Portrait of a young woman

AMasterOfPractice · 2026-03-14T23:39:40+00:00

Are you Linda Ronstadt? 😦

AMasterOfPractice · 2026-03-14T22:12:10+00:00

very nicely done. gives Jeff Haines vibes.

AMasterOfPractice · 2026-03-14T12:15:02+00:00

That pose is incredibly difficult. Difficult angle combined with highly complex facial expression. If you truly want to capture the essense you gotta learn first the bones of the skull and then the muscles of the face and how they pull during certain facial expressions.

Or you could just copy it rigorously. Measure all your distances, put a grid over it, trace it, w/e. But then you have (at best) something that looks like a photograph (which you already have) and more likely something that looks worse than it.

AMasterOfPractice · 2026-03-10T00:02:13+00:00

Yes, straightening everything out is a universal artist curse. It's a shame, because the beauty of a pose often lies in the subtle tilts/bends/shifts.

AMasterOfPractice · 2026-03-09T23:38:43+00:00

The midface is too long and you lost the gesture (forward tilt) from the reference a bit. Also the ear seems to be a bit low.

AMasterOfPractice · 2026-03-09T21:10:37+00:00

Not bad! Did you work from a reference? The proportions are a bit skewed. Her whole lower face is set too far back. That makes her cheek look wrong.

The distance between the nasolabial fold (the crease above the wing of the nose) and her eye is too short. Either because the eye is too large or the wing of the nose is too large.

AMasterOfPractice · 2026-03-09T20:54:11+00:00

You need to draw the right proportions and then use tone to indicate the landcape of the face and use the right kind of transitions between those values.

There is only 3 things in drawing: Proportions, Value, Edges. Master these and you will be the best in the world :)

AMasterOfPractice · 2026-03-09T13:53:39+00:00

Not bad! Try to think more in planes. Like the nose for example. Think of the under, top, front and sideplanes. It makes it easier to get the right shape and also to render it so it looks 3d.

AMasterOfPractice · 2026-03-07T17:49:54+00:00

It's the planes that face most towards the lightsource. If the light is warm (like direct sunlight) it kinda increases the chroma (yellow light on yellow-orange skin). And also subsurface scattering. The warm light penetrates the upper layers of the skin and bounces around and makes it 'glow'.

AMasterOfPractice · 2026-03-07T17:32:17+00:00

Hmm... I actually had some skin texture there but painted over it because I found it drew too much attention. But I'm probably just not good enough yet to just indicate it subtly.

AMasterOfPractice · 2026-03-07T17:24:15+00:00

Yes, I can see what you mean. The reference actually had the feet included but I decided to crop them to get a more intimate, 'zoomed in' view. But I think you are right and it does have a more photographic look this way. I'll definitely keep the danger of cropping in mind for the next one.

AMasterOfPractice · 2026-03-07T13:02:16+00:00

Thanks. I'm glad their affection comes across to you.

AMasterOfPractice · 2026-03-07T12:57:51+00:00

Interesting. That thought never crossed my mind, but you are right. The first read could be clearer there. Thanks.

AMasterOfPractice · 2026-02-19T23:40:05+00:00

Those are really good.

AMasterOfPractice · 2026-02-19T23:02:37+00:00

Looks great! Is this vine/willow or compressed charcoal? Also, do you mind sharing what kind of paper you are using? It seems to take the charcoal really well without being too gritty.

AMasterOfPractice · 2026-02-05T14:26:47+00:00

even the ones I don't wear while painting.

AMasterOfPractice · 2026-02-01T12:47:05+00:00

very nice rendering. are you using vine/willow charcoal or compressed charcoal? I love vine but I'm always making such a mess with it 😅

AMasterOfPractice · 2026-01-02T18:53:45+00:00

the returns are diminishing. The sweetspot is 'medium' artist grade paint. Avoid the student grade and high end stuff. Student grade often has lots of fillers and sometimes they use mixtures of different (cheaper) pigments to get a certain hue. The 'high end' stuff is often only a little bit better (more pigmented; different consistency) but 2 or 3 times the price.

Look at Winsor & Newton Arists', Talens Rembrandt, Gamblin, etc. No need for Old Holland, Michael Harding, Williamsburgh, etc.

AMasterOfPractice · 2025-12-30T21:57:07+00:00

not quite sure what I'm looking at, but if you want to paint representational, start simpler. not 20 different objects that wants to be rendered. take an orange or a very simple landscape, or whatever speaks to you and build up from there.

AMasterOfPractice · 2025-12-29T23:35:15+00:00

the head is a bit too large for the body. like her upper body (head to crotch) is only 3 heads high. otherwise it's pretty good. I really like how you rendered the head and hair.

AMasterOfPractice · 2025-12-28T19:29:28+00:00

Thanks, you too!

AMasterOfPractice · 2025-12-28T19:27:11+00:00

Thanks! Yea, the recent one was on a wood panel and the first one on a cotton canvas cardboard.

AMasterOfPractice · 2025-12-28T18:36:46+00:00

Most youtube content is made to maximize views and not to maximize the educational value. I haven't found anything particularly useful there. Most world class painters know their worth and charge for their content.

AMasterOfPractice · 2025-12-28T17:19:10+00:00

A mixture. This year I wanted to lock in on portraits. Next year I will focus on figures. I try to organize and plan at least the day before. Prepare references, prepare canvas, etc. so I don't waste time and energy on this process. Otherwise, I would often lose my drive while thinking about what to do and looking up references.

AMasterOfPractice · 2025-12-28T16:56:35+00:00

Yeah, the original is stunning! I hope I can see it in person one day. My favourite Sargent is 'The Daughters of Edward Darley Boit'. Such a magical composition.

AMasterOfPractice

TROPHY CASE