From the Artist: This is a monochrome portrait in burnt sienna and white. I'm trying to get active status at the Federation Gallery of Canada and was told to paint a painting every day for a year. I need to start selling or go back to a nine to five! All help is much appreciated.
From the Painting Guide: I don't know if it's a self-portrait, but it certainly looks like the face of someone thinking about having to go back to a 'normal' job! Doing a painting a day can be very good for you art on several levels. For starters, it creates a working routine and the discipline of painting every day. Then the sheer volume of painting you're doing means you're practicing your technique, honing your technical skills. But don't expect every single one to be a masterpiece; allow room for experimentation, mistakes, and errors. These are also crucial in a learning process.
Things to Consider When Looking at This Painting:
Why Bother with Monochrome?: Doing a painting in monochrome is a valuable learning technique because it removes color from the equation and forces you to focus on tone alone. Correct use of tone is crucial to a painting, perhaps even more so than color. Just think of black-and-white photos... you don't need color to understand the photo. Once you've got all your tones working, you can glaze on some color should you wish, though often a monochrome painting is powerful just as it is. (See Underpainting in the article on covering a canvas.)
I think the hair is beautifully painted. It's got a sense of texture, of hanging on the head and around the face, and a great use of tone. The mouth is very sad, and I find my eye pulled very strongly towards this. Again, it and the tip of the nose are beautifully painted.
I wonder if there ought to be a bit more shadow under the fringe (bangs), and around the eyes. Also, double check the positioning of the irises of the eyes; to me it seems as if they're not entirely looking the same way.
From the Painting Guide: I don't know if it's a self-portrait, but it certainly looks like the face of someone thinking about having to go back to a 'normal' job! Doing a painting a day can be very good for you art on several levels. For starters, it creates a working routine and the discipline of painting every day. Then the sheer volume of painting you're doing means you're practicing your technique, honing your technical skills. But don't expect every single one to be a masterpiece; allow room for experimentation, mistakes, and errors. These are also crucial in a learning process.
Things to Consider When Looking at This Painting:
Why Bother with Monochrome?: Doing a painting in monochrome is a valuable learning technique because it removes color from the equation and forces you to focus on tone alone. Correct use of tone is crucial to a painting, perhaps even more so than color. Just think of black-and-white photos... you don't need color to understand the photo. Once you've got all your tones working, you can glaze on some color should you wish, though often a monochrome painting is powerful just as it is. (See Underpainting in the article on covering a canvas.)
I think the hair is beautifully painted. It's got a sense of texture, of hanging on the head and around the face, and a great use of tone. The mouth is very sad, and I find my eye pulled very strongly towards this. Again, it and the tip of the nose are beautifully painted.
I wonder if there ought to be a bit more shadow under the fringe (bangs), and around the eyes. Also, double check the positioning of the irises of the eyes; to me it seems as if they're not entirely looking the same way.