Third portrait in progress. Ideas on background please?

[Kate12345]

Still a work in progress and going quite slow. Its my third ever portrait, as I usually do nice easy animals :-)))

I have actually used the oils for the first time ever!!! Usually go with the pencils as they seem easier to control, but I found my perfect brush in the sparse bristles. Hopefully more brush strokes visible and less airbrushed looking.

I love the way the picture appears like magic.

Will post more as they progress.

[markw]

Hi Kate good to see you working on another portrait again:cool:
And it’s looking good so far, has a certain oriental feel about it to me at the moment.
Can’t wait to see how this one develops!:)

As for background I might be tempted by some form of drapery behind her perhaps…?
And maybe up the lighting contrast to get some more darker areas with some lost edges in there. Though you would want to be trying that stuff out on some small thumbnail versions of the painting first. Just a thought.

[Kate12345]

Thank you. I could try some dark red drapery. I want to go a bit old masters with it but not sure if a modern twist is possible. I will experiment 102332

[Stephen Lo Piano]

Depends on what message of expression you would like to convey to the viewer of the painting.

If your goal here is to create a likeness portrait of someone you know personally you might want to try something for the background that identifies with the personality of the person in the portrait, objects that carry the message. Another alternative would be to finish this work the way a professional portrait painter would create the background. Your current solid brown is okay yet you might want to lighten the brown surrounding the portrait object as you get closer to the focal point object. Maybe even add a bit of yellow to brighten up the color as it gets lighter?

If this is something created from imagination and you want to identify with oriental culture, some type of objects in the background related to that culture would be a way to carry the message. You might even find a way to place the objects in the background so they do not interfere and/or collide heavily with the foreground portrait when reducing opacity of the foreground to 60%. Place the background on a lower layer and erase around the portrait image of the above layer so the new background takes it's place.

[Perendale]

Oh my, I hadn’t seen this before. It’s really beautiful.

Brett

[Kate12345]

I think I'd like a traditional painted background. like old masters ones, but I've not had time to work on her for ages and sort of lost the plot a little ! The dark hair though would disappear into a dark background, so I think lots of experimenting when I revisit this lady.

[Kate12345]

Thank you Brett :-) I've sort of lost interest in her and am dithering about finishing or doing the background. Life got in the way for a few weeks so my enthusiasm needs rekindling. I have form for this kind of laziness!!!