From the Artist: The painting was drawn from a setup I put together with odd objects from my house ... my pillows, drapery and the Christmas balls ... I particularly intended to capture the highlights on the shining balls.
From the Painting Guide: It's hard to get a watercolor to photograph or scan well as it can be such a subtle and delicate medium. So I think that while in this photo the drapery and background blend into each other too much, I'm sure that when you look at the actual painting, the drapery is more strongly defined. From the shadows that I can see in the drapery here, there's a great feeling of the folds in it, and of it lying on top of the pillows.
Things to Consider When Looking at This Painting:
Composition: Looking at the composition, there are two areas which draw in my eye: the blue stripes on the right and the two groups of Christmas balls on the left. The balls have the stronger appeal and I find that my eyes glance at the blue stripes, then zip to the left to the red balls, where they stay. The green ball also demands some attention, but the gold and silver balls can't compete. I like the way there are two small bits of blue strip sticking out from under the drapery, helping to unify the elements in the painting and also echoing, in size, the splashes of colors from the balls.
You've definitely captured the highlights on the shining balls as you intended. But I wonder if there wasn't some reflection of the red in the lighter ones? Also take a look at where/how they're sitting on the fabric. Given the definite shadow under the top striped pillow, were there not also some shadows at the base of the balls, or created by them?
From the Painting Guide: It's hard to get a watercolor to photograph or scan well as it can be such a subtle and delicate medium. So I think that while in this photo the drapery and background blend into each other too much, I'm sure that when you look at the actual painting, the drapery is more strongly defined. From the shadows that I can see in the drapery here, there's a great feeling of the folds in it, and of it lying on top of the pillows.
Things to Consider When Looking at This Painting:
Composition: Looking at the composition, there are two areas which draw in my eye: the blue stripes on the right and the two groups of Christmas balls on the left. The balls have the stronger appeal and I find that my eyes glance at the blue stripes, then zip to the left to the red balls, where they stay. The green ball also demands some attention, but the gold and silver balls can't compete. I like the way there are two small bits of blue strip sticking out from under the drapery, helping to unify the elements in the painting and also echoing, in size, the splashes of colors from the balls.
You've definitely captured the highlights on the shining balls as you intended. But I wonder if there wasn't some reflection of the red in the lighter ones? Also take a look at where/how they're sitting on the fabric. Given the definite shadow under the top striped pillow, were there not also some shadows at the base of the balls, or created by them?