To share what I used to do years ago with my flowers, here is a poppy I'm super proud of...to me one of the best paintings I've ever done. I've not been able to achieve results like this since I changed how I went about painting (layers upon layers of glazing).
2 comments:
This IS a very nice piece Susan. I think you have grown well beyond this now, however. Things I see that I'd do differently - All edges hard and in sharp focus - even where you don't want the audience to look. Center of interest in the center, not where rule of thirds or golden mean suggest. Values and value pattern good (large light, small dark in an overall mid value), however when I squint, right background edge competes with center of interest. Plse. check out my Edgar Whitney link posted in last SE post for more help with this. I personally prefer a softer, looser more spontaneous approach where watercolor is allowed to flow and mingle in a way only this wondeful transparent medium can. I used to paint this way too but now find the layering technique to be very tight, limiting and tedious. Sorry if I have offended you or changed your love of this painting. I am really trying to help you grow here this summer. Please don't give up or loose your enthusiasm Susan! Becoming loose is MUCH HARDER than being tight. It takes a long time to become loose without losing it!! :-D
No offense taken. :-D And this is still my favorite of what I've done. I see this as a portrait rather than painting and didn't apply rule of thirds because the flower as a whole was my intended focal point leading the eye into the center. I did make sure the center was off center. Those were my thoughts at the time (I write all this stuff down). I don't always follow the rule of thirds.....depends on what I'm hoping to achieve and the subject.
And I honestly appreciate what you're trying to do. I'm feeling a bit lost right now. I feel I'm going through a transition AGAIN possibly suffering growing pains. lol I'm always trying new things and sometimes that results in my feeling unsure of myself. I'm sure others feel that from time to time as well.
One reason I took up journaling was to force myself to relax and not try so hard. I'm detailed oriented by nature and a perfectionist at heart. My artwork was becoming a chore rather than something I looked forward to doing. I was feeling pressure all the time to get everything 'just right'. The journaling has different set of rules (or basically no rules) one has to follow allowing for practice without feeling one has to perfect everything that goes on paper. Well that's what it's suppose to be about, I think.....I don't always practice or feel that way - too often being over critical of what I'm doing.
I have to take care even with scribble sketches as I tend to want to make those scribbles perfect too :-D
Thanks again!
Post a Comment