"Earth Angel" finished

Completed this one a few weeks ago. Face and hair were done before I had an AB, then I finished the rest once I'd bought one.
Size :- 36 inches x 28 inches on Canvas.

Attached Thumbnails

 

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Only put off until tomorrow what you are willing to die having left undone.
Pablo Picasso > Death, Procrastination

First let me say, I think this looks very good! I really like the blending of the airbrush and the face. And the hair is too nice.

I want to give a critque... but I really want to know something first. Did you sketch the face freehand and then paint it? Or did you project the face and paint it? The answer will determine the critque or lack of one that I would offer.

My friend modelled for me but could only do the one sitting, so after the initial sketch I worked from photos I took of her. Which were taken in rather bright sunlight making the shadows in the photo quite harsh.

That had been my main problem getting the light source right.
The yellow around the earth isn't light source really it's energy.

__________________
Only put off until tomorrow what you are willing to die having left undone.
Pablo Picasso > Death, Procrastination

very nice jan....... looking on my computer though ....i would have gone ''lighter'' for the energy glow......
other than that.... this is very nice

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master G44 .2 (mac valve)

Thanks Wiggle69,
Yeah the energy was the last thing I painted and I didn't want to start fiddling and spoil it.The only reason yellow was chosen was because I'd used quite a bit of Violet on the outside of the wings .
Yellow n Violet are complementary colours on the colour wheel and should vibrate against each other; hence the yellow should stand out on it's own.
Boring colour theory stuff but I like to technically experiment and see if it works.

__________________
Only put off until tomorrow what you are willing to die having left undone.
Pablo Picasso > Death, Procrastination

The reason I asked did you sketch or project the image... is that one thing that I am seeing made me think you sketched it.
I was going to comment on the position of the head in a bowed position. The position seems off... BUT something hit me which would nullify my comments... The perspective focal point for the image...
If the camera was pointed at the face, then we should see less neck... if it was pointed more in line with the upper chest... then seeing the neck would be correct.

now after looking at the face many times, I really like a lot of what you have painted... that hair is just too cool. I know you said it was done with a paint brush, but I really like it.

those wings, I am not sure how you airbrushed those... but I like them.

Hi Enemyilaf,
the photo was taken from about 4ft away so the automatic focus
would have been on her upper chest.
At the beginning I had painted the wings in the usual way wings are painted,

then had a brainstorm and went for it :- airbrushed over them in white then held real fluffy feathers as a mask and airbrushed the violet over the feathers. Take the feather away and it left the after image of the feather.

I'd initialy bought the feathers and glued them onto cardboard to use as a reference when painting the wings. ( Feathers were bought from an arts and craft shop).
Thanks for the comment on the hair, the model has real shiny sleek hair in real life, so tried to paint it as it is.

__________________
Only put off until tomorrow what you are willing to die having left undone.
Pablo Picasso > Death, Procrastination

oh dont get me wrong jan G....... all i was suggesting was a lighter application..... the colour was a nice idea..... better tha the customary ''white'' we always seem to use for the glow effect....
was thinking a very light ''dusting'' rather than he ''harder'' effect you currently have..... in the center of earth you have more the effect i was talking about....
but this is still a great peice.....and i am hopless at portrait stuff..... so take no notice of the wiggle.....lol.....

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master G44 .2 (mac valve)

Now that is a very cool effect that the feathers made. I would not have thought that at all. I sure like it. Honestly the feathers look like they were brushed on... which I sure could not figure out how that would be done with an airbrush!!!! This is one of the COOL tips!!! Thanks!