Elena Formal Portrait

[Lunatique]

I've wanted to do a formal life portrait digitally for a while now, and here's the result. The painting was split between two sessions (first session on a Sunday, second session six days later on a Saturday). I fudged with the painting a bit after the life sessions to "harmonize" it, since some of my color choices were a bit unorganized and chaotic from the life sessions. I had three motivations for doing this portrait: 1) I always wanted to do a formal portrait of my wife in that classic style. 2) I've wanted to try a life portrait digitally--as I wanted to see if it was much different from doing it traditionally. 3) I was sick and tired of seeing painted over photos. I wanted to do something that was my private act of protesting against these "fake digital Sargents" as Spooge once put it.

Painting a life portrait digitally was definitely easier than painting one traditionally. So much time is saved when you don't have to change/wash brushes or deal with the physical complications of real paint. A traditional life portrait would've taken me probably three times as long to paint.

Originally, I wanted to paint something bold and impressionistic, but as the sessions went on, I realized my sensibility is not quite there yet--I'm still too chicken shit to throw all caution into the wind. I did make a conscious effort to allow my brush work to stay loose, suppressing the urge to blend away the brush marks. But the battle rages on--I still have to much to learn and need to work harder at being spontaneous.


http://www.ethereality.info/ethereality_website/paintings_drawings/new/elena_formal_portrait/elena_formal_portrait.jpg

http://www.ethereality.info/ethereality_website/paintings_drawings/new/elena_formal_portrait/closeup-1.jpg

http://www.ethereality.info/ethereality_website/paintings_drawings/new/elena_formal_portrait/closeup-2.jpg

http://www.ethereality.info/ethereality_website/paintings_drawings/new/elena_formal_portrait/closeup-3.jpg

[dem0n]

you sir are a very lucky person :)

lovely painting, and the model is georgious.
your site is pretty impressive too

[Deth Jester]

Looks great Luna! don't know what to crit... I didnt read the stuff above.. but did she sit? and you paint her posed.. or is this from a photo?

none the less, great job..

peace
-mike

[Lunatique]

Thanks. It was painted from life sessions. She for 2 different sessions, a week apart.

[Jaku]

I´ve to try something like that
Very impressive
:chug:

[Mindflaw]

hi

great painting.
Hope this will help you:
If you want to try to make less smooth paintings try to find a technique where it´s almost impossible to make it smooth or put in heavy restrictions on what kind of brushes you use and how many strokes you may do in every part of the painting. This will force you to find new paths. And don´t put to much "pride" in your paintings then you might allow yourself to do more "crazy" kind of things, since you already got the skills.

[winjer]

this is an extremely boring painting. Why dont you push the colors a little to make things interesting.

[Atmospheria]

Originally posted by winjer
this is an extremely boring painting. Why dont you push the colors a little to make things interesting.

Lunatique said that it was painted from a life session. These sessions are for improving your lights shadows and drawing skills. I'm sure he can push his colors anytime if he wants. Please be more constructive in your comments...
the rendering is really cool and smooth Lunatique....keep it up.

[MadSamoan]

Lunatique,

My advice would be to try to soften or lose edges in areas where some of the parts of her body are in shadow and let them merge in with the darks of the chair. Also I think the high contrast in values and the firmness of the edges of her hands lead the eye away from her face which I think would be opposite of the effect you are going for. The temperatures also seem a little inconsistent or contradictory. Some areas I see cool light and highlights and warm shadows and in other areas I see warm light and cool shadows which is confusing to the eye.

Keep it up though, this is a fine painting indeed.