[cryptical]

I haven't painted anything in years. This is my first attempt to get back into art. Its a gift for my girl so it's supposed to be her in the painting. Since I'm not very good yet and still learning I can't get her looking right. I know the rest of the painting is very cartoonish and unrealistic but it was done quick and without any references. Any feedback on what I should do with her in the painting would be greatly appreciated. I don't have a image reference of her, but just tips on general portrait painting would help a lot. Thanks all.



(Sorry about the poor image quality, I have a crappy digital camera.)

[tor]

hi,

some tips, first i think you could work a bit on your perspective. it seem to be all over the place, but then again, it might not be
what you're after . as for the portrait itself i think you could do with a stand in (maybe even yourself) to find the pose.
important if you want the proportions to work. i also suggest you do some sketches before starting with the color pots, this
way you know the composition on forehand so you can concentrate on the light. the lighting is important, you should decide
the direction for your main light and your general light. again some really simple light tests will be valuable. i'll post some
examples if i find the time

paintings as presents rock though, well done!

t�

[J Bradford]

For her face, trying working from general to specific. Block in where you think shodows should go such as below her eyes, neck, etc. Think about placement of the features, where she should be looking. Do some sketches first before applying paint.

[tor]

ehh, here is a thumbnail of what i meant.

i lowered the horizon line slightly and put some form to the forground building.
as a balance to the composition i had the light coming from the left leaving the right side darker. of course you could make the window much larger since your girl is in it but i don't know what she looks like so...

again, i suggest you do some more sketcing before painting.



good luck!

t�

[cryptical]

tor olsson - Awesome! Thanks a bunch for that sketch. I'm sure thats where I went wrong, I just starting throwing down the paint first without any kind of preliminary drawing to go off of. I'll defintely make sure to do that next time. I'm also saving up some money to get a wacom so I can do a lot more practicing and sketching on my computer.

I like the moss growing on the castle wall too, I never thought of that. Very much appreciated.

J Bradford - Thats what I'm going to try to do and block in the features as much as I can first, then work on details. I just need to practice more, but I wanted to make this picture quick for her birthday coming up soon. Thanks for the advice.