Few Directions can be given for painting the background, but here are some hints. So far as color is concerned, be sure that everything which you set down complements the colors of the head. For instance an all-warm background will dim the warmth in the face and too cool a background may make the flesh appear hot.

Don't illustrate the sitter's hobby or profession except on the rare occasion that he or she is known only for— or perhaps is famous for—that particular thing.

If you use interiors or bits of still life in the background, paint them simply, leaving them without importance. This also applies to your sitter's clothing and jewelry. All such items can become "show stealers."

If you are not satisfied with the painting of your subject, don't try to save it by elaborating upon the trappings and background. You will only be rewarded—and deservedly—by this classic "last word": A lady and some friends were viewing her just-finished portrait. After a period of silence she said very quietly (hoping not to offend the painter), "I don't like it." "What don't you like about it?" a friend inquired. "The face," she replied.

There are painters who refuse to paint lipstick, eyebrow pencil, nail polish or any type of make-up, insisting, instead, that sitters leave it off and wash their faces. Since our paintings are a record of our times, and since women actually create the likenesses by which they are known to others, I think it is important to paint them as they present themselves. Furthermore, I like these dashes of brilliant color.

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