Saturday, December 19, 2009

Adjustments




I'm sure everyone is becoming tired of seeing the updates on this portrait by now but its approaching completion and I have the bones of another piece in my head, and am anxious to put it on paper.

I'm continuing to build the background for this piece and am at the point where I wonder if I've screwed it up or its simply at the ugly stage and I need to push further ahead and let it come together more.  My initial need to make the background recede is apparent in this update as both it and the portrait are competingn for attention.  I need to address that with out losing the effect that I'm after or compromising the paper's surface.

I really should have thought out the background first on this one then worked it before adding the figure.  It would be the logical way to proceed but I'm not always logical.  The symbolic images are becoming part of the background but I need to fade the hare especially.  Animals or people tend to pull in my focus and I overwork the detail where I should not have. 

Luckily I am using 300lb paper which is pretty forgiving in terms of scrubbing back so I should be able to fade the background images and made them recede more.

One more day and I hope it will be complete.  Keep your fingers crossed.

4 comments:

"JeanneG" said...

You are starting to make me awfully curious about the symbolism of a rabbit on his head. lol

Jeanette Jobson said...

Your curiosity will have to remain as its not there anymore :)

RH Carpenter said...

I wondered about how the hare would work out that way but it sounds like you've either gotten rid of it or pushed it back enough to not be noticeable. The portrait is looking great - as all your portraits do!

Gary said...

I am crossing my fingers but have no doubts that you will pull this one off to your satisfaction. I can't see the "ugly" in this - I'd be thrilled to have a piece brought to this point. Decisions, decisions. There must be 57 ways to accomplish what you want to do - I'll be looking for the results!