Advice sought - WetCanvas: Online Living for Artists

This topic has 19 replies, 7 voices, and was last updated 5 years, 10 months ago by WFMartin.

Viewing 15 posts - 1 through 15 (of 20 total)

1 2 →

Author

Posts
June 5, 2018 at 9:42 am #457058
Jennie
Default
Have been reading about composition, and completed this ‘outback Australia’ as a test. I am wondering if the tree and hill balance each other.

Apologies for the shadow bottom right. I can’t get another pic to load, even though I have deleted this one.

Jennie
"Whether you succeed or not is irrelevant, there is no such thing. Making your unknown known is the important thing.” – Georgia O’Keeffe
@jenniferpaints http://jrcs.com.au/artist
June 5, 2018 at 9:59 am #635422
virgil carter
Default
Yes, the various angles do tend to create an overall “balance” in the painting–congratulations!

Are you familiar with the “Rule of Thirds” in composition? Might want to Google it and think about where you place your major shapes in your paintings. It’s often considered a good strategy to avoid placing major shapes and/or the area of interest in the center of a painting.

Hope this helps!

Sling paint,
Virgil

Sling paint,
Virgil Carter
http://www.virgilcarterfineart.com/
June 5, 2018 at 1:08 pm #635418
La_
Default
great points from virgil

i’ll add two thoughts – it’s good to allow some things to leave the canvas – the tree tops for example, but also good to avoid things exiting directly into corners – the hill top, for example.

thumbnail sketches are an invaluable notion for finding just the right balance in a composition before diving into paint on canvas.

la

_____________________________________________
When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know Peace
June 5, 2018 at 1:20 pm #635417
~JMW~
Default
Try to plan so trees or other objects aren’t squished or chopped off on top or edges.
The lower tree trunk made me think of a winding road going up the hill , until I saw the top of the tree..
Your hill shading & contours are very nice.
\ i think the tree would have fit the scene better if slightly to the right side and much smaller..comparing the tree size to the dirt road size..

~Joy~
June 6, 2018 at 8:08 am #635425
Jennie
Default
Thanks. Rule of thirds I can do in photography, but not yet in paintings. Thanks for the reminder.

Jennie
"Whether you succeed or not is irrelevant, there is no such thing. Making your unknown known is the important thing.” – Georgia O’Keeffe
@jenniferpaints http://jrcs.com.au/artist
June 6, 2018 at 8:11 am #635426
Jennie
Default
Many thanks. I was wondering if the trees could be extended. I have been painting for a couple of years now, just a slow learner. LOL I did a draft, and was working on entry and exit forgot about everything else. Cheers

Jennie
"Whether you succeed or not is irrelevant, there is no such thing. Making your unknown known is the important thing.” – Georgia O’Keeffe
@jenniferpaints http://jrcs.com.au/artist
June 6, 2018 at 8:14 am #635427
Jennie
Default
Thank you. I can see what you mean. Not the effect I was after. Will try to edit

Jennie
"Whether you succeed or not is irrelevant, there is no such thing. Making your unknown known is the important thing.” – Georgia O’Keeffe
@jenniferpaints http://jrcs.com.au/artist
June 6, 2018 at 9:25 am #635428
Jennie
Default
I’ve done a quick edit to the composition elements. Just rough work. Added some blue to RHS and gave more form to the horizon. Added some body to top of tries, and edited hill top and tree roots. Plus added some deeper tones.

I’ve had to use my iPad so quality is not great. But it is the composition I’m really interested in getting help with.

Jennie
"Whether you succeed or not is irrelevant, there is no such thing. Making your unknown known is the important thing.” – Georgia O’Keeffe
@jenniferpaints http://jrcs.com.au/artist
June 6, 2018 at 9:44 am #635421
Claude J Greengrass
Default
I suggest a bit more foreground as to my eye, the tree trunk is a road running off to the horizon. Once your eye travels up the trunk you see the tree. A bit of foreground would break this impression. YMMV

It is only on a basis of knowledge that we can become free to compose naturally. -- Bernard Dunstan
blog.jlk.net
June 6, 2018 at 9:53 am #635429
Jennie
Default
Thanks Claude. I will work on that.

Jennie
"Whether you succeed or not is irrelevant, there is no such thing. Making your unknown known is the important thing.” – Georgia O’Keeffe
@jenniferpaints http://jrcs.com.au/artist
June 6, 2018 at 1:23 pm #635419
La_
Default
thumbnail sketches …

la

_____________________________________________
When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know Peace
June 7, 2018 at 1:07 am #635430
Jennie
Default
Thanks

Jennie
"Whether you succeed or not is irrelevant, there is no such thing. Making your unknown known is the important thing.” – Georgia O’Keeffe
@jenniferpaints http://jrcs.com.au/artist
June 9, 2018 at 7:14 pm #635423
bookat
Default
Rule of thirds could definitely be an effective option in this case, however, I think there are strengths in how it’s currently composed which can be amplified to make the piece even more striking. The strong curve of the hill creates a nice, dynamic line. The intersection of this line with the tree trunk creates a bold cruciform composition. I like how you’ve expanded the branches to bleed off the top of the page (in your revision), but I think it would also help if some of the lower branches broke past the horizon line a bit, by extending them down (mainly because you have that one cluster of leaves just touching the horizon, which creates tension). Another alternative, would be to remove those branches on the lower left, so that there’s just a patch of sky (again, to remove some of that awkward tension between the branches and the horizon). So to answer your question, yes, I believe the tree and the hill do balance one another, but almost so much so that they compete a bit. It might be fun to explore putting more emphasizing the tree, by really expanding those branches and leaves. And then, to do another option withdrawing the branches, bringing in more of the sky. Merely suggestions! I think you have a really natural, free look to your work. Keep it up!
June 10, 2018 at 2:13 am #635431
Jennie
Default
Many thanks for your comments, especially the horizon/tree conflict. I’ll have another play.

Jennie
"Whether you succeed or not is irrelevant, there is no such thing. Making your unknown known is the important thing.” – Georgia O’Keeffe
@jenniferpaints http://jrcs.com.au/artist
June 11, 2018 at 7:29 am #635432
Jennie
Default
Thanks to all your suggestions, I’ve edited, roughly, the image – new branches hanging down are much darker than they’d be if I did the project again.

I was tempted to put a dilipated wooden fence/gate in, but decided against it.

Much happier and a more confident with composition knowledge. Cheers everyone.

Jennie
"Whether you succeed or not is irrelevant, there is no such thing. Making your unknown known is the important thing.” – Georgia O’Keeffe
@jenniferpaints http://jrcs.com.au/artist
Author

Posts