Ronna's Portrait Challenge Blog

Comments

• BOB73 -

  July 2017

  I love it already.
  

  

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• tassieguy -

  July 2017

  This is going to be great. Thanks, @Ronna, for showing us such detailed progress  shots.

  

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• PaulB ☆ mod

  July 2017

  I'm fighting the urge to scream out "the colors are all wrong!", but I know better these days.  @Ronna, I hope you keep up the detailed progress shots.

  

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• Forgiveness -

  July 2017 edited July 2017

  Thank you @Ronna, this is quite wonderful. Looks like very good drawing for support under this painting.

  

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• oilpainter1950 -

  July 2017

  This is going to be an excellent portrait.  Looking forward to the finish.
  

  

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• MikeDerby -

  July 2017

  Oooeee, way so good.  The sooner you work that other eye in the better you will feel about it, although you should feel pretty great already.

  

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• dencal -

  July 2017

  Ronna
  
  Looks great. Is your grid a transparent overlay or is it drawn with Pilot Frixion?
  
  Denis

  

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• Ronna -

  July 2017

  Thanks for the comments everyone.
  @PaulB, I agree 
  @dencal, I use a transparent grid that I printed out and place that over the photo.  I also printed out the grid sheets on plain computer paper.
  
  

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• Julianna -

  July 2017

  @Ronna  Beautiful work and thank you for posting the progress photos - as I asked Mike, why are you posting this here and not in the painting thread?  I thought that is where WIPs were to be posted - I am sorry I missed all of this. 

  

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• Ronna -

  July 2017

  Thank you @Julianna.  
  I posted here because Mike did.

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• edavison -

  July 2017

  Looks fantastic so far! 

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• edavison -

  July 2017

  Just a thought, you should post the photo your working from also? It will make it easier for others to give you any advice on colors and values and where they see small adjustments need to be made. 

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• Ronna -

  July 2017

  I had to remix my colors three times now.  They kept clopping up because it has been so warm here. It wasn't that big of a deal really.  Just annoying. 
  Oh how I wish I had put more light on her face when I took the photo.  Less shadow on her left would have been so much better.   I won't make that mistake again.  I'm also still unsure what to do with the background.  She was sitting in a very dark red chair which came up over her head.  If I don't use some red in the background it could mess with the colors in her face I guess?  I suppose I will post the original and you can help me decide.
  
  
  I see I have tweaking to do on her mouth.  Her left side should be higher.
  
  

  

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• Richard_P -

  July 2017

  Looking wonderful!! such a delicate painting.

  

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• Ronna -

  July 2017

  Thank you Richard.

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• edavison -

  July 2017

  Wow this is looking good! 

  

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• Forgiveness -

  July 2017

  Looking wonderful!

  

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• MikeDerby -

  July 2017

  No regrets.  Every decision so far has been spot on.  The dark makes the light work.  Get some hair around it and you will feel much better.  You will need some red to support the red shift in the face.  You could do a three shade background from dark red (almost black) on our right to a softer peachy color on the other side.  Add some blue to the dress and you have a really powerful composition.  Red yellow blue, oldest trick in the book.  Its like 12 bar blues, it just works.
  So far, this portrait is a contender.

  

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• tassieguy -

  July 2017

  It's looking lovely already, @Ronna. They eyes are beautiful.

  

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• PaulB ☆ mod

  July 2017

  @Ronna, that's beautiful.  I'm wondering if you slightly elevated the ears.  The paintings has a slightly more pronounced difference in height of the top of the ears, compare to the drawing.

  

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• Ronna -

  July 2017

  @MikeDerby,  thank you for your input.  I agree I need some red in the background.  I'm going to see if I can test out your idea with my painting app on the iPad.  Her top is blue so I should get the three colors.  I try to get those colors plus black and white in my paintings.  Especially still life.  I love that trick.
  @PaulB, I may start the ears today and I will remeasure. If I get a chance today I will post the a picture of the printout I'm working from.
  Thanks everyone.

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• Kaustav -

  July 2017

  This portrait teaches one thing. Try to start from 'Center of Focus'. Your concentration will be acute so you'll be making lesser mistakes. Rest are not so important.Just placement of values.
  

  

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• BOB73 -

  July 2017

  WOW. this has such a classical flavor to it almost old-world.

  

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• Ronna -

  July 2017

  I was only able to get the ears and part of the neck worked on today.  I started to obsess on the ears so I'm leaving them.  Though I'm starting to like her now . 
  
  Good Grief...I just noticed that dark line coming down from her left eyebrow   It's not like that on the painting.
  

  

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• Richard_P -

  July 2017

  Keep going! I agree with @BOB73, it has a classical feel.

  

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• edavison -

  July 2017

  This is just gorgoeus so far. Your portrait so far reminds me of something David Gray or Scott Wadell would paint...both are great at painting beautiful portraits with subtle value and hue shifts throughout 

  

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• BOB73 -

  July 2017

  ! good grief, are yuo stippling colors against color for any of the skin tones? I cant tell but my eyes aren't that good. I would really love to see this in person. Sooo good.

