Friends Relaxing In a Sidewalk Cafe 18x24 Oils on canvas panel
Work in progress - April 7, 2010
This painting came about after looking at many of Jilly's posts in her Menton Daily Photo blog. This painting is combination of several of Jilly's photos - four, if you're counting.
Work in progress - April 8, 2010
I made a "few" changes to just about everything; the people, the mirror the doors to the restaurant blah, blah, blah and blah. The waiter (wait person?) still seems to be more of a mannequin than a person, though. I am beginning to be pleased with this painting.
I need to have the lady in the red sweater resting her elbow on SOMETHING instead of just hanging in the air! Dang!
Another few hours and I'll stop putzing around with this painting. Enough, already!
FINISHED - April 11, 2010
Yes, the restaurant is looking good. I actually was thinking that you don't have a shaky hand, having seen the firm brushstrokes of the iron mirror frame, of the chairs and the glass door. Those are very neat strokes. I like the arrangement of the three people, make a visual triangle very nice to look at. I'd like to know what you'll add to call it done :)
ReplyDeleteWarm regards,
Carolina
PS: comedian? mmm: pranker/joker (I mean: bromista)! hehe :P
I see here the story of two lunching friends. The lady in red is interested in the waiter and cheers him with wine glass. Her friend envies. This way it looks like a future drama/comedy/romance. I would add more contrast/warm color to the ladies, to move them forward (though maybe the photo differs from the painting original) and draw huge eyes to waiter face (he does not believe his luck, after all). Means I would turn your painting into caricature. So: do not listen to the advisers, trust yourselves. I think that (specially in painting matter) any advise adds personality of the adviser to YOUR painting.
ReplyDeleteAnd thank you for the comment about my profile photos. I will go on playing with that faces of mine. :-)))
Carolina and Irina!! I'm so sorry to be late responding to your comments! For some reason my blog comment viewer is being naughty. :-) I "approved" you comments when they were posted yet I could NOT "SEE" them in order to reply!? :-(
ReplyDeleteNow - here they are!
Thank you both for your continuing advice and cheerfulness. I read and heed your words.
Ken B.
So you should be please with this Ken! I think it's really great and maybe just raising the height of the table will fix the 'floating' arm hiccough. The fact that you haven't put emphasis on the waiter pushes him into the background allowing the two central figures to really stand out. Great work my friend!
ReplyDeleteThe plant is a nice touch, it makes the scene cozier... and you've made the lady in red look a lot pretier... :)
ReplyDeleteI have much to learn about painting people, especially groups of people so, I'm working on paintings that have groups of people! I FINALLY decided that I should use smaller brushes for small details. D U H H H ! :-) People would think that I would have known that.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your support and kind words. I saw your Night Scene Pagoda - beautiful.
Ken B.