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Author: Carly_Clements, Contributing Editor
 | At this stage the paint beneath the plastic was almost dry, but I had already decided more color was needed in that area. Here you can see the texture left by the plastic with the addition of new gamboge for a touch of background sunflower petals. It's a good idea to keep your background areas more abstract so they don't grab too much attention. |
Now is the time to step back and take a longer view of your subject. This will help you spot areas that need more work. Ask yourself, "Which areas are strong? Which areas are weak? Do any shapes need breaking up? Have I created a focal point? Are the supporting elements interesting? Do I have variety in size, in shapes, in values?" Sometimes our eye needs a new perspective to spot where a painting needs more work. I like to turn my painting upside down or on its side and ask the same questions. Still don't see any problems? Try holding the painting in front of a mirror - often, any problem areas immediately jump out at you! |  |
The painting is not finished but, if I asked you to do a critique, what would you say? What areas are weak? What are the strengths? I continually ask myself these questions as I paint - it gives my left brain a little something to do LOL! |
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I decided that I needed more defined stalk shapes. I dipped my brush in clean water then dried most of the water on a cloth. I used this damp brush to draw stem and leaf shapes into the dried paint, leaving white shapes. If you add paint into these shapes, it will settle against the dried paint and stay put - unless you tilt the board! I also created more darks by adding almost pure pigment into some areas. You can see this in the lower left sunflower leaf shapes and in the upper flower. |
 | No, I didn't paint orange circles on my painting! I've digitally highlighted areas of the work to show where I thought the weak spots were! |
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