Need advise/help

[Lahree]

I received permission to use this photograph as an artistic reference. I absolutely am in love with it. What I need is advise/help on composition to make it as strong as possible. I love the way the whole image looks, but I was not sure if the viewer's left ledge is leading the eye out of the picture. Any comments will be appreciated. I have a very high resolution scan of it, so any cropping will be fine to still get a large, clear image for drawing.

[Norma69]

Albsolutely gorgeous refernce!!!
Composition is not my strong suit - not sure I have any strong area developed yet :confused: but will follow this thread and watch with interest what the experts have to say

In your hands this one will be a beauty

Norma

[Lahree]

Thank you for your confidence in me, Norma! I was so thrilled when the photographer granted me permission to use it!

[Brenda]

Oh, my lands, Lori! You will make this just sing when you are finished with it! Such an intense mood here. I can see why you fell in love with it.

What is your goal for this? Will she be one of your fairies? Do you plan to do her just like the photo or will you drop her into one of your gorgeous settings? She almost appears to be dream flying. If so, I think I would add some to the right so she doesn't appear quite so squished on that side. Comp is not my strength at all. I know Arlene will be back tomorrow and Toni (I think) is gone until Monday.

Did you get this at Stockxchng (or however you spell it. I can't remember.)? I looked around there. They have wonderful photos for use!

[Lahree]

No fairy, no other setting. She will be as she is, with any compositional changes that are necessary. Maybe it will make my head hurt less that I don't have to add wings, props, etc., etc., etc. Actually a photo like this satisfies my love for creative, mystery, fantasy and strong woman figures, so I am happy to do this one without turning her into a fairy. :)

[Roses]

I don't think it needs more room on the right. Right now, everything in the photo leads you right to her face. I don't think you need to change anything.

[Lahree]

I don't think it needs more room on the right. Right now, everything in the photo leads you right to her face. I don't think you need to change anything.

Well, that would be mighty handy!

Hey, does anyone think this might may be a vertical shot instead of a horizontal?? Look at it this way...

[oozoo]

I think it works better vertically as far as making sense of what's going on...but I also think it loses some drama and focus on the face. I would keep it horizontal.

[Lahree]

When it's horizontal, it makes it look like she is in the middle of dancing...like her leg is up and stretched out, kind of like a ballet move. On the vertical shot (which I am sure is the way it was shot) it looks ackward, like her head is bent at a bad angle or something.

[Greg]

Personally I like the vertical better. The horizontal way appears that parts are cropped off, but it seems natural in vertical direction. I think this will be a beautiful picture. She has a mysterious and dreamy look that draws attention. Can't wait to see how it turns out.

[PaintedHorses]

Love this pic!

This is the crop I like:

Jeri

[Brenda]

Looking at the hair that falls over her left shoulder and the ends of the bow around her waist on the left, I think you're right. This is a vertical shot.

That blue swatch of material that goes up keeps drawing my eye up and out instead of staying on her face. The more I look at it, the more it bothers me.

This has a dreamy, sleepwalking, drawn away look. I love the moody lighting, the folds and draping in the fabric. Her pose is awkward but I think that adds to the mood. If anyone can do this justice, it will be you.

[Lahree]

I think it is more exciting when it is horizontal, but more understandable when it is vertical. Hmm....she looks like she could be floating when she is horizontal. LOL. I think the photogpraher is messing with us viewers!

[CherylsArtBox]

I like your cropped version, Jeri. This helps to support Lori's ballet pose. However, based on the lighting and gravity, I believe this photo was taken vertically. She appears to be wrapped in a piece of fabric bending toward the left of the picture. Not only does the light reflect this theory, but so does gravity. Although the photographer did a great job of deception with the fabric wrap and beads...beads tend not to reflect gravitating pull due to the fact they are inhibited by the fabric wrap. It is an eye fooler and leaves lots to ones imagination. But as I focus on the lighting effects, IMO it is verical. No matter how you render it, it will always leave the viewer mystified.

Cheryl

[Roses]

Looking at this closer, I also think it is a vertical photo. However, I like the horizontal version better. In the vertical one, there is a large empty space at the bottom left, the drape at the top leads the eye out of the picture, and she looks very contorted.. In the horizontal version, the lighting, the drape of the arm, the drape of the fabric, and the lighting all seem to lead to the face, which to me is the focal point of the photo. She also looks like she is dancing/floating in a dream like state instead of being contorted the way she looks in the vertical photo.

[Denise]

When I first looked at this, she looked like her head was separated from her body...totally diconnected and floating off to the side.... :p

It is a gorgeous photo....I disagree though......I think it was a horizontal shot...she looks to be in a ballet pose w/ leg outstretched.....fabric wrapped around her falls straight down...her pearls are sort of tucked into the fabric but are slightly leaning, as if the would fall were they not tucked in...just my opinion(probably wrong, too!) ;)

Lori- you're going to do a beautiful job no matter how you choose to do it!

[Arlene]

I think you could do it the way it is if you add some interest (use color subtley) in the bg.

Here's another possibility.

[Lahree]

Arlene, by colors used in the background, do you mean support of colors used in the forground? Lots of various shades of blues, purples and perhaps some grape?

[lovingspots]

I like the crop you chose. I would use a wider range of light greys, greyed lavender and then move into the deco blues and light purples, lilac, lavendar and go into the black grape. I'd put some yellow into the skin tones to contrast the purples. You have a great opportunity to play with this subject.

[Lahree]

I am real excited about this pic. I am working on a drawnig right now that I have to finish first. It's a frog on a leaf! Talk about a different subject! (And the frog does not have wings either :p )

[lovingspots]

It's a great image and I know this is going to be a great work for you.

[lucky]

What a beautiful reference!!! I like it the way it is, or the crops work too, but I think the photographer actually had a really nice original comp. But, I am always really drawn to asymmetrical compositions. Whatever you chose it's going to be a knock out! :)

[Lahree]

I think I may draw the entire pic the way the photographer had it and I can always crop it. The photographer is a tricky guy, isn't he? I loved this one right away and way waiting on pins and needles until he can me permission to use it. I can hardly wait to start on it, but I have to concentrate on what I am working on now and now mess it up because I want to get to this one.

[bmac]

Are you going to post this after you finish or as a WIP? I don't want to miss any of this. Somehow I don't get in on anything until very late! ;) I miss a few days and your done! I'm amazed at how much you accomplish in so little time. :)

[Lahree]

LOL, Beth. I haven't started it yet. I could do a WIP, but I will be working on dark blue paper, so it's kinda hard to see what I am doing when I take photographs. You would be able to see little bits and pieces of it that have some color, but most of it would show up as a big blank. I work in sections, I don't do some color in all places. It's just how I work. Kinda klike Gemma. I'll see what it looks like as a WIP and post it along the way if it looks like it will be helpful.

[bmac]

Oh dark blue sounds pretty! What kind of paper do you use? I'm looking forward to seeing it. :)

[Lahree]

I use Canson MT ! I LOVE THAT PAPER!!