Downtown Pen and Ink Scene

[mel-o]

It's been ages since I posted in the galleries, but I've been participating in the Landmark Challenge and have an extra landmark, so I thought I might post it here.

This is a photo I snapped in the downtown area of my little river town. This supermarket has been here for over 100 years. What attracted me to the photo was the perspective looking down the street, the overhang of the awning, and the colors.

When I finsihed, I had lots of positives: I love the bright colors and the way some of them mixed on the paper. My latest paintings seemed to lack some flair, and this has that for me.

I'm also proud of myself for getting the perspective mostly right. That awning was a real puzzle for me, but I just love how the viewer is looking down the street. It looks right to me, and that feels good.

The longer I looked at it, though, there were some things that bothered me. First, is the ink too thick. I haven't decided. Maybe I used too much. Not sure.

Next, is it too color blocky?

And, some of the color areas are too blended maybe.

I'm very curious to know what an objective viewer sees. Please give me a little list of your positives and negatives of the painting. I'm posting because I need opinions outside of my own. So, don't hold back!

Okay, after all that rambling, I' ll bet you are ready for the painting. This is 18x 22 with a 1 inch border. All w & n tube paints and a brush pen to finish.
Full painting

Close up of one of the color mixing parts I like.

[Yorky]

I think you perspective is a little off on the canopy.

By drawing lines along the street etc I established your eye level to be quite high. In that case you wouldn't se as much of the underside of the canopy.



As regards the brickwork coloursn, the variations are best introduced wet in wet, Put a background was over the brickwork then whilst still damp drop in the various other colours you see.

When that is dry paint in a few patches of brickwork either with the pen or with a flat brush painting each brick downwards.

Doug

[Uschi]

So good to have a Doug here on board to look after our perspective The colours are lovely, the pen not too strong, for me personally the scene looks a bit desolate, a few cars and people would really liven this up.
Uschi

[Joan T]

I like the colors a lot. I agree with Ushi that this needs some people and cars. It's too lonely.

[mel-o]

Doug, darn it! I thought I was doing good LOL. Thanks though. I can really see what you mean. Should I have put a vanishing point in? I sort of just imagined one.

Thanks Joan and Uschi. I can see what you mean about the cars. I almost put one in. However, I keep looking at it in real life, and boy, it looks so much better than on the screen.

Its not translating well, maybe. When I look at it here in rl, it give me such joy, but it must not be doing that on the screen. Maybe I'm just sentimental about it.

Oh well, thanks a lot for the views and the comments.

mel

[KathyJB]

Cool Mel!! also cool to see the advice Doug posted, I dont even try these yet and i had a bit of perspective in High school, just have always shied away from it, thanks for sharing Mel!!!

[Europa]

I think you were brave attempting this - I would have had to have my perspecto to hand lol - love the bright colours and the sense of wanting to go further along the street to see what is there - agree about the addition of some people though.

Pat

[mmcaloon]

Like Joan I like your colors they are so vibrant. I think its great you did this. I still want to try one of these but haven't had the chance. A street scene to me would be such a challenge. Also I think your ink is fine. As to perspective I bow to Doug he is the expert there. This scene is deffinitely worth doing again and again.

[Flattwo]

Hi

Apart from the building on the left I think the your "guessed" perspective is rather good, look at the sidewalks, almost perfect, Dougs example is of course technically correct, but one in my opinion must try and avoid developing a painting into a technical illustration

Regarding the emptyness in the painting, adding life always helps

Regards

Henry

[mel-o]

Thanks everyone for the comments! They are a confidence builder to be sure! RE the peoples and cars. I have decided to paint this again, at least once, maybe more. I will definitly be adding either figures, cars, or both.

Henry, thanks for the taking the time to give me a little bit different perspective (teehee) on perspective. Looking at it again, I think the difference between the sidewalk line and the awning line is what throws it off. But, you can be sure I'll be aiming for "good enough" perspective in the next one. Just gotta get there somehow!

mel

[Yorky]

Mel, if you do this again, choose your viewpoint carefully.

If your sketch is made as if you are standing on the sidewalk, then your level eyeline will be at head height in any doorways etc in the view. Pick a point forr the vanishing point and all horizontals in the buildings eiterside will slope to that point.

Check out the street scenes class in my signature.

Doug

[Bob Rooney]

As pointed out, this is an excellent piece for understanding single point perspective. That technical point aside it's still an interesting piece and I'm sure you learned a lot.

[mel-o]

Thanks Guys.

Doug I really appreciate you taking time to coach me on this a little. Perspective is difficult for me to comprehend because I have a congenital eye condition that has left me with no depth perception.

So, I have a silly question. Do you actually put your vanishing point down on the paper? or imagine it.

Thanks so much,
mel

[Yorky]

I work a lot from photos Mel and I locate the horizon line by looking for lines on the buldings that are horizontal. If you take a look at the average street photo, horizontals that are below eye level slope up to the vanishing Point, those above the horizon slope down to the VP.

So the VP is the point on the horizon (eye level) where the horizontals on each building slope to. There can be more than one VP depending on the angle of the buildings.

Best to look at the April 2005 Class and the accompanying Homework thread for examples.

There is even a little animation in post #93 of the Homework section.

Doug

[mel-o]

You are a champ Doug! I'll read through Watch this space to see if I can get it through this thick skull!

mel