Modigliani and the Dancer

Ballet Shoes

I thought about wiping this painting out as it does not accurately represent the beautiful model. However, as an artist I need visual reminders in order to review and move forward as an artist.

If I were to do this painting again I would:

Ballet Shoes 12x16 oil on canvas

1. Make her skin tone more caramel/orange-ish
   It was such a grey lugubrious day, the light on the model was very blue. The blue washed out the orange in her skin tone, and yet I still made her skin too light, in reality there would be more orange and sienna.
   
2. ah Modigliani! When I placed the figure on the canvas, I liked the composition. However, toward painting completion I realized that I made the neck and left arm too long. I (as many do) tend to make necks and limbs too long. I will have to work on this.
   
3. Get the mouth and nose to match the model. I had to let this go a bit because I could rework this painting forever. Once I got a nice face in, despite it not looking just like the model, I had to let it go.

What I like about this painting:

Ballet Shoes, close up of shoes

1. The Pointe Ballet Shoes. I am happy with how those came out and the way the ribbon falls off the table. Success! I think this is due to my comfort level with Still Life and the shoes read like a still life.
   
2. The top hand. I have been working on painting hands which are very complex. I did not want to overwork these but I did want to include them in my painting. I am happy with this hand that almost seems to be falling off the table, relaxed.
   
3. The eyes. The eyes look like the model's eyes (shape size color). I did not like the eyes that I had initially painted so I wiped them out when I got home. Then I pulled my reference photo up on the computer and zoomed in on the eyes, it helped to look closely at the eyes as I repainted them in.

Now go Google Modigliani! Look for "Young Girl, 1918". Hey, it is a BEAUTIFUL long neck work!