Lake

[SoCalDan]

I decided to try a new size canvas 8"x20"....I like it 😀
This is done from my imagination with no reference image.

[sykirobme]

Very nice! You really make the most of the available space here.

The only critique I’d have is that the mountains don’t recede...just a bit of dulling them down would give your piece more depth..:

[SoCalDan]

Originally Posted by sykirobme

Very nice! You really make the most of the available space here.

The only critique I’d have is that the mountains don’t recede...just a bit of dulling them down would give your piece more depth..:

What do you mean by recede?

[~JMW~]

Recede - means showing as more distant - with cooler colors , softer edges..


You have a lot of pointed areas in the land/water.. try to avoid repeated shapes or spacing..
The sky is a nice vivid blue, suggesting a sunny day.. but the land seems a bit dull & neutral with no shadows or highlights..
The water could be matched a bit closer to sky blue color.. like a mirror..
You can paint the sky & the water areas at the same time with same color , then do the land areas & hills overlapping.

Your trees look nice..
The far trees could be a bit cooler/ blued a bit to add distance effect..

Values in painting -
https://www.artistsnetwork.com/art-s...tter-painting/

[~JMW~]

B&W shows if values are working or not..

[SoCalDan]

Thanks for the suggestions...I made a few changes.
Added more color to the ground...I decide to add a little more color and detail to distant trees to bring the background forward more rather than changing
the mountains to be more distant. I also made the water closer to the sky color. I think this looks a little more realistic.

[tiago.dagostini]

You also have a repetitive pattern in the "bowl" curvature of your whole drawing. The horizon is curved.. the mountain range follows the same curve.. the patters of the "arrow sides"of the lade do it again.. the large dark patch at the left side just in contact with the water again repeat the bowl shape.

It makes it look like you made a shot from a camera with too wide opening. There are no real horizontal lines. that makes the construction unstable and tense ( a lake usually is not something you want to make it look tense).

[sykirobme]

I like the reworking a bunch!

[LavenderFrost]

The new version is much nicer with the sunshine added.

[ColinS]

What I really liked about the first version was the way you did the water. It looks very good-- reminded me of John Constable's work, that's how much I liked it.

Some good advice from the others about the shapes of the elements in the background and getting the distant mountains to recede visually. The usual advice is that in realist style, the more distant something is the more blue it will appear.

[SoCalDan]

I did a little digital work on this and think this is a better version. I wanted to add a little blue hue to the mountains and I now see how that works better. Problem is telling my mind that its ok to paint blue even though it knows its brown I also lost the land on the right and I think it makes a more soothing composition.... Thoughts?