Finishing a Complex Painting

Lesson by

Morgan Weistling

inPortrait Painting in Oil Without a Brain

225

Assignments 33

Downloads 1

Finishing a Complex Painting

Lesson by

Morgan Weistling

in Portrait Painting in Oil Without a Brain

225

Assignments 33

Downloads 1

There is no assignment for this lesson other than to post your progress here.

Again, this is a complex version of the painting process outlined in the first demo. If you're starting here, you're making a mistake. Please go back and watch through the previous lesson before starting here.

The goal of this section is to show a workflow closer to how I actually paint. I'm still using all of the same concept covered in the course, just at a more advanced level.

Keep practicing, and you'll get there!

Eric Lee

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10d

Refine the painting. Should I push the values further?

Morgan Weistling

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You know what? This is really turning out good

Eric Lee

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12d

Should make the shadow of the hair a little darker. It's too wet to continue.

Morgan Weistling

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10d

Yes, you need to have more contrast so that’s a good place to start

Tanya Valkanova

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19d

I found it very challenging but lerned a lot from this one. Thank you!

Morgan Weistling

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15d

it's good. I would push you to get a clearer shadow from light separation. there are a few halftones that coud be cleaned up too. But good job

Elmari Van Zyl

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19d

I tried again.

Morgan Weistling

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17d

Elmari Van Zyl

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20d

I don't know what to do anymore to get this child's colouring right.

Elmari Van Zyl

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22d

Morgan Weistling

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21d

not sure if it's the shot or wether you used too much red overall. it's coming off very warm. The halftones on her forehead could be lightened a little more to keep it cleaner in the values. Overall you did a nice job and think it's just tweaking to make it better. Consider how I added more cools to the skin tone to make it more real. This is a bit monochromatic and thus it looks a little less like real skin tones.

Shawn Laughlin

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23d

I like this way of working. I need to practice it more, but I can see using this for portraits. I'll go back and do the previous paintings with this technique. I went for the dirty mouth. I think it came out ok.

Shawn Laughlin

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23d

Another way I thought about doing this is getting pristine with the dress and putting some food on that. I guess the real soul of the photo is the eyes and the face. I dunno, I think both might work.

@mnk

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2mo

I gave it my best effort to really keep checking the drawing while painting and I think it kind of worked, I cant spot anything major right now. I think the hair is somewhat poorly painted, i struggled going back and forth between too much blending and not enough. If someone has a tip let me know :D

Morgan Weistling

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2mo

You’ve done very well here. What you’ve described is always going to be a struggle because I know I still struggle with it. Knowing just how much brushwork to keep to give a pain in life is something you just have to learn through experience. But I can tell you that there’s more leeway within the light areas that are not touching the shadow or looser brushwork. That’s why I go thicker in those light areas and allow my brushwork to show. You’ve done a good job with your edges and you would never want random rush work to disturb them.

@fepampeyan

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2mo

Here's my sketch and painting. I think I need sharper charcoal sticks. I really enjoyed painting this darling little girl., It's not as easy as you make it seem. But I hope to do more children.

Morgan Weistling

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2mo

Nothing is as easy as it first seems, but I think you did really well. The only thing that’s missing is a little more attention to correct drawing and there’s nothing major standing out. It’s just a lot of little accuracy problems but when there’s enough of them, they add up. But you are very close here and hope you feel good about what you’ve done so far.

@mahatsu

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2mo

A big challenge. I enjoyed painting such an adorable little girl. It motivated me to paint more children. I would like to put down more paint with confident brush strokes in the next trial.

Morgan Weistling

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2mo

well done! premixing large batches should encourage you to paint thicker.

@szokebarnabas

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3mo

Finishing a Complex Painting I have to finish this painting. I have to go to work. I will not be able to paint for a week, and the paint will probably be dry by then. Maybe next time I will put some clove oil in it. The things I still see wrong with the drawing are that the eyebrows are too thick and a bit high, and her left eye is too wide open. The shape of the nose is not quite right, and I need to move the whole mouth area down a bit, because the philtrum is too short, and the ear is too big. As for the value, I see that the eyebrows are too dark and the value at the top of the nose could be a little lighter. I can't tell you how much your course and feedback helped me to improve. Thank you, sir, I really appreciate how you set an example for us to follow.

Morgan Weistling

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3mo

you are going to succeed. Great analysis. You know what you need to do. Great job!

tina boroviak

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3mo

I’ll continue to work on this, but would appreciate some feedback at this stage. Children are quite a challenge with so many soft edges.

Morgan Weistling

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3mo

everything is there to make this reach the next level. You just need to take a photo of it with your phone and then convert to black and white. Then look at the reference and treat it like a charcoal drawing and correct the drawing in color. Your brush needs to be thought of as a charcoal pencil and it's just about getting the drawing more accurate. All the paint on the canvas is fine. Just needs more accuracy.

@stewedveg

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3mo

Wow that was tricky! One thing I notice when I look at your painting is the difference in brush stroke the 'calligraphy'. What's your thought process to your wonderful mark making?

Morgan Weistling

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3mo

Good! you need a little more accuracy on the drawing but you are in the ballpark. as for calligraphy of the brush, it requires taking beat between each stroke, stop, observe with a squint, see the path in your mind of what you going to place on the canvas, and make the stroke with as little fuss as possible. Each time. Use enough paint. Fall in love with a more choppy look. It's easy to blend. Anyone can do that.