Portrait Backgrounds

"Lauren in the Sun"

Oil on Canvas, 6" sq., c. Catherine Vines

   

Such a big smile - that's Lauren. And always in motion. Her mother says she sometimes has to remind her to eat, she's always so active.

I don't have that problem.

I am experimenting with a darker background with these portraits.  This one started off green, Lauren's favorite color, but I think the darker brown sets her face off better.

Working with an Underpainting

"Lauren" - In Progress

Oil on Canvas, 6" sq., c. Catherine Vines

   

This photograph has lots of shadows to it, so many I am concerned about making clear what is what.

And I would really love to have her turn out well. She is such a dear child, though in the underpainting she has the potential to be glamorous.

She always greats me with a hug, and you can't have too many of those. Not when your daughter lives 3000 miles away. 

More Painting Little Boys

"Neal: I Can't Believe It!"

Oil on Canvas, 6" sq., c. Catherine Vines

   

Or one special little boy. 

Wouldn't you love to know what he was looking at? Unfortunately I was more interested in getting his photograph that looking to see what so entranced him.

Interestingly enough, having painted him once did not make the second picture easier. It sees as if it would have been just the opposite.

Mixing a New Color Palette

"Color Palette III"

   

I liked the range of paints in my last portrait, so based on them I have created a new palette of skin tones, highlights and shadows.  I will add color choices for reflected light depending upon the situation.

As you can see, this is a hard subject to photograph.

On the other hand, I am so lucky to live in a neighborhood with a lot of willing models!

Creating Fleshtones

 

Portrait - In Progress

Oil on Canvas, 6" sq., c. Catherine Vines

   

This is the portrait I am building around yesterday's palette.

To backtrack: Using the method outlined in Suzanne Brooker's book, "Portrait Painting Atelier," I started with a large pile of Rembrandt's version of Alizarin Crimson, Permanent Madder Medium, mixed to a value of 5-6.

I then combined that with Yellow Ochre Light and Titanium/Flake White in varying proportions, and separately with Naples Yellow and Titanium/Flake White, again in varying proportions.

I also used some Ultramarine Violet combinations for shadows.

All these colors were in midtone ranges.

Using Liquid on the Surface

"Caroline"

Oil on Canvas, 6" sq., c. Catherine Vines

   

She's very beautiful, isn't she?

I found my red palette worked for this painting, but in the end I seemed to prefer blues for the shadows. And they worked beautifully with her hair tones.
Because this painting had sat for almost 10 days before I could return to it, I tried something I had only read about: I put a layer of Liquin over the surface and then resumed painting. It worked beautifully, though left me confused about the 'fat over lean' concept. I am so sorry I can't give credit for the idea.

I Was Disappointed...

"Three Plums"

Oil on Canvas, 8x10," c. Catherine Vines

   

... In the plum in my last posting, (See "Three Fruits.") so I decided to concentrate on just plums.

The two fruits in the front row are defined by individual strokes, without overworking. 

The rear fellow was worked to death, poor guy; but I do like that flash of red.

I'm still fighting with my backgrounds. The almost watercolor look of the rear shadow is pretty cool though.

The process seems to be pick out what doesn't work and practice, practice, practice.