Here is a picture i did of my sister, taken from a black and white photograph dated 1959, i incidentally was 8 months old when it was taken. C&C welcomed as usual, (first attempt with CP).
RJS[attachmentid=159]

RJS,
For this being your very first attempt at colored pencil I think you are doing a magnificant job!! I love drawing in colored pencil and I know the first rule is to always make sure you use secondary and complementary colors for shading. Looks like all of your tonal values are good and you are not over doing it. What brand are you using? I love prismacolors. Ohhh and you said before that you have tried the water color pencils right? Those are my favorites I just need to get a better set.
TTFN,

RJS, lovely job on a first attempt at CP! Your tones look graduated and clear. My only comments would be on the highlight on the front of the hair. I would try to tone down the yellow with some reds or ochre tones to take the brassiness out of it and make it recede a little.

You may also like to add a little colour to the skin tone to bring some more life to it. A bit of pink and some blue or violet in the shadows perhaps.

The highlights on the hair look really good. The face seems kind of off, but I can't "see" well enough to figure out where.
Beth

I like it - yes, there could be improvements but I imagine that anyone who knew your sister at that age would recognize her in this painting. So much of painting is subjective as you can tell by the comments here: Jeanette would tone down the highlights in the hair and Pumpkin likes them!

My only comment is that the left ear (viewers left) seems too high and too big.

I only know that I couldn't have done such a good job on my first try! (Or second or third!)

J

RJS,
The picture is awesome and like I said very good for first time in colored pencil. I did however go and look at it more thouroughly and noticed that J was right abot the ear being a little bit higher than the other, also i think that the hairline looks a little off. I don't know if that was how her hair was in the picture but it looks like over the left ear she has a big bald spot maybe? Anyways what do I know I am not much of a critic.

blimey for a first attempt with cp its really rather good and the colour in my opinion is spot on

RJS,

Well, all in all you've received an overwhelming amount of fantastic and critical comments regarding your first CP. However, I also know you've been waiting patiently for the real comments to arrive. Well, here goes...

... I feel for ya, Man! From the looks of your sister at that age in this photo, and knowing how old you were at the time, you must have gone through quite an amount of child abuse. She looks as though she's asking the photographer to hurry up with the picture so she can go and continue dunking the real baby in the cistern out back. I hope drawing this helps you come to grips with those early years of your life, as I can really understand your hurt. Well, continue with your brooding and I'll be thinking about you over the weekend, Bro.

Together in Brotherhood,
Eric

Thank you all for the lovely comments,(except Eric , whom i shall get to in moment!!).
It's very difficult trying to do colour from an old black and white, you get so lost in the concentration that sometimes you miss some things. Even using a tonal scale, the quality of the photo made it difficult to differentiate between hair line and face.

As for the ear, J, i completely never spotted that one....doh!

But dont you think that's part of the attraction of posting on this site, so many people willing to give valued, honest opinions that we all learn from each other. There are a lot of great artists on this site, some who dont know or think they are, but we all help each other.

Now then Eric....(sigh!)
Strangely enough, i am the youngest of four and this sister was the one nearest in age to me. She has always looked after me, through all the problems i have faced in my life she has always been there picking up the peices.
Our older brother and sister fight like cat and dog, still do, always have and always will. So i think the reason for that look on her face was that the other two were playing up as usual. This sister is very protective of me...i may just tell her about you!!lol
Thanks for the honest critique and for making me smile!
RJS

Can you feel the love in here ... *group hug*

Admin .. need a hugging smiley too please

As for the ear, most of the time I don't spot mistakes in my work until I've posted somewhere! I think that's a cosmic thing that keeps us from being too proud of ourselves! lol

As for Eric, I think his birthday has changed him! Either that or he's gotten that virus he was cleaning out of schools or something! Just a little weirder, a little more outspoken & still no challenge picture posting!

J

Mid life crisis perhaps??

her hair is very good