Low Flying Birds

[keith.a]

This is a piece i did as a gift for a friend as a birthday gift. I was very undecided as to where this painting was going before i started . so this may show in the finished piece , apart from that my buddy was very happy which made me happy ! but i also know there are many mistakes and putting it up on here i expect to be told and made aware of them ......20X28 on canvas , C&C very welcome .

[Lady Carol]

This is really nice keith

[OkeeKat]

Well done Keith!

[AndreZA]

Nicely done. I like how the planes are realistic and the rest impressionistic.

[NeilF92]

You've handled the aircraft very well - the background tones and hues are a bit too strong and hard for my taste but the painting works as a vibrant piece of art.

[chammi kaiser]

I think this is a very exciting painting with excellent work on those aeroplanes. I just feel that the background clouds are too 'busy'. A few wisps of cloud with a clearer and perhaps less 'blue' sky would have worked better. They detract a little from the fantastic planes. However, the main thing is that your pal likes it - who wouldn't and it is a very generous gift.

[keith.a]

Thanks all for the constructive comments , I agree completely about the background. I have never painted landscape before . I found it very difficult . I learned a lot from the process and im already applying it to my next piece. I am going to take time off from painting people and man made objects and teach myself more about landscapes . the greens the hues the detail and the compostions .....wish me luck !!!!

[NeilF92]

You'll be fine - it's a pretty quick learning process. My first landscape featured lime green fields, pink clouds ,brown hills and purple mountains with a cerulean blue sky.
I seem to recall successive efforts calmed down quickly and drastically !

[Rose4U]

Looks great to me. What a wonderful gift.

[jimmy4u]

Wonderful work!

[keith.a]

Thank you rose and jim for your kind words ! Neil my biggest issue with landscape is ....a good landscape painter makes a landscape painting look easy , for which we know is not so true ! i struggle with the greens and with perspective , but ill stick with it and see how i go !

[NeilF92]

Keith - I don't know if you have Photoshop or something similar on your computer - but many paint programs should let you put up a photo and use the colour picker (eye dropper thing) to sample the colours used in the various elements of the picture .
That's a quick way of getting your head round the varying hues and tones as the scene recedes into the distance . That gives you a clue as to what colours/tones you want to mix for a real painting. Sometimes the colours that come up are not at all what you thought you were looking at but follow them more or less and you will get a realistic scene.

[keith.a]

Afraid i dont have photoshop Neil but thank you very much for your imput .

[Margaretta]

I'm learning too Keith. Those planes are exquisite.
You started with the background, absolutely correct, but I think it's a good idea to make it very soft, light and splodgy because the fine detail is destined for the most important part of the painting, in this case, the planes . Standing back the strong colours of the clouds jump out and that brilliant detail of the planes is a bit lost. Similarly the cliffs are very organised, no rockfalls here or variety of sizing of rocks to break up the neatness. Someone once told me to smudge a bit of earth on the least important bits! You can always brighten up the landscape a bit at the end making sure that it is not likely to overpower the main centre of interest.

Haha! Laughing at myself now! After seeing a David Hockney Exhibition recently, I've been exploring the idea of creating interest on every bit of the canvas. It still needs the strong and calm places though. He seems to do it but I can't. It will take years to achieve that!

[shadwell]

nice work !! as said convincing landscapes need depth painted in not only by colours but also by detail i usualy try to soften background detail and also paint in muted colours brightening colours and sharpening detail to the front

i'm undecided on the tornado it is a good representation of the gr but seems elongated like the f3 but that is realy nit picking as it is a good work

could you post it in the aviation section in cafe guerbois as well please !!