Third portrait in progress. Ideas on background please?

[Stephen Lo Piano]

Depends on what message of expression you would like to convey to the viewer of the painting.

If your goal here is to create a likeness portrait of someone you know personally you might want to try something for the background that identifies with the personality of the person in the portrait, objects that carry the message. Another alternative would be to finish this work the way a professional portrait painter would create the background. Your current solid brown is okay yet you might want to lighten the brown surrounding the portrait object as you get closer to the focal point object. Maybe even add a bit of yellow to brighten up the color as it gets lighter?

If this is something created from imagination and you want to identify with oriental culture, some type of objects in the background related to that culture would be a way to carry the message. You might even find a way to place the objects in the background so they do not interfere and/or collide heavily with the foreground portrait when reducing opacity of the foreground to 60%. Place the background on a lower layer and erase around the portrait image of the above layer so the new background takes it's place.

[Perendale]

Oh my, I hadn’t seen this before. It’s really beautiful.

Brett

[Kate12345]

Thank you Brett :-) I've sort of lost interest in her and am dithering about finishing or doing the background. Life got in the way for a few weeks so my enthusiasm needs rekindling. I have form for this kind of laziness!!!

[Kate12345]

I think I'd like a traditional painted background. like old masters ones, but I've not had time to work on her for ages and sort of lost the plot a little ! The dark hair though would disappear into a dark background, so I think lots of experimenting when I revisit this lady.