Consider value choices carefully when painting figures.
by Dawn Whitelaw
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The Mother Wore Green (at the Wedding)
2007, acrylic, 12 x 16. |
The critic manipulated the image in Photoshop to demonstrate how to alter the values of the bodies. |
I like the energy and animation in this painting—the expressions on the three figures are very engaging. The color choices are good, and the lines used thoughout the painting really hold the piece together. However, the artist may want to consider altering the values of the bodies. If the dresses and bouquets were darker, the faces and the arm gestures would stand out more.
About the Critic
Dawn Whitelaw studies painting with Scott Christensen, Cedric Egeli, Jim Pollard, and Everett Raymond Kinstler. In 2002, she received the Award of Excellence and the Best of Show award in an international art competition sponsored by the Portrait Society of America, and she has exhibited her portrait, landscape, and still-life paintings in juried shows organized by the Cumberland Society of Painters, the American Academy of Women Artists, and the Phoenix Historical Museum.
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