Oil painting

[Number 28]

Yeah, you're right, but it'll be more like the photo by the time i'm finished, don't worry. Not an inch of it is what i'd call finished at the moment - I just stuck a picture up because i'd had a long slog at it, and was quite proud of the skin tones i've got going on. But aye, haven't really started the mouth yet, I just got a bit of base paint in the dark areas. I like to get some colour in all the areas first, because there's nothing worse than blank bits of canvas. It all helps if the base is put down asap so it'll be dry by the time I come back to that area to finalise things.

I'd work on the mouth next actually, if the hand didn't deserve more of my attention. That's gunna be a toughie.

P.S.

If you flick back and forth between the source and painting in a slideshow

Please don't do that again.

[Archie]

Meh, I could tell something wasn't quite right before I did that I drive myself mad doing that with my own stuff too.

At the insistence of a certain invididual (they know who they are), I've also been making much more frequent use of mirrors to check overall proportions.

[larrydavidsanger]

Jeez, that's brilliant already! Good luck for the rest of it, I wouldn't have the patience or steady hand needed for that sort of painting, I'm a bit jealous

[Number 28]

Thanks Larry. Don't feel bad.

Meh, I could tell something wasn't quite right before I did that I drive myself mad doing that with my own stuff too.

I avoid doing such things at all costs because I know if I did i'd feel the need to correct everything. I'm sorta adverse to the idea of getting it spot on anyway, because at the end of the day if I wanted I could take the painting into photoshop, lay it over the photograph and spend time morphing it, clone stamping it, adjusting colours, and make it look exactly like the photograph. I like to think that my take on things, however wrong, is still *my* take on things, and that's what is important... if you understand me.

For what it's worth I thought there was nothing wrong at all with the proportions in that other thread. Before I clicked on the link your warning made me expect to see a disaster, but it's really quite wow. I think you must suffer from that nagging 'never quite right' feeling that I get too. The more time I spend with a painting, the less and less pleased I become with it. It's horrible.

[Archie]

Hell yes. I'll leave a drawing overnight, come back to it in the morning and think "what the shit.."

Sometimes I don't notice what are (in my view) fairly glaring mistakes though, and the result is stuff like that picture you mention. Thanks for the compliment, but go back to it again and look at the eyes. One's like six inches above the other. One ear is above the other. The whole face is skewed so the features don't line up as they should. Again though, the buyer was happy so I try my best to shrug.

I do know what you mean about it being your 'take', and I agree it should be. My interpretation of the principle is that my 'take' often gets subverted by my stupid hands, and the result does not look enough like the source for me to be happy. I usually end up redoing at least one significant thing per drawing. My latest drawing, I redid one of the eyes three times before I was happy with it.

I realise you can take it to the point of absurdity - like the photorealistic drawing thing - but I'm only talking about trying to capture in my drawing what I get from the source. I don't go for a pixel-perfect (so to speak) copy; certainly a modicum of metaphorical airbrushing probably goes on. The woman I drew recently said my drawing was her, but wished she looked that good.

[hughes]

Did the original girl like the present?

[Number 28]

Would you believe, she hasn't sodding got it yet...

I sent it on the 17th...she does live in Malta though. It's still rather disappointing, as another package I sent there arrived in a week, yet my painting still isn't there.

Archie, I kinda see what you mean about the eyes now, but it's really difficult to spot. It looks fantastic to me anyway. Do you use photoshop at all, because you could easily shift things about if it bothers you that much.

[Archie]

I could, but that would be cheating. It doesn't bother me that much, but enough that I reserve the right to gripe about it every now and then.

On the other hand, the latest drawing is probably the closest to a perfectly-proportioned drawing I've ever done. So of course I gripe about the hair instead.

Anyway, I'm buggering off out of your thread now, until you post the next update!

[Number 28]

Small update (i'm going to borrow a decent camera soon, I promise) -

I've defined the eyes a little better - they're pretty much there. Not happy with the eyebrows yet, mind. I'm not going to go as overboard with detail on this one i've decided, as the original photo is slightly out of focus to begin with. I'm finding that the painting looks good slightly blurred also. The hair will also be a lot easier if things aren't so tightly defined. I've realised from building up the darkness around the eyes, that the rest of the skin tones are quite a lot brighter than the original picture, so everything else needs to be darkened, and more heavily saturated with colour. Saying that, the brightness/colours don't look half as bad in the real world as they do in this crappy photo taken with my webcam.

Btw...still my painting hasn't arrived. £50 worth of paint, canvas, framing and postage, on top of 4 weeks of work. Fucking A! Next time I want to mail my hard work, i'll just fire it into the sun.

[larrydavidsanger]

That's already incredibly good, I'd leave it the way it was if it was mine.

[Number 28]

Well, i've not started the hair, and barely started the mouth, and the hand needs a lot of work. Thanks tho'.

I think the hair is going to make it, if I can pull it off. It's where the majority of the detail will lie.

[Monkeyboy]

You talented bastard! Can't wait to see how the second picture ends up.

[Number 28]

Thanks. I best get on with it then eh...

[Archie]

Yes, get going slacker. People waiting here.

[Number 28]

Yes dad.

[Number 28]

With a decent camera -

See, lots to do!

[Archie]

Talk about underselling...

[Monkeyboy]

Not to debase your art in any way, Number 28, but surely some of these paintings have got you laid somewhere along the line...

[Number 28]

Sadly not as the subjects currently reside in another country, but i'll get back to you on that after my next trip.

No, of course not. I would never use my skills for evil.

[Number 28]

Yaaay, she finally got the painting and seems very happy with it. Apparently the post office had re-wrapped it, so the parcel must've got torn in transit. Ok, in future i'll wrap so much tape around things that you can't see an inch of paper. Oh, and send everything via recorded mail. It's such a relief that it got there though...pheeeew.

OILS well that ends well.

(I just made that up and thought i'd add it )

[Gunstar]

Stunning work Number 28. Really love the skin tones. How about a movie/game still next ?

OILS well that ends well.

[Number 28]

Thanks!

I've already received another request, but it's something to consider after that job. I wouldn't mind doing something with Toshiro Mifune.

Maybe a little predictable, but I can imagine something like that being popular. I think i'd switch it to browns/sepia, or maybe blues. Mixing shades of grey wouldn't be much fun.

Edit: He pulls so many interesting faces and poses.* Legend.

*ok, just 'angry', and 'thoughtful' then...

[Gunstar]

OMG a Mifune would seriously be incredible! make it happen

[Number 28]

Well see how these things go... Got my work cut out.

[Orchid]

I'm going to give this a go like I said I would when you first posted this.

Here's the start up sketch, i'm not going to try and capture her exactly because i think it might take too long. From the drawing should I put in the main outlines in ink?

[Number 28]

It's a good idea if you want to see the lines under the paint, but i'd water it down a lot so it's not *too* visible... a mistake I made with my recent pic.

Looks good, what are you going from?

[Orchid]

A very high resolution picture of scarlett johannson. I spent an hour on that drawing alone and now I don't want to have to rub it out

Which bits in particular should I outline?

Ref

[Number 28]

Just, whatever you wanna be able to see... but i'd go for the main outlines basically. Edge of the face...eye sockets... eyebrows...mouth, etc. Not lines such as those faint lines on the cheeks and that. It doesn't really matter too much though, as you should be able to cover them up.

[Orchid]

Righty right, i'll give that a go tonight, cheers!

[Number 28]

Good to see people being inspired.

Go on, give it a try!

(something I made aaages ago when I was bored one day...)