Still Life Glass Bottles WIP

[Jimbo68]

Hi all, long time no post. Looking for critique and advice! I just picked up oils as I found acrylics drying waaaay too fast and an unforgiving medium for me I haven't tried painting in a while, so this is a first in a long time. I seldom (well never) finish any painting, mostly due to frustration. Here goes.

I chose a composition by Merethe T from the image library - seen here.

After reading many posts here I thought I'd try an underpainting to see if it would help me towards the end. Here is the beginning: (bear with me if I don't post correctly, and images are taken with a cheap camera)



More to come if this works...

[Jimbo68]

Ok, I tried to establish values. I'm not sure if it helped as I progress, but here is progress a couple of days later. I left white, raw canvas all over the place.

[Jimbo68]

Here I am getting overly eager with color. I think I jumped the gun trying to get some blue/green into the bottles:

[Jimbo68]

Coloring onions already. I hope someone replies with advice on wood grain for the cutting board, I'm truly lost.

[Jimbo68]

Here I am today. I'm trying to save highlighting the bottles til last. I've darkened the background to create contrast, but now I have to un-muddy the shadows and try to convey the wood-grain on the cutting board. To be honest, I'm not sure where to go from here. If I can get some contrast and detail (painting is 16x20) I might can salvage it.

I haven't even started the garlic in the foreground, except for painting it a tan color



Any critique or advice at this point is appreciated! I hope to stick with painting, and I'll reciprocate as I can

[dirtysteev]

I think you are doing a fine job. There are a couple small perspective anomalies, but nothing too bad. The only things that don't quite work are the shadow side of the vegetables do not look dark enough. Also, the tangent where the onion and garlic come together is weird. Makes the onion look like it is floating. Tangents are something to be aware of when you are composing your picture. Overall nice technique, I kinda liked the green in the bottles in the previous installment. cheers, steve

[marionh]

I think it is looking good so far. A couple of things leap out at me, the tangent as steve says and the right hand edge of the rh bottle. Apart from that, it's looking good.
Your wood grain looks fine to me. I wouldn't do more too it as it might start distracting from the still life.

PS also watch the kiss of the two bottles. This is generally a no no - it is much nicer to have an overlap - sometimes you just have to change what's in the photo. I suggest you are now at the stage where you can ignore the photo and just do what the painting needs.

[Jimbo68]

Thanks Steve and Marion! I appreciate other sets of eyes, I've stared at this thing until it no longer makes sense to me, literally, like when you say a word over and over

I agree about the garlic, maybe I'll make it a tad bigger when I paint it to make it overlap the onion a bit. As for the bottles kissing I see what you mean Marion. Maybe when I do the final highlighting I can create enough contrast that they don't seem one.