Wed 10 Oct 2007
Larry’s Girl by Meg Lyman
16×20″ Oil on Masonite
Here she is… as finished as I can manage. Another nice thing about oils is that I can fix anything later on, so critiques are welcome! I think the contrast on her skin isn’t high enough, but I’m afraid I’ll ruin it if I do anything. I already tried darkening it and nearly botched the whole thing. Maybe I’ll go back after I’ve done a few weeks of nice, predictable pencil work.
It’s too big to fit on my scanner, so I photographed it with my snarky digital camera. The color’s pretty good but the contrast and detail aren’t quite right.
I’m not sure what to think of it, but I’m glad it’s finished. *whew*
October 10th, 2007 at 10:39
Looks great! I really like how the robes came out. I’ve been “noodling” with mine (albeit slowly, due to the lack of Cobalt Drier), and I still havent quite gotten them to look right.
I’m almost afraid to get into painting her armband… ;)
I think you’re right about the skin contrast. It looks good on the face, but her arm looks slightly flat. Beyond that, though, everything looks terrific. The detail in the sky and the trees are awesome.
October 11th, 2007 at 7:51
Looks great Meg! I agree, the contrast on her body reads a bit flat but I’m sure you can alter that later.
That sky is incredible and I love how you’ve handled the folds in the fabric, awesome work!
Will you be trying out more pieces in oil in the future?
October 11th, 2007 at 1:30
I think it looks beautiful! I love the folds in her drape and the colors in the sky.
:)
October 11th, 2007 at 3:26
Hey Meg,
I knew you would do a wonderful job finishing your up, and you did. I agree with the others about the skin. the dark areas definately could have gone darker to give it more contract and shapel. Also, the whole right side of the cloth could have used some more rounding. Nothing a few glazes could fix. Overall, you have done a super job. :)
October 13th, 2007 at 2:19
I love the soft tones of her face, and the delicate shadowing under her chin. Gorgeous sky, too. Really nice work Meg!
October 13th, 2007 at 7:35
Thanks, everyone!
Glad to see y’all agree about the contrast. I could have ignored my own advice, but I can’t ignore all of you!
Before I forget, here’s a link to Kelly’s Larry’s Girl, so you can see what others in the class did: http://www.kellybrightbill.com/
Erik, I can’t wait to see yours finished!
Rita, I’ll definitely be doing more in the future. In fact, I just laid out a cityscape of Chicago on canvas that I plan on doing in oils.
Kasey, thanks very much!
Kelly, thanks for the suggestions. I’ll get on that ASAP.
Lisa, thanks! The nice thing about oil is I can glaze the skin darker without losing those delicate shadows.
October 13th, 2007 at 8:24
I like it. But I have a question: Who is Larry?
October 13th, 2007 at 8:41
Alison,
The Larry we speak of is Larry Elmore. We took a painting class taught by him and we all used a layout that Larry created. You can see some of his work and learn more about him at http://www.larryelmore.com
October 13th, 2007 at 10:48
Alison: what Kelly said. ;) Thanks for stopping by!
October 14th, 2007 at 4:32
Hey lady,
Nice work on your painting. I agree with everyone of course. But I just wanted to let you know I stopped by and it looks really great! I so wish I hadn’t of missed that class!!!
October 14th, 2007 at 8:59
Hey Tammy!
Thanks for visiting. I wish you hadn’t missed it either! Next time, right?