by Dawn Whitelaw

The Irish Farmer 2006, graphite and pastel, 13¾ x 9¾.	The critic modified the painting in Photoshop to demonstrate the value choices in the work.

This artist handles graphite and pastel very well. The hat has good form, and the pattern is very effective. The rendering of the head is skillfully done, especially the lower jaw and neck areas. However, I’m not sure if this particular approach to mixed media is effective—the problem, for me, is isolating the black and white from the color.

When I look at the drawing only in black and white, the values hold up very well. I would suggest substituting colored pencil for the graphite. Colored pencil would offer the same control as graphite, but it would be more compatible with pastel.

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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