Saturday, December 10, 2011

Hard Fought Portrait

Close ups

Oil on 7x5 hardboard.

This is my contribution to this week's WDE at Wet Canvas. Astrid was the gracious hostess. Thanks for the great reference photos, Astrid.

I believe it was Winston Churchill who said, " Painting a picture is like trying to fight a battle."
I would like to add, "Especially portraits." This one was a battle....I have a feeling the painting won. I am frazzled.
My first mistake was trying to impose deep shadows to the left side of her face (our rt.). The photo reference was more straight on light...like a flash. I wanted to add the shadows to give it a dramatic lighting effect. That's a hard thing to do...just out of your head, with any believability.
After fighting with it for two hrs., I gave up on that idea. So I spent another two hrs. of trying to do the light a little more like the photo.
Stick a fork in it...it's done.

Available ... If interested, contact me at kkayangel2(at)yahoo.com

My Etsy

Luke 418The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,

27 comments:

  1. Love this one, Dean. Great piece! steve

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  2. Hi Dean (got it right this time, Thanks) These just keep getting better and better. You are able to portray such a soft real quality. Love it.

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  3. Dean, this is an awesome painting! Why make it like the photo? YOU are the artist. I dont usually take a second look at portraits, but this one I did! I just love the coloring...

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  4. ...I tried to find the photo at the WDE but didn't find it. It really looks good to me, but if you are reciting Winston Churchill's war quotes, you must have a reason--(I can relate...so many of my paintings wear me out and make me long for "peace"!) haha...but really...she looks lovely to me!

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  5. The portrait looks awesome, Dean.You are right, 'inventing' a shadow which is not there- its a tough job!I am glad your portrait turned out to be just right!

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  6. A beautiful portrait, on a small space!

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  7. Carlene Dingman Atwater12/11/11, 7:41 AM

    This is very nice and well worth the effort.

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  8. Dean, you came out the winner here, my friend. She is so beautiful!

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  9. I think sometimes the effort is worth more learning than the result. If you try another one, it'll be that much easier. Check out these portraits: http://natalieitaliano.blogspot.com

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  10. For as hard a time as you say you had on this portrait, I think you did a wonderful job. Bravo.

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  11. Steve...thanks! Good to "see" you again.

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  12. Thanks, Angela. Thanks for noticing and mentioning the softness...that's one thing I went for.

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  13. Thanks, Sunny...This is far from photo like. Lol. I try to make every painting just that...a painting. All the skin tones and background are all my invention.

    Thank you for taking a second look. :)

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  14. Thanks, Celeste!

    She's #14 on this page at Wet Canvas...
    http://www.wetcanvas.com/forums/showthread.php?t=958368

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  15. Lovely portrait work Dean !

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  16. Dean, I would have to say you won the battle! Excellent portrait!

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  17. A beautiful portrait, excellent blog!!!

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  18. It is a masterpiece in every way Dean!

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  19. Amazing transition on the skin tones!! An excellent portrait, Dean. Someday, I would like to do a portrait in Oil...I can't imagine!!! Yours is perfect!!

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  20. Your portraits keep getting better and better Dean! Also, I love the amount of emotion that is conveyed in the previous post.

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  21. Arti....Thank you1 Yes, it's hard to "invent" realistic shadows, I have learned. Just wanted to try it.

    Sylviane...Thanks. I'm pretty used to working on 5x7's.

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  22. Thank you Carlene and Sherry!

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  23. Pam...Thank you for the link. She does great portraits.

    Thank you, Lokelani!

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  24. Rishi and Brad...Thanks, I appreciate the kind words. :)

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  25. Thank you, Fortu...please stop back again!

    Padmaja...Wow! Thank you! Lol

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  26. Hilda...By all means, do a portrait in oil. It's a very "forgiving" medium. And after all, it's only paint...;)

    Thanks a lot, Tim!!

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  27. Fantastic portrait, My friend - WOW!

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