Friday, May 22, 2009

Hard faces or Faces are hard

Sweet Retreat
6 x 6
oil on doorskin
I'm having a tough time painting faces and I think it's because too much change in value, hue, intensity and the edges become hard. I'm feeling badly about the women looking a little on the tough side. These ladies were having a little time out while shopping the winding streets of a small town in France. People there carry a strange assortment of bags to haul home the groceries as they are way ahead of us in being 'green' and will not offer plastic bags at the grocery stores. I found my backpack worked well but the woman in pink leans towards economy opting for an orange garbage bag.

6 comments:

Unknown said...

You've caught the gestural quality of casualness and spontaneity perfectly! love this!

Carolina said...

I agree with Sheila. Great painting...

L.Holm said...

It's hard to get features in on a small size. small marks make huge shifts. But I agree with the gang--you've got the essence in. I see their concentration on their snack, and not toughness. I also like the cozy circle of light that encircles the ladies, and then the circle of darker tones in the tree and stone that leads us around again, and back to the figures. great orange glow in that bag! a garbage bag. who'd a thunk! :-)

Gary Keimig said...

Very nice gesture painting . As the 2 previous comments stated. Liked your prior post too. Nice choice of a subject.

David Larson Evans said...

Love the color,love the subject,love the painting.

Unknown said...

Thanks everyone for your kind comments. Am starting to find painting people an intriguing process.