heatherlynelle
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Seaside Cliff
- Thread starter heatherlynelle
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heatherlynelle
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Ok! I will change it to black and white and take a look. Thanks!
heatherlynelle
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It just doesn't look right. I don't mind if it doesn't look just like the reference or more abstract but something is not right
heatherlynelle
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Yes, please do!
Enyaw
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As you can see the one you are using for reference and yours side bya side .. the sky and wanter can get by .. you
nee a bit of darkin the far cliff to punch agains the whites and the bottom diagnol of the flowers down.
Here they are with me darkening the values in the photo of your painting.
as you can see I darkened the one spot on the rocks. You can add a few small ones if you will. I also did the whole of the bottom diagnol .. it now looks right .. I wouldn't worry too much about color. Get the values first and any color will work. Oh I forgot .. you missed an arm of the rocks which balances the ground to the water and horizontal line.
Gotta go now I got a hockey game to watch ... good luck.
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heatherlynelle
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Thanks so much!! This is really helpful. Enjoy your hockey.
Jo Castillo
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I like what Wayne (enyaw) says. Good ideas. I think you are doing great with the oil pastels.
Bartc
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My critique would be different. I can't make heads or tails of your painting because both the land and the sea/sky areas are far too fluid for the way I see the scene. It appears to me as though you were working with pouring technique or imitating that with a brush. But that's why I wasn't willing to criticize at first, because I don't know your vision for the piece. You may very well have wanted that fluid abstract look, which I would not have chosen.
We each see different changes to be made based on how we might envision the painting composition. Mine may be totally off for you.
To me the area that needs work is the sea/sky portion. In the photo their is value and color contrast that is lacking in what I see on my screen in your painting. Your Mileage May Vary, of course.
We each see different changes to be made based on how we might envision the painting composition. Mine may be totally off for you.
To me the area that needs work is the sea/sky portion. In the photo their is value and color contrast that is lacking in what I see on my screen in your painting. Your Mileage May Vary, of course.
heatherlynelle
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Thanks! Yes. I was unhappy with the sky and sea separation as well. I will work on it. Thanks!
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I agree with Bart, the cliff seemed fluid/flowing. I know you're working with oil pastels and once they get to a certain level of layering they can really start to glide over that paper!
I don't know what brand of OP's you're using, but layering is what they do so beautifully. Keeping Wayne's comments about values in mind, if you can always start with the hardest (usually the least expensive/student grade) brand you have. They are an oil medium, so the "fat over lean" rule that oil painters use applies here, too. You may have ended up with that flowing look by building layers of the same consistency of OP, and they can get away from you!
So start your base sketch layer with a good hard OP (usually contain less wax/oil), and stick with those for another layer or two before reaching for your softer brand (more wax/oil). By then your soft ones should easily go over the nice hard base without disturbing your sketch lines. A sturdier painting should result.
You already have a lovely foreground here - nice job on those flowers! Great texture.
Hope this helps!
I don't know what brand of OP's you're using, but layering is what they do so beautifully. Keeping Wayne's comments about values in mind, if you can always start with the hardest (usually the least expensive/student grade) brand you have. They are an oil medium, so the "fat over lean" rule that oil painters use applies here, too. You may have ended up with that flowing look by building layers of the same consistency of OP, and they can get away from you!
So start your base sketch layer with a good hard OP (usually contain less wax/oil), and stick with those for another layer or two before reaching for your softer brand (more wax/oil). By then your soft ones should easily go over the nice hard base without disturbing your sketch lines. A sturdier painting should result. You already have a lovely foreground here - nice job on those flowers! Great texture.
Hope this helps!
heatherlynelle
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Thanks! I will try that. I used only Aliferous OPs on this one! My son thought it was a mudslide. Ha! I have always struggled with rocks. I will press on though!
heatherlynelle
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Donna T
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The first version was very nice, Heather, but this one is beautiful! I like how you changed the composition so we see more of how the water flows around the rocks. The sky color is more dramatic too and it works well with the flowered hillside below. Your hard work paid off!
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I realize that a camera picks out blue too brightly, but the blue horizon line looks out of place with your other colors. I think if you blend it more into the sea beneath it, and add some of it to the cliff and rocks below, it will tie it all together and liven up the rocks.
heatherlynelle
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I already used fixative on it. I see what you mean. I was told the horizon line wasn't defined enough before. I went overboard on it this time I guess.
