Portrait For Critique

[Renee Brown]

John,

Thank you. Actually, I could use some help with the framing! I must've been dreaming earlier this year when I scheduled the kickoff of the shows for January 2002, not realizing I'd have to do the finishing touches on the frames during holiday season!)

Yes, I see what you mean about the surface around the eyes being too texturized. That jaw was all in light and in trying to add some color to break that monotony I probaby hardened the edge too much.

I think learning skin tones is the hardest art technique I have ever had to learn and I see that others have similiar problems mastering it. The more I work at it though, the easier it gets.

Karin, Now that we are onto my orange problem, here's a perfect time for me to ask what you start your lights with. Is is a yellow ochre/white base? Any alizarin? Cad. red? Which green or blue are you using to cool off the halftones? Perhaps my cad. orange should be put away in the drawer for a while.

Renee

[John de la Vega]

Renee,

Look up my post in the materials & techniques section under "Flesh tint in oils" for ideas on hues to use. There are other valuable bits of info by other artists there.

Don't eliminate cad orange, just keep it on the palette for one of its roles: in the flesh, as a "brightening / warming modifier". Ultramrine is the best blue modifier for the flesh (which you appear to use), but of course, as everything else, it has to be observed and mixed carefully in total context with the color of the light on the form.

Your 'orangy skin' on the painting doesn't bother me at all precisely because of the light context, even if, strictly speaking, it's not 100% 'true' to (yes, Karin, I got it) 'Caucasian baby skin' in that PARTICULAR lighting situation. But it's close enough, in my view, to be perfectly acceptable.

You may also try Grumbacher Pre-tested Cobalt Rose (Cobalt Violet Light), that's how the color is designated, a very weak light reddish purple that mixes wonderfully with, say, the Old Holland Naples Yellow Deep (a must for the flesh) to give you exquisite flesh tones with just the right amount of cool.

Sorry I can't help you with the framing over the holidays, have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

[Karin Wells]

Because I seldom paint a la prima, the way I get a skin tone might not work for you unless you are glazing over a raw umber and white underpainting mixture like I do.

Meanwhile, if I were to work in the direct method of painting, I would approach skin tones in a way that is similar to how John describes it...

There are as many ways to paint paintings as there are artists to paint them. And probably all of them are "the right method" if the finished product looks good.

I think that the key to any artist painting well is to "train the eye" and this is most easily accomplished by copying the Old Master paintings. Copying demystifies skin tones and so many other things about painting will automatically fall into place.

[Renee Brown]

John, Well, there are two colors I need to buy, the cobalt violet and I have naples yellow but there's probably another tube labeled NY Deep. I am heading over to the materials forum to read your posts.

Chris Saper is probably rolling her eyes if she's reading this thread, because she knows I have her excellent new book. I came from a landscape background with a Very limited palette (six or seven colors - mixed any shade I needed and had a unified palette). I always have figure within my landscapes but their skin tones consisted of a simple warm where the light hit, one halftone and then a cool in the shadows (simple and effective). Now it's a landscape of the face and very subtle value changes. No trees to mark the passages . I remember the first time I read John Howard Sanden's Book and saw all the recipes and color choices. I felt the same way I do when I am in a large clothing store. Too many choices.

I feel that I should be developing my own palette and hopefully in time I will. (probably I am and don't realize it) Right now, I stand in front of my easel and it's information overload time. If there are any golfers out there, I feel the "rules" running through my head, in the same fashion as when you line up your tee shot.

Karin, I have seen the artists standing in front of the old master paintings at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, copying. It's such an excellent experience. In the spring, I will get in there and really study them again. I will be looking at the Sargents in the American wing with new eyes. I used to go into the Met a lot and hopefully soon will feel comfortable enough to do that again.

Renee

[John de la Vega]

Renee, yes, if you have plain 'ole Old Holland Naples Yellow it is not good. It's a weak color, you can use to lighten something but not to mix rich starting flesh tones. You need the Deep, a totally different animal.

Look at a broader palette as you would look to a grand piano instead of a kiddie piano if you were to play some serious music. Not as a matter of more choices, or possible confusion, but as a range of richness always there, even if you sometime decide to play a little minuet.

I will post my 36-plus-white palette in the materials and technique section in the near future.

Copying old masters paintings is indeed a very good idea, and you can do it from books, but of course better at the Met or any other museum.

Happy Holidays!

[Renee Brown]

John, I printed out and read the entire section on skin colors. Last night I mixed what I had on hand, Naples yellow and thio violet and titanium white. Actually made a light without my old standby, cad. orange! Looked like skin tone to me! I will get the recommended colors (NYD and Rose) now. This thread has changed my palette for the better and for that I thank all of you. Karin, Thanks for the first mention of the problem. I also got a lot of hints from Cynthia's palette.

John, Your painting of Elizabeth Morrisette is beautiful! The texture in the background, pillow and her blouse is amazing.

You mentioned a book (in jest? or for real?)

Happy Holidays to all of you, as well.

Renee

[Cynthia Daniel]

Renee,

I don't paint. You must have meant someone else's palette.

[Renee Brown]

Cynthia, I see what happened. You posted and cc'd an original post by K Martin. When I saw your photo I thought it was from you. I was about to head out to search for your paintings on the Stroke of Genius website!

Maybe someone is trying to tell you something!

Renee

[Cynthia Daniel]

Oh, Karen Martin's post that I brought over from the old forum. Okay.

Honestly, I'm not that kind of artist. Besides, who would take care of Stroke of Genius?

[Steve Moppert]

Something to consider is how to lead the eye of the viewer to the subject. The viewers eye goes to where the lightest light meets the darkest dark, where warm meets cool, and where there is a hard edge. Most of this happens in this painting away from the subject. I find the most important part of the painting to be the white bear, surrounded by dark blue, with piercing black eyes. The dark background against the light bed is also distracting. The dark pants and the sharp edge at the waist also pull my eye from the subject. Try covering these areas with your hands and I think you will see that the child becomes the center of interest.

Steve