This is way out of my comfort zone and a practice for a future painting I would like to do for a good fried of mine who has always wanted a bluebell wood. I wanted to try and capture the light which I think has been reasonably successful but I need to look at the trees (aaaaghhhh!!!!), the shadows and I can see now that I can make the composition better...... am looking at the flat line at the back to the right here.....so have learned lots for the "real piece" which I will have a go at in the future....
Joanne Boon Thomas suggests practising elements of the painting to work out how to do the individual parts which I didn't do on this but should have!!! So on this, I need to practice getting the right intensity for the shadows to maximise the light........ amongst other things!!! In the workshop I went to with Joanne, the previous week had been spent painting the boat and working through any problems the class might have, they looked at the drawing elements for the boat, any painting issues and then foreground which then prepared the for the big painting..... good idea which I will not only start to do but will take to my own workshops too.
I have been working larger recently (I bought some Hahnemuhle paper from Patchings 20"x25") which I am really enjoying, this was only quarter imperial but have a couple of larger ones on the go which are also out of my comfort zone but I have decided I can't carry on doing what I know how to do, I need to challenge myself with subjects I am less confident with..... the only way I will improve!!
So you may see some more howlers from me as I work through my demons, I long to get to the stage where I can have a go at painting anything, and where I have a vision of how I will approach something backed up with the ability to deliver......... one of my biggest problems is still, after all this time, not letting the paint dry when it needs to before I go in again, need someone here slapping my hands!!!! So that is something else I need to work on.... patience!!!
It seems that stepping out of your comfort zone suits you just fine! :)
ReplyDeleteI like very much the way you caught the light on your painting, Judith and I like the colors too.
Warm regards.
Thanks Konstantina... you are too kind!!! I just need to practice these sorts of pieces more until they become a bit more instinctive to me... but I do like the colours too. A mix of Cob blue, cerulean, Windsor violet, Aliz crimson, burnt sienna and Schmincke May green which I'm finding adds the brightness to the greens that I search for.
ReplyDeleteThis looks very nice. Yes, the tree trunks need strengthening, their shadows deepened, but paintings aren't always finished when we first think they're finished. We need to pull away, get judgmental, howl and go back in till we've really gone as far as we can go with the piece. You're going along just great for someone out of your comfort zone.
ReplyDeleteThanks Linda..... I think you're right about the trees though on the photo the trees are bathed in light all around but that didn't work in the painting.....bit of artistic license called for I think!! This is only a sketch so you are right, not finished and I may go back in yet and darken the trees, I'm not precious about it and have nothing to lose so might as well take it to the final stage as you say.... good point well made!!!!
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