week 7

I'm afraid it's not as obvious that I worked on this as I thought, but as I started it became clear to me that what it needs is not a drastic makeover but rather many subtle (and occasionally different) layers of similar colors to build a richness. It was too physically shallow before. I followed advice and added more of the other colors to the other colors, lightened the brown, (right now the background is lighter but I'm going to do some more layers on it. I obscured the magazine cut outs a little more, and used a few dry medias in the hairs.

I can't seem to get a neutral background, true colors, and no glare or funky shadows tonight. I've tried every configuration of lamps and propping... It's still has some wet areas, which aren't helping the glare factor. I'll post the best of what I got, but will keep working on it over spring break and resubmit the following week. 

 

Reshoot: much more accurate color, still some glare.

 

Comments and feedback from class:

Student:  Judy 

I can see the subtle changes in the orange hair and the details added to the purple shirt.  I think these all look great and add a lot to the piece.  I found to photograph without glare I had to finally invest in photography lighting.   The cheap way is to put translucent paper such as tracing paper over your light fixture to diffuse the light more and then that should help with the glare problem.

 

student: Loulie  

I love all of the textures... not only the collaged papers, but also the brushstrokes.  The complexity of textures works well with the simplicity of the image.

Student:  Lori  

the textures in the dress are really becoming lovely texture and layers is key to this artwork.  

Student:  Nicole  Subject: 

Good to see you working with this image more, and to see more textural painting that is characteristic of your work. Post again, when you can. I'd like to see your progress.

Me:

I think I might be done with this one for a while. Work on the new thing, learn from it and then decide what to do next on this.  (I posted the reshoot, above, today. The color is much truer to the real thing!)

Student:  Dacey  

The main figure is pwoerful, but the dark hair of the figure on the right creates a hole and the work is unbalanced.  Maybe work more in the figure with the orange hair to distract from the dark image.

Student:  Nicole 

Dacey is on to something here. Perhaps more detail or smaller intricate forms could help with the balance.

 
     
Student:  me

Here's the thing. I think that's all a bunch of nit picking. Even though this is a "project" it feels more like a large-scale test. I have lost all sense of obligation to make this one "work" right now. I feel like I got what I needed out of it to move forward. I don't think tweaking it here and there is the answer. Once I get a few more done in sort of this vein, I'll revist this and probably overhaul it.  Thanks for tha advice, but at this point little adjustments are feeling kind of moot.

My question is if it's a color/value issue how come no one said any of these things back when I was doing my color tests...???

Granted the brown is a tad lighter, but ultimately, I think the same issues apply with weight, balance, contrast, depth perception, etc. In the next one I'm taking into consideration where colors naturally appear in space as I build it so that none of these issues will be relevant.
And adding detail to the hair is NOT the solution. As is I feel like the orange hair is too separate because it's too detail heavy. I promise giving it more detail will not detract from the black.


Does anyone have feedback on the larger concept, because I'm a lot more interested in that than subtly changing relationship of the planes of this thing.

Instructor:  Sarah    

Hi Emily,
I think this is dramatically better and I can see how you might proceed with this kind of work. I agree that it is probably time to put this aside and start work on the next one. So these are not notes on what to do here, but things to keep in mind as you go forward:
The composition feels fine to me. It may not be traditionally correct but it works - in part because it rebels in a conscious way from what we expect.
The detail is fantastic - I suspect that this is even better in person. (Sigh) I would think more consciously about the edges when you move to the next piece, though. How thing behave as they hit the edge of the panel is crucial. I won't say what I think is "correct" but here, the edges feel like an afterthought. They can't be.
The absolute emphasis on color and shape and texture actually returns us once again to identity. Who are we beyond our surface and yet how much of our response to others is based on shape, texture and color?
S

Student:  Nicole Subject: 

So your goal with this painting was to encorporate flat planes of color for the heads, with the contrast, texture and focal point being the collaged hair?

Student:  Emily Ellingsworth  
Subject: 

In reference to: post by Nicole Lamothe

So your goal with this painting was to encorporate flat planes of color for the heads, with the contrast, texture and focal point being the collaged hair?

Yeah, the goal is for the interest to be on the "fashion", not the "person", as in fashion illustration and design. It's not about the model, allowing space for the viewer to project their self into it. I'm not sure that's entirely the point, but something like that.

Student:  Emily Ellingsworth 
Subject: 

In reference to:  post by Sarah 

Sounds good. Thanks! I have 2 "small" ones (approximately 15.5"x18") in the works so that I can work out some of the technical issues, application, etc. Then I can take what I learned there for the giant one (48"x40").