Disappointment many times

Here's one which has been on and off the easel possibly over two years. Now having given the lady a completely new face and a different setting I think I know want I want to do. Quite a way to go though. Her hand clutching her waist has to be inserted, her foot is wrong size and right leg at wrong angle. This is the beauty of working with oil. The setting is a cottage which some friends of ours had converted from a 16th century bakehouse.

Jack

You always have such interesting poses with the women you paint. I be interested to see the changes as they take place.

Judy

I'm looking forward to seeing your changes as well. I like what I see so far.

Try doing the figure by itself on a seperate canvass until you are satisfied, then use that as your model or make a very good pencil drawing and work from that. You are having the same trouble with skin tone and gradations of value to capture her expression as I have had. I love the pose and the room. I think her foot is fine. What size canvass are you using? It might help to use a larger canvass.

I love this one - the clarity and freshness in the colors on the skirt are beautiful

Thank you all for your responses.
Linus whilst I appreciate what you are saying it appears to me you adopt a scientific/technical approach. Nothing wrong with that, but, it is not for me.
I think I paint from the heart. I paint straight onto the support and sometimes it goes wrong sometimes magically right. If necessary I wipe off and start again and sometimes the wiping off gives me base colours which I did not expect. That to me is the magic of painting. If I am working from a photograph then one concession I do make is to grid it cos that gives me a degree of certainty that my proportions are right. If I have a model in the studio then I use two compasses for control.
I may also change my mind about the content of a painting. That's not considered correct but sometimes it takes me along an unexpected route. More magic.
A professional painter has to be bound to certain rules, for his or her living depends upon the outcome.
At the end of the day we should all be seeking satisfaction along the various paths our work takes us.

Getting close to a conclusion. Face and left hand requires further work. Trouble is I now have the image for my next painting. Impatience sets in.

It is coming along beautifully. Once you get the face and hand done, it will be outstanding.

judy

It's looking lovely! I hope you can resist the urge to rush to the finish line to start your next painting.

It's no longer disappointment it's despair. Setting it aside I'm looking at it too much and seeing things that are wrong.
Uggle

Jack

Jack, maybe time to set it aside again for a while and come back to it.

Jack, sounds like it's time to take a break so you can come back to it with fresh eyeballs. Get your new idea sketched up so you can quit chomping at the bit, then maybe you can see better how you want to finish this one

Thanks Callie and Janet it's what I thought but it's nice to have it confirmed.

Jack

Jack,

Put it aside, but keep it visible because one day you will walk past it and say "That's what it needs!"....and suddenly it will all come together. Don't give up on it.

Judy

Thanks Judy. Took your advice and have now picked it up again. Obliterated face and hair and then just played around using my oils just like watercolour. I now have a creature with rather delicate features and somewhat wild hair. She is angry having just been let down by her boy friend. Might put a few flowers in the corner where she has hurled them.
Anyway I've got the cooking to organise. A nice salmon. Yum Yum.
Why don't I paint the salmon I ask myself.

Kopo: I really love how this looks now. You definitely have painted in a great amount of emotions for the girl. Beautiful!

Jack, I love the changes! I really like the combination of elegant and wild. Perfect amount of details in the facial features. One thing that I struggle with when painting figures.

Did you alter the background colors or is it just the camera. I hope not. It was perfect the way it was. She definitely looks disappointed and the wild red hair adds to the "Who cares attitude"

Judy

Thank you Crystal, Janet and Judy. Not sure why, but the painting is not as vivid red as the photograph.
Jack

Jack - I love the way this had developed - the background is great and her face now really tells a story.

Thank you Sofie
Jack

I love the difference with the hair as well - shows vulnerability

Thanks Dale, I'm very vulnerable, I haven't got any
Jack

Cute! Heading your way next week. Can you make sure that there is warm weather?

Guaranteed