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View Full Version : From One End of Life to the Other - Portraits Coming Through



copespeak
02-12-2018, 07:39 PM
I'm polishing up my portrait skills in the hope of getting some commissions. Here are some: one of my step daughter's nine month old son, and the other of a dear older lady friend on her ninetieth birthday. Both were difficult. The child was so smooth and perfect, and every line needed to be true to my style, which is a bit rough, but not detract from that perfection. My lovely friend was deeply lined, and I needed to 'mute' enough of those lines so they didn't overpower her inner beauty. I hope I succeeded.

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eighty+
02-13-2018, 02:02 AM
:D Yes ROBBIE all look good as is norm of your work can you do the same in trad ?? as digital painting is still at a low ebb ok but still show more ok CIAO SLAINTE

copespeak
02-13-2018, 06:25 AM
I don't know about trad Eighty, as I haven't tried, but have been on the cusp of doing so for years. I used to do them pretty successfully in charcoal years ago.

I'm feeling a bit stubborn, and trying to force people to embrace digital locally, as that's what I really love doing. It's so clean and convenient, and someone's got to blaze a trail!

sabena
02-13-2018, 07:43 AM
Good paintings congratulations:)

gxhpainter
02-13-2018, 10:52 AM
wow Robyn your talent never ceases to amaze me!.. these are really exceptional, I look at all types of art and have seen some very good portraits, ones that reveal the personality of the subject but still are done with creativity
and a unique style, yours is right up there.. both of these.... very very nice work!.. hope they generate some commissions for you!.

Chad Weatherford
02-15-2018, 05:06 PM
Looks great!!! . I think your muting of the lines was very successful in the portrait of your older friend. They still read, but do not overpower the face. Wonderful achievement.

copespeak
02-15-2018, 05:25 PM
Thank you so much everyone, Mr Akey and I had an out of forum chat about the background, etc, on Ailsa, so here is the new and improved version. I was lazy about the background and it certainly didn't do her justice. What do you think?

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copespeak
02-15-2018, 05:32 PM
And today's offering is .......

Lots of careful work went into getting this one right. A mere shadow in the wrong place and the whole thing goes skewiff!

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gxhpainter
02-16-2018, 10:38 AM
very nice work, and yes the new background with the slight halo effect is more traditional for portraits for good reasons, a nice improvement. it helps focus attention on her face. The childs face is very good, there is a slight wobble in his cheek to the left of his mouth and seems a little off to my eye.. as I can't draw worth beans you should ask D Akey for his take.

copespeak
02-16-2018, 10:44 AM
Just a rough edge? Kids' faces have lots of plump sections. I'll fiddle some more.

eighty+
02-17-2018, 03:52 AM
:D :D Hi Robbie Great it looks as if you've entered a new ball game Go GAL GO

D Akey
02-17-2018, 04:56 AM
Very nice work! Clearly it's all coming back to you with each painting representing a big jump.

I'm not sure about what Gary is referring to with the mouth wobble. Generally the faces look good to me. But I'm sure he sees something that's not quite right, and I would try to ferret it out because that's how the public will look at your work. They may not know what's wrong (if there is), but they will sense it.

At this point my only recommendation is to start working on stylizing hair. As you know there's all kinds and as such you probably have to come up with several ways of doing it. There's lots of different approaches. With your painterly style, I would think in terms of looking at it as larger masses and break it down using value planes. Looking at it in a linear way if your approach is painterly it sort of becomes like thick strands of yarn, which defeats the intention.

So in your mind, break it down into solid planes first with light and shadow playing on it as it would with drapery. You wouldn't make it clunky though. It can be softer with some clever transitions and then adding a few marks to indicate highlights. All depends on the hair and how you end up stylizing it.

I would look at artists and illustrators from the early/middle part of the 20th century because there are dozens of ways of applying those sensibilities in painterly ways. On the opposite end of the spectrum is the more modern, digital age wispy, fine curved lines, but you're not going for the smooth, slick style. So my suggestion is learn the painterly vocabulary for hair and just try things until you find how it plays best for you.

If one is doing portraiture, hair is essential to get right because the customers value it most highly as part of their overall appearance.

You're doing great. I love painterly because it's not something that the computer does for you. It features the humanity of the artist's vision and how they process what they see into an art.

As MacPloos says, GO GO GO!!!!!!!!!!

eighty+
02-17-2018, 08:00 AM
Hi Robbie As you know I always try to copy your work
ok so I've tried the face of the young boy SEB so thank you but scuse wiggle lines as I'm not used
to drawing on a tablet even now I keep trying to paint on the Screen :confused: CIAO SLAINTE

Chad Weatherford
02-17-2018, 10:37 PM
The vignetting of the bg was a good move! It does improve the image I agree. If you wanted to excentuate her face even more...I've found that softening some edges around the hair can slow the eye down a bit in that region and draw it towards the face. Of course there is nothing wrong with what you have already. Well done!

eighty+
02-19-2018, 04:26 AM
Hi. Robbie just trying. Reimage to see if it get me eventually google photos Ok. Ploos. CIAO SLAINTE

copespeak
02-19-2018, 10:54 AM
Fantastic and interesting input from everyone, thanks. I'll revisit each one for a retouch.

Eighty, not sure what you mean re: Google Photos. If there's something you want me to do, can you please say it again???

copespeak
02-19-2018, 11:00 AM
This one was done a while back.

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eighty+
02-19-2018, 12:16 PM
Hi Robbie I thought you said get google photos so I could get the Pics from the
IPad to the main computer to show finger paintings??? ok CIAO SLAINTE

copespeak
02-19-2018, 01:40 PM
Yes Eighty. You need to join Google Photos on your PC, then download the App onto your Ipad, then link the two together with the same username and password.

D Akey
02-19-2018, 11:26 PM
Argh! I lost my reply by hitting the wrong button and couldn't get it back. So here it goes again:

I remember seeing this one before, Robyn. I really like it. It's got a terrific balance between the vibe of the sitter and the artist's hand. And often times that's what we want to see. Whether she looks like this is of no consequence to anyone who doesn't know her. She's most believable. Well done. Can't wait to see more.

copespeak
02-20-2018, 10:07 AM
It's actually my daughter Mr Akey, and it's a good likeness so I have been told.

D Akey
02-20-2018, 12:15 PM
Then it's success on both counts of creativity. Striking lady. I'm just trying to overlay an Aussie accent to adjust my mind's eye because she looks a lot like someone I know here who definitely speaks like a Yank.