Spello -For my husband.

[ARTFULKAY]

Spello - for my hubby
My husband and I are both novices to painting. I feel very blessed that he shares my newfound passion. After seeing the modifications Doug made to my Civita painting, he asked me to offer up one of his for comments and modifications. Here it is. It was done on 140 lb cold press paper. Thanks in advance. Kay for Bob.

[Yorky]

Wow Kay, what a complicated scene.

Surely the walls were vertical?



Doug

[Europa]

Hi Kay - thanks for sharing Bob's painting with us.

Firstly I like the way he has rendered the buildings and the colours used.

I have to agree about the verticality (is that a word....lol) of the buildings - if you look at it - the wall on the left hand side (as you look at it) is leaning backwards but the rest of it is leaning forwards - I think that is where the problem lies.

Did your husband draw this freehand and was it from a ref pic?

If it was from a ref pic maybe tracing it will work better - I always trace mine - if it was from his imagination -then good on him for having such a wonderful imagination.

Pat

[rue d'oak]

Wonderfully complicated and textured. Yep, the verticals are a problem BUT so many other things work. It is an inviting scene and composition, with the path leading in a curve upward. Something about a curve is always more inviting and graceful. Good shadow work under the eves, in the windows / archways. And just enough addition of detail - stair rail, fixture, flower box - to make it feel real, and to give additional depth.

Jen

[ARTFULKAY]

For some reason the photography makes the buildings look out of kilter. I think the paper must have been bowed in the center when the picture was taken. It is now in a frame and the walls seem to be perpendicular to the edge of the matting.

Doug, did you darken it when you did your modification?

Thanks again everybody. K

[ARTFULKAY]

To Pat, It was drawn freehand during a plein aire session. He is a structural engineer, so buildings come naturally to him. K

[Yorky]

I thought there was something wrong with the photo Kay, it was so far off vertical. Everything else was fine, perhaps emphasise some of the shadows a little more that's all.

Doug

[painterbear]

Bob,
Your painting is lovely. You are off to a great start with your watercolors. You have a very nice way of blending colors for the stone walls of the buildings. Get a little bolder with your use of darks. The contrast between light and shadows in a painting is what really helps it to sing. Just look at the difference the deeper shadows made in Kay's painting Civita!

When you photograph your paintings, take them outside in a shaded area and lay them flat on the ground. Shoot straight down at them and that should eliminate the bowing problem.

Sylvia

[jaytee]

I am chuckling here because, from your title, I expected to see a bowl of unknown american breakfast cereal, or something similar, you were about to feed your DH !!!

Ignoring that and the photographic problems.. what a good sense of perspective.... ariel and actual in the stonework I sense it was a wet day... the grey sky seems to be reflecting from the road... am I right ?

The overall composition is excellent, though I could do with a tad less grass and road wall in the foreground and a tad less detail there as it is the buildings that are the stars of this show.

[gmarie]

Oooooooooo, I actually like the original, giving such an illusion of life and movement! however, Yorky's modification gives such a sophisticated look! Your talent is showing! Thanks, Kay for Bob !

[Yorky]

I merely straightened the verticals Marie. I am sure the original is fine, the problem is just the photo.

Doug

[ameliajordan]

Love the texture in this painting. I think if you push the darks a bit you will have a super painting!!!