JW portrait finished (at last)

[artyjeffrey 20]

At semester's end, I've finally finished my portrait of the man. I can't think of a better place with which to share the final product, since I received a LOT of help from the kind folks at this forum. I want to say thanks to all of you, and whoever put up that quicktime of the appearance at USC, you were a Godsend.

Regarding the composition, I decided to use a bit of an extreme "bird's eye" angle, with Spielberg "god-light" coming down, and I have him standing before a sort of magic waterfall/doorway-- sort of symbolic of his music being a sort of gateway to a world of culture and art that I would NEVER have known had I not first been given the soundtrack to Star Wars for Christmas when I was a kid. By the way, the sheet music is the main title to Star Wars, in honor of that personal point.

It's 24 x 36 inches, oil on canvas.

Hope you all like it, it's my tribute to him, the best I could do right now (I've only been painting since last September)! Thanks to all!

http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g305/art...aestro-2006.jpg

[Magnus 0]

Looks amazing

[robthehand 3]

[Luke Skywalker 1,795]

Truly nice work.

Boom-tzz!

[Incanus 5,714]

A wonderful portrait! Thank you for sharing this with us. The picture has such a dynamic pose. Well done indeed.

[Ollie 1,059]

Very nice. Well done.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

That looks bitchin'!

[Mr. Breathmask 555]

Nicely done.

[pi 0]

Well done. Signed copies?

[John Crichton 4]

That should be on the main page somewhere.

[Quintus 5,399]

Excellent! But I'd have prefered him in a black polar-neck

[King Mark 3,631]

That's way cool.

Bring it to a concert and have JW sign it!

K.M.

[Sandor 797]

AWESOME!!!

[Jediwashington 59]

Wow. Beautiful work!

interesting Idea king mark. I'm sure he'd love to see it.

~JW

[Miguel Andrade 1,263]

Have you done it on oil paint?

Just curious.

I think that you should study some human figure design... I do feel that here are some details that could be better. Still, a great work.

[Genius_Gone_Insane 5]

Killer!

[JMan 0]

Thats a brilliant portrait! What an artist! Good job!

JMan

[Lurker 5]

Gorgeous!

What is he conducting?

Neil

[Mr. Breathmask 555]

By the way, the sheet music is the main title to Star Wars, in honor of that personal point.

My, my, Neil. Skipping posts now?

[Lurker 5]

By the way, the sheet music is the main title to Star Wars, in honor of that personal point.

My, my, Neil. Skipping posts now?

I only look at pictures.

Neil

[Kendal_Ozzel 36]

Wow! That is awesome!

Now, where can I buy a print of it?

[orrakul 0]

Nice.

Indeed, a portrait worthy of the Maestro.

[deimos 0]

Awesome

[Melisande 0]

LOVE this. I'm glad you went with an action pose. I like the "birds-eye" angle, too.

You've only been painting since September? You sure put me to shame!

[Olivier 5]

I think that you should study some human figure design... I do feel that here are some details that could be better. Still, a great work.

Indeed, but I suppose the major awkward detail (right hand-- the whatever-you-call-it / fleshy-bit-at-the-base-of-the-thumb) can still be fixed: can you paint it over, or at least over it?

The head (and overall painting) is great.

Do you have any pictures of the work I progress? I love that.

Painting the sheet music must have been pretty difficult.

Congratulations on this great portrait!

[Beowulf 4]

It's like he's coming out of the painting........Action-conductor William!

I love it!

[jasonblueeyes 0]

Amazing Job. If they ever did make A John Williams biopic that would make a great poster.

[artyjeffrey 20]

I think that you should study some human figure design... I do feel that here are some details that could be better. Still, a great work.

Indeed, but I suppose the major awkward detail (right hand-- the whatever-you-call-it / fleshy-bit-at-the-base-of-the-thumb) can still be fixed: can you paint it over, or at least over it?

I know exactly the section you're referring to... it's hilarious how you spotted that area, the one "stinky" area that I don't feel good about! By the way, I do intend to mess with it more, and I should, since it's one of those extremely easily fixes.

And by the way, yes, it's painted in oil.

And even more by the way, thanks everyone! I didn't expect such a positive response!

Excellent! But I'd have prefered him in a black polar-neck

Originally in this piece he WAS wearing the trademark black polar-neck! But I was dissatisfied with just hands, head, and baton. Something was missing. It wasn't "big" enough.

I put him in the tux and included the music to hammer through to anyone who wasn't in the know that this was a conductor (at least).

Only one guy in my class knew who he was.

That's way cool.

Bring it to a concert and have JW sign it!

K.M.

Thanks for the compliment, King. I guess the greatest thing would be if he could see it, but I don't quite know how that could come about. I am going to attend the Hollywood Bowl concert in September, but I can't see myself toting around a big clunky painting, looking like the ulitmate lost-case fanboy!

Then again, I DID paint him, so I guess that's what I am.

[pi 0]

That's way cool.

Bring it to a concert and have JW sign it!

K.M.

Thanks for the compliment, King. I guess the greatest thing would be if he could see it, but I don't quite know how that could come about. I am going to attend the Hollywood Bowl concert in September, but I can't see myself toting around a big clunky painting, looking like the ulitmate lost-case fanboy!

Then again, I DID paint him, so I guess that's what I am.

It's quite hard to meet him after the bowl - its a mess of people walking in the dark!

PS I think that is a nice job you did considering your short amount of time studying.

[King Mark 3,631]

r, but I can't see myself toting around a big clunky painting, looking like the ulitmate lost-case fanboy!

