Yesterday was my third day copying "Madame David" by Jacques-Louis David. The museum was much more crowded than it has been because of the convergence of Spring Break, the cherry blossoms, and a rainy day (although it was more threatening than raining).
I set aside my fear and got to work on the face right away. I paid attention to the shadow side of the face and the bluish skin tones around the mouth and eyes. I know I'll repaint the face again, continuing to refine things. I think I have the features a little small. Here is how the painting looked when I broke for lunch:
After lunch, I got to work on the hands, and also paid attention to the feathery hat. I'm not going to put the light feathers on the hat until a later time. I also repainted the upper right background because the original looks a little lighter and cooler. Here is how the painting looked at the end of the day:
Visitors told me that I have a good likeness, but I still think I have a ways to go. I'm learning a lot about the subtle changes in color that reflect the underlying structures of the face and hands. I'm pretty happy with how the skin of her chest looks. Next time I'll continue to work of the hands, face, hat and dress. I may not do much more to the red fabric around her arms, because it looks OK. I think the mouth needs the most work. See you next time!
Click the images for a larger view, and feel free to comment below
1 comment:
This portrait is developing so beautifully!!! I like your description of Mrs. David’s attitude/demeanor being painted by her husband. Love seeing your progress. So glad you found a quicker route to the museum! I can’t believe how close that squirrel got to you!
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