View from Pier-39

[tremblad]

MY IMAGE(S):



GENERAL INFORMATION:
Title: View from Pier-39
Year Created: 2006
Medium: Acrylic
Surface: Wood
Dimension: 12x16
Allow digital alterations?: Yes!

MY COMMENTS:
I don't know what to think. I am not disatisfy with it. I know this is obviously not a very good attempt but this is the kind of painting I do. Entirely done with a knife. I paint for fun and I enjoy the activity. No intent to sell here (don't know if I will ever do things that could be sold!)

Perspective (linear and aerial) are always issues for me. Contrast of colors is also one area where I must improve.

I've noticed that the lighthouse seems to lean to the left.

MY QUESTIONS FOR THE GROUP:
Anything. Be rude! Just want ot share and get feedbacks!

[Grunge]

I like this. I really do. Here's what I think.

My eye is searching for a pure white on the light house. I'm looking for the highlights. and then in turn I'm looking for a few startling darks. I think that would spice up an already great painting. You might also want to darken the shadow side of the top of the light house. If you give a good squint at the picture you've posted here you see that the shadow edge of the body of the light house seems to form a solid dark line...but we don't see that same dark area a the top of the light house and it's roof.

I don't mind if your lighthouse leans a little. It wouldn't be the first leaning structure I've seen. I like the background. It took me a bit to notice the bridge and I think that's a good thing. You aren't pulling my attention away from the focul point, but you are still pulling my eye around the painting.

Other than the few things I mentioned above I really can't think of anything else that bothers me with this piece. It has a lovely painterly quality and I like it very much.

[Corby]

I could hardly improve on Grunges comments. I love the painterly quality that you have achieved with the palette knife. I would darken the shadows on the light house a bit so as to tie it in with the wharf below. Here is a grayscale that shows thw values, gives a better idea of what they are and where you might darken them for added impact.



nice work!

[Lobster Alla Prima]

Palette knife painting is really fun and you're very talented at it. I'd be curious how many knives you tend to use in a painting. Some do the whole thing with one favored knife.

The lean of the lighthouse is complimentary to the trees to the left. It's almost like it's organic like the trees.

Fun stuff.

[tremblad]

thank you for your nice comments. I hope you didn't refrain yourself in your critics! It encourages me to continue trying to paint!

I understand that lights and shadows are still one of the areas I must improve. I must admit it is not a surprise for me!

Grunge, I'm glad you did not notice the bridge at first. For me, that mean that I was able to make it appear far enough away.

About the leaning of the lighthouse, to be honest, I didn't and I still don't care (as long as the leaning is somewhat subtle; not too obvious). The angle of the photo taken doesn't help either regarding that. I appreciate Lobster Alla Prima's comment regarding this "problem".

Finally, to answer Lobster's question, I normally use only one knife (a middle-sized one; don't know the number). But, in this painting, I've also used a smaller one for some parts.

Thanks again to you all.

[purplepansey]

Daniel, Grunge as always as well as Corvus have given good feedback on the painting. I too like the painterly look you've achieved with a knife. Makes me want to give it a try.
Your painting has a nice pleasing look to it. My only crit is the palms, they look a little too hefty at the top below the palms fronds but that might be the dead ones hanging down like they usually do and I don't see it in the photo..

[Grunge]

There's only one catch... now if you make changes you have to come back and show us again.

[tremblad]

Purplepansey, take a look at my reference photo (you will notice I tried to change the light source to add shadows around ...)




Someone else, in private, made me this comment also. And that person, with her Photoshop program (which I don't have), show me what the painting might look with a slimmer palm tree and I think that improves that part of the painting. I might correct this part. Here is her digital alteration of my painting ...



Thank you for your comment ...

[Grunge]

If you do anything to the palm trees, I would merely slim them down just above the roofs of the buildings as shown in the photo. Otherwise, I like them plump.

[Eduardo Flores]

Originally Posted by Grunge

...It has a lovely painterly quality and I like it very much.

Really, the painterly feeling is very good.
There are two (secondary) points that disturb me: the Torre di Pisa appearence of the tower, and the low part of the palms, but I repeat that the overall luminosity of the scene is great.