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Fifth Image

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The eyes are now brown. I am beginning the very complicated work on the colorful shirt.  I like the choice Andrea made using the bright hat with the vivid and colorful plaid shirt.  These complicated articles are actually fun to paint if an artist is not in a hurry.  We must remember to examine how the light falls on these items as well as how the face is lit.  I really think a portrait is enhanced when the subject is lit brightly on one side and the shadow is dark on the other.  The old masters and modern artists of today call this chiaroscuro.  It can be very difficult to keep the skin tones believable when working on these two contrasting light effects. You will see in following images how the skin tones developed slowly over time until I felt there were soft transitions between the dark and the light. A model or client should never form an opinion when the work is in this stage.  If you were looking at a beautiful child and could only see the first layers (bones or muscle) you would not think this is the end result.  Perhaps this is why some artists never allow their clients to view the painting until it is finished.

 

 

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