From the Artist: This is a painting of an abandoned farm property on Manitoulin Island near our summer place. The effect I was trying to achieve was twofold: I hoped to create a serene, untouched feeling as well as featuring a large open sky. Clouds are something I am working on painting and I feel that I've made some progress from former attempts, although it seems that the clouds are looping up and over the landscape which is odd since I painted them in first.
The other thing I was attempting here was to paint in a looser style with less attention to detail using larger brushes. The result looks pleasing to me from a distance but on close inspection, seems unfinished. I would like to know how to improve on it.
It was very difficult to get a good photo - the camera and lighting seems to change the colours to brighter blues and yellows than in the original, and I couldn't adjust it. The weather here was rainy so I couldn't opt for an outdoors shot which might have helped.
From the Painting Guide: Every painting has an optimum distance from which to view it, and one that's done in a looser style will look unfinished or rough when you're too close. Don't be tempted to "fix" it as you'll ruin the character of this painting; stick with it and if you feel an overwhelming urge to fix it rather paint a new one.
I think you've got a lot of great things happening here and that with a little more work you'll get it to a state where you'll be totally pleased with it. To me there's a lovely sense of a shed that's been abandoned, of it becoming a bit dilapidated and of nature growing up against it. I think the sense of the clouds looming up over the scene adds to this feeling. Don't worry that you hadn't intended this -- it's one of those "happy accidents" that are to wonderful.
If this were my painting I'd change the position of the sun so the shadows were falling to the left. This would reinforce the feeling from the clouds. Then increase the tonal difference between the trees in the foreground and the ones in the distance slightly (things get lighter and bluer the further away they are).
I would also take out the tree in the foreground on the left. It feels as if it's floating alone, not part of the rest of the scene and is a visual distraction. Maybe the trees above it should continue to the edge? Finally, add a little more suggestion of detail immediately behind the grasses in the foreground.
The other thing I was attempting here was to paint in a looser style with less attention to detail using larger brushes. The result looks pleasing to me from a distance but on close inspection, seems unfinished. I would like to know how to improve on it.
It was very difficult to get a good photo - the camera and lighting seems to change the colours to brighter blues and yellows than in the original, and I couldn't adjust it. The weather here was rainy so I couldn't opt for an outdoors shot which might have helped.
From the Painting Guide: Every painting has an optimum distance from which to view it, and one that's done in a looser style will look unfinished or rough when you're too close. Don't be tempted to "fix" it as you'll ruin the character of this painting; stick with it and if you feel an overwhelming urge to fix it rather paint a new one.
I think you've got a lot of great things happening here and that with a little more work you'll get it to a state where you'll be totally pleased with it. To me there's a lovely sense of a shed that's been abandoned, of it becoming a bit dilapidated and of nature growing up against it. I think the sense of the clouds looming up over the scene adds to this feeling. Don't worry that you hadn't intended this -- it's one of those "happy accidents" that are to wonderful.
If this were my painting I'd change the position of the sun so the shadows were falling to the left. This would reinforce the feeling from the clouds. Then increase the tonal difference between the trees in the foreground and the ones in the distance slightly (things get lighter and bluer the further away they are).
I would also take out the tree in the foreground on the left. It feels as if it's floating alone, not part of the rest of the scene and is a visual distraction. Maybe the trees above it should continue to the edge? Finally, add a little more suggestion of detail immediately behind the grasses in the foreground.