luck!

Garth

[Patt Legg]

Well, here is another humble beginning. I always do an umber study ( this is not complete with that). then to a dead color ( similar to the Old Master Flemish) and then into color. Am I even on the right track? I feel uplifted to have at least started over. I knew in my heart ( and eyes) that it was over for the last one. Please advise.

Patt

[Julie Deane]

Hi Pat-

I'll throw a little bit in here. Hope it helps.

This second attempt is better. It more closely approximates the likeness. But I am sorry, but I feel that there are still some drawing errors, that I will leave to people better able than I to voice.

To make it more like the child, I think you will benefit from either :
1. using a grid, as suggested, or

2. making the photo the same size as the painting, take tracing paper, trace the photo and lay it over the painting to look for drawing errors.

Many of us, including, I am convinced, the Old Masters, have certain characteristic distortions that show up when we draw. In my case, I know that I am almost certain to lengthen a head. My guess is it happens because I am used to seeing my own long, narrow head in
the mirror. I have to measure my portraits, especially the oil ones, because they can so easily go off. I also put the original and the art in Photoshop, line them up and compare. I often use the tracing paper method to check.

Before you go any further, check your measurements and make corrections. Best to take a long long time now when there is just an underpainting to deal with. You're on the right track.

[Garth Herrick]

Better, Patt,

Nice brushwork. But do what Julie and I suggest regarding a grid or tracing. Please do enlarge and print the reference to the same size. It only takes a few minutes. Also use a mirror to check your drawing from time to time.

Good luck,

Garth

[Patt Legg]

Good morning, Julie and Garth.

I woke up thinking about this of course and couldn't wait to read. Well, I appreciate your input again.Following is the exact course that I took:

I scanned the original then cropped the head-I re-sized it to approximately the size that I have on old painting ( in this case it came out 8x10 as you see here in my attachment)--I then actually laid it onto the canvas and traced it as you can see the trace marks on the paperwork. ( I have never traced a portrait in my life) I feel at this time like I am cheating and furthermore, going backwards. Anyway, that is what I did. Now tell me how in the world did that still go wrong? Leave it up to me to do that kind of thng. I see what you are saying and actually my drawing on canvas looked smaller so I actually held it up to my brushwork and it is the same. Now what???

By the way, Garth, how do you OVERLAY each item on each other in Photo-shop? I assume you did that in Photo-shop. I am just now learning how to do some things in it.

Thanks again and please be patient with me. I really hope to learn better now that I know better.

Patt

[Patt Legg]

Opps !!! Not enough coffee this a.m. Now the attachment.

[Grethe Angen]

Dear Pat,
I`d say do not trace. but measure, measure, measure. and
check the angles, measure the outline and the shapes. Do not think in terms of eyes and mouth but try to see only the shapes. Do not trust your eyes at all.this is about making a copy to please your client, remember.:-) wish you the best in this process.

[Garth Herrick]

[QUOTE=Patt Legg]
By the way, Garth, how do you OVERLAY each item on each other in Photo-shop? I assume you did that in Photo-shop. I am just now learning how to do some things in it.
/QUOTE]

Hi Patt,

Good work! I agree with Alex and Grethe. It's not cheating, and you won't always want to use a grid or trace ( I certainly don't want to often), but these are tools to aid in visualization and internalization of the imagery. Look, if it was acceptable for Thomas Eakins to use a projector and measue to death 130 years ago, then one should not feel guilty following in his tradition today when needed. Even if you grid, trace or project, you STILL have to paint it, and it still requires considrable skill and practice to do this well. As long as, as an artist, one observes from life too, one should be in good stead with these occasional aids. I myself have gone absurdly high tech at times, and I've gained much from doing so; interestingly I feel more drawn to work from life now. As Alex says, as long as one does not use these tools and techniques as a constant crutch, there is nothing to be ashamed of. As Grethe suggests, measuring a lot helps you to see more important nuances and relationships.

Sometimes one can draw better and capture the shapes and relationships when seeing things from a different context or viewpoint. Drawing a portrait upside-down could help in this regard. Also by checking one's progress in a mirror from time to time, one can easily see and react to something being really off in the drawing or proportions.

The "overlay" you ask of is a GIF format animation, indeed done in Photoshop. I do not know which versions of Photoshop include Animation, but I am using CS2. If you do not have this animation tool, then you still can overlay another Layer of a second image, which can be very useful. By using the slider to adjust Layer Opacity, you can find the comparison you want.

Garth