  

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• tassieguy -

  July 2017

  Just beautiful so far @Ronna. She looks so sweet - sort of innocent and vulnerable.The skin tones are perfect and I like the way you have positioned her on the canvas. As @Richard_P said, it has a classical feel to it.

  

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• Ronna -

  July 2017

  Your comments are encouraging.  Thank you.
  @BOB73, stippling? I had to look that up.  I don't think so.  Maybe by accident.
  @edavison, wow, I like those guys.  I have a few of Scott Wadell's downloads. 
  I wish we could see all the paintings posted on this forum in person.  Pictures don't show the glow of the paint and the transitions between the values can look a bit harsh.
  
  

  

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• edavison -

  July 2017

  I agree completely! It's tough finishing a work your proud of and then taking a picture of it with your iPhone 

  

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• Bancroft414 -

  July 2017

  This is amazing!  Truly beautify work!!  I am struck by your approach to start with the face not the background.  And I would love to hear your thoughts on the relative merits of the two approaches.

  

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• Forgiveness -

  July 2017

  So beautiful, I'm speechless.

  

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• Roxy -

  July 2017

  Just wow.

  

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• Ronna -

  July 2017

  @Bancroft414, about that background.  I would normally put some of the background in first.  She's sitting in a red chair and I'm not sure I want that red all around her so I've been pondering what to do.  I like Mike's idea though so may go with that.

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• Summer -

  July 2017

  @Ronna I live each day to learn something new.  I learned a drawing technique from you that I will use for the rest of my life: Use broken lines to indicate shadows.  It's much better than no differentiation at all which is what I have been doing all my life.  I suppose I could use different colored pencils but I like the broken lines better.  Thanks.  Summer
  

  

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• Ronna -

  July 2017

  @Summer, happy to help

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• Ronna -

  July 2017

  Because the paint is drying so fast on the shadow side these new updated pictures look a bit weird. I probably won't post the finished painting until I varnish in a few weeks.  So, on the background I decided to just go with what was on my print out.  Pretty much what Mike suggested I think?  I have to finish the arms.  I got as close to the light coppery color in the hair highlights as I could mix but man oh man I had the hardest time getting something close.  Reflections from the red chair.  I'm ok with it though. 
  
  
  I guess I could have put some oil on the dried side to pop the color but there could still be some wet areas.
  

  

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• Summer -

  July 2017

  @Ronna You have my vote already.  Each intersection is flawless!  Summer
  

  

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• Richard_P -

  July 2017

  Looks really nice. At the moment I think there might be too much background on the left, I would consider cropping it a bit.

  

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• BOB73 -

  July 2017

  This was good enough to enter in the portrait challenge after your first posting. About the highlights in the hair, I think you conquered that little demon. I think the background brings a little more warmth to her dark eyes. Spectacular portrait.

  

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• PaulB ☆ mod

  July 2017

  Superb.  Wonderful portrait.  Well done.

  

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• oilpainter1950 -

  July 2017

  Beautiful portrait.
  

  

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• Boudicca -

  July 2017

  Gorgeous Ronna.

  

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• tassieguy -

  July 2017

  Beautiful, @Ronna. The orange background works great against the light blue dress.

  

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• MikeDerby -

  July 2017

  @Ronna - its a beautiful portrait, but something happened.  Look at this.  This is earlier in the process.
  
  This is the most recent
  
  It looks as though the canvas has absorbed the pigment or it got wiped off somehow.  Those values are too light for the shadow side of the face and you had them right earlier.  What do you think happened?

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• Ronna -

  July 2017

  Thank you guys for your comments. I greatly appreciate them.
  @Richard_P, I actually wanted her to be off set like that.  I appreciate your input on that though.
  @MikeDerby, Thank you also for your input.  Actually, nothing got wiped off and nothing got changed.  It's been so hot here so the shadow side dried faster than the rest.  The values didn't change.  They'll come back once I varnish.  The picture is a bit deceptive.  That's why I mentioned above that it looks weird.

  

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• MikeDerby -

  July 2017

  Phew, so glad.  I have never seen that much oxidation before but know it happens.  glad its just the photo.

  

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• BOB73 -

  July 2017 edited July 2017

  As a matter of composition @Ronna & @Richard_P , I remember from when I was a kid in an after-school art class the instructor saying if there is only one object it should not be centered. I never heard anyone contradict that advice except the lady at the drivers license bureau that takes the pictures there.

  

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• Forgiveness -

  July 2017

  Beautiful portrait @Ronna. I know what you mean about fast drying and oxidization, I found oiling it out first, then varnish when ready. Happened in my last and may/not happen again. Great work! 

  

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• Richard_P -

  July 2017

  BOB73 said:

  As a matter of composition @Ronna & @Richard_P , I remember from when I was a kid in an after-school art class the instructor saying if there is only one object it should not be centered. I never heard anyone contradict that advice except the lady at the drivers license bureau that takes the pictures there.

  All rules in art can be broken.. take off your hat!

  

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