Thursday, April 2, 2009

Pastel Portrait







Update!!!
This is the painting in truer color and with the adjustments I made. Thanks for all the great tips on how to finish.










I have been working on this portrait in pastel. I find it helps if I photograph it and then look at it to see if I need to adjust anything. It helps me to decide if I am finished or not. I will look at it in the morning with fresh eyes and then decide.

7 comments:

Avocaken said...

I've tried looking at work in a mirror, turning it on it's sides BUT making a digital photo seems to help me the most in finding faults (hopefully not). I never thought a digital camera would be a useful tool in painting! :-)

Really nice portrait - I vote that it's finished. I like it very much!!!!

Ken B

Diana Marshall said...

Hi Maria,
I am painting a portrait at the moment of a little boy looking down, which I couldn't get right, then I turned it upside down and the ref photo, and all my mistakes just popped out, which was very helpful. I also look at it in a mirror to look for corrections. Great painting though.

Vern Schwarz said...

Looks great Maria, I agree, a photo usually reveals the things we were hoping did not exist. I think with smaller pieces they are blown up larger and any mistakes are amplified. With larger pieces, the subtleties are usually lost, but larger problems are revealed. I agree though, this looks done.

Vern Schwarz said...

Maria, you really brought it home. Love the finished painting. What a difference in colours between the two photos.

Unknown said...

I agree a photo doesn't lie does it. Its a great portrait Maria, lovely skin tones:o)

Diana Marshall said...

wow Maria, what an improvement the second photo shows, much better colors and more painterly. Great stuff!

Paintings by Irit Bourla said...

Great portrait I love the colors on the finished one.