.

Maybe you'll look alike Da Vinci.Apparently he carried the Mona Lisa wherever he went.

K.M.

[Indiana_Fett 0]

Da JW Code.

[Melisande 0]

but I can't see myself toting around a big clunky painting, looking like the ulitmate lost-case fanboy!

Perhaps have a poster print made of the painting and have him sign that?

That's probably quite pricey, and most likely more trouble than it's worth, but it would be neat if you had the chance to present your work to Williams.

(and yeah, I've never had any success meeting him after the Bowl, either )

[Trent B 337]

From one artist to another I must say very nicely done! I myself can't draw humans really well...that's one of my weak points for the artistry. I myself mostly draw, I don't really like adding color to my pictures.

I think when I get into college again this fall I'm going to take up an art class and perfect my drawing skills more.

Again nicely done!

[bob23 0]

The painting looks really good, a lot better than I expected before clicking.

[artyjeffrey 20]

From one artist to another I must say very nicely done!  I myself can't draw humans really well...that's one of my weak points for the artistry.  I myself mostly draw, I don't really like adding color to my pictures.

I think when I get into college again this fall I'm going to take up an art class and perfect my drawing skills more.

Again nicely done!

Thanks! I think drawing the human figure must be the most difficult of all subjects (there's so many variables). I'm taking figure drawing this Fall. I've got a long ways to go!

[BurgaFlippinMan 7]

whoa........wonderful portrait!

[Docteur Qui 1,544]

That is amazing. Well done!

This should definitely be part of the site somewhere!

[Damo 0]

That is a good portrait of John Williams. Very good especially the score stands out clear with the notes and all that.

[Miguel Andrade 1,263]

From my own standpoint -- a fine arts teacher and painter -- human figure can be very hard, both to learn and to teach. Nevertheless, in the end is only baout work. If you work hard, if you look at lot to the model, and if you draw a lot, and I really mean a lot, there is nothing that can't be done.

I myself, always had the best grades on the human figure class, and I was lucky to have it with the best guy in town -- a really great painter and teacher, called Mario Bismark.

But then again, it was all the fruit of a lot of work.

So my main sugestion for any of you willing to take on painting is to draw, draw a awful lot, do a lot of mistakes, and in time you'll find perfection.

[Composer_Fan 2]

Wow, that looks amazing! I really like how crisp the notes of the score look.

~Tyler, who wishes he could draw/paint.

[Bowie 45]

It's difficult to word a compliment to a sufficiently great effect after the 30-odd above me.

But, your painting is perfect, in that it is fascinating, original, personal, passionate... I love the way you've captured his frown... an "intelligent orgasm".

Congratulations.

[artyjeffrey 20]

It's difficult to word a compliment to a sufficiently great effect after the 30-odd above me.

But, your painting is perfect, in that it is fascinating, original, personal, passionate... I love the way you've captured his frown... an "intelligent orgasm".

Congratulations.

Wow, thanks! "Orgasmic." Cool.

I agree with Miguel... the only way is through tons of drawing and persistence.

Again, thanks to everyone for their compliments. I am overwhelmed! I felt bad that I had to make some compromises while working on it because of time constraints, and I was concerned that perhaps it wouldn't meet expectations.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

I agree with Miguel... the only way is through tons of drawing and persistence.

Or one of the filters in Photoshop 7...

[ST-321 4]

Very, very nice. Good work!

[artyjeffrey 20]

Odd, hilarious side-note to this thing:

I just found out today that my painting instructor, Mike McDowell, was an extra in Jurassic Park: The Lost World! I'm going to bust it out and see if I can spot him. He says he's running down the street screaming (at the end in the Dinosaur-on-the-loose segment, you know, where the movie totally derails), and that he's in a second scene in a video store.

His girlfriend at the time was an agent and got him in. When they were all running down the street, he was the only extra who was screaming out loud. After cut, someone asked, "Who was screaming?" And all of the extras pointed to him, and he thought he was in trouble, but they promoted him to a "speaking role," and he got $5,000 for his work!

I don't know what you'd call that. It's not irony. But it's wierd: almost ten years ago, my painting instructor was being terrorized by a T-Rex in a movie, while music was playing that was composed/conducted by the man I was painting under his tutelage!

What a small world. What a small, Lost World.

[Miguel Andrade 1,263]

I agree with Miguel... the only way is through tons of drawing and persistence.

Or one of the filters in Photoshop 7...

Yeah, that may even look cool, but's hardly the same thing.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Yes but it's a lot faster, so aspiring artists will be done a lot faster, and then have enough time to get proper jobs!

[Miguel Andrade 1,263]

Yes but it's a lot faster, so aspiring artists will be done a lot faster, and then have enough time to get proper jobs!

You know as well as I, that working with a computer is ahrdly the same thing as doing things by hand.

I do a lot of design work on computer, but I always draw my ideas first. Is just if the paper was my score that I write, and the computer the orchestra that performs it.

Also, some of my design work also uses ilustrations that I make by hand. So I always ahve to work the first draft on paper.

Also, i think it really helps you to think about stuff. With teh computer you just try, and try, and you don't really think much about, as you always have the undo button. When you're pencil on paper, a rubber won't erase all the marks, the error is there, you just can't hide it. You have to think twice before drawing a line.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Miguel, why are you taking me seriously.

[AI 0]

I just wanted to chime in and say, I am in complete agreement with everything Miguel A. has said in this thread.

This portrait is good in elements, but it is far from perfect or professional. The anatomy and perspective is distorted. It doesn't do the subject full justice.