This is a portrait commission that I was working on this week. At left is the full-sized value sketch and composition. After meeting with the client and an hour-long photography session, we decided that the simplest design would be the best approach. Shannon is a very pretty girl who exudes a good deal of confidence and friendliness. Adding background elements or a complicated design may have taken away from that.
After tweaking the composition, I started layering the skin tones with quinacridone colors and transparent pigments. This kept a nice glow in the painting even with subsequent layers.I saved the opaques (mostly Cad Red and Turquoise) for the end to punch up some dark areas.
13 comments:
Hi Peggi - love your previous post (just seen it today as I have not been on the computer of late) of your son in the sunlight. I have also always loved Desiderada and have had a copy for many years. Not only love the words but the gentle rhythm too.
As for your commission, it was good to see the tonal sketch before the finished colour work. You have certainly captured the confident personality of your young subject.
Hey Peggi,
Shannon's portrait is simply gorgeous! Actually, I didn't realize it was a watercolor at first because the colors are so rich! Great work!
Beautifully painted with such a great feeling - like you said, a confidence in her demeanor which you have captured.
I admire your work so much, Peggi! You really do capture the feeling of the people you paint!
That's wonderful!
http://globalartblog.blogspot.com/
I love the way you always bring in other color values in shadow areas- like her little white shirt.
That's really pretty.
And agree with one of your commenters here. You really work watercolor different than I think I've ever seen. I actually would have thought it was an acrylic.
Vikki
Peggi: I'd have thought it was risky to do a pose like this one. Her feet, which are so far back, might look too little or the perspective might be hard to understand (would they look like someone else's feet or misplaced rabbit ears?). But you brought it off nicely. There's no misunderstanding. She looks so comfy and cute.
Have you ever wanted to try fresco painting? I'm sure you would be great at it.
Manon, Rhonda, Joan and Lauren,
Thanks for the nice comments. This was a fun commission because Shannon had fun modeling and was so patient!
You are really a master of watercolor, Peggi. Congratulations on a beautiful painting.
Vikki,
Thanks! That's what I love about watercolors. They can applied as soft and wispy to bold and vibrant and everything in between!
Karine,
Thanks for the nice words. Very much appreciated.
100 swallows,
Part of being fairly new to portraits is the fact that you sometimes jump in, not realizing that a particular pose or composition is one to be avoided. Not until you are working on it do you go, "Uh, oh. Now what?" As with Shannon's feet. I moved them away from their original location near her head and made them darker and "fuzzier" to look as though they are receding.
I read your post about fresco painting: http://100swallows.wordpress.com/2009/03/05/what-is-fresco/. It is an intriguing technique, but oh the patience you would need. I saw on another website about a workshop that teaches the technique by creating them in frames instead of on the wall. Thanks for the info.
Very lovely, Peggi! Thank you for visiting my blog and commenting today. Have a great week!
What a very awesome portrait. The photo is perfectly being copied through that portrait. Lovely!!!
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