From the Artist: I recently got back in to painting. This is my first project submission and I really had a fun time doing it. The reason I chose this petunia in my garden is because it looks translucent like the sun is shining through it. I don't know that I captured that completely, but I had a good time trying and will probably attempt it again.
From the Painting Guide: I think you've got a lovely sense of intense sunlight on the white petals, without bleaching out the detail and texture in the petals. The really dark background allows the flower to glow with light. I love that triangular shape of shadow in the center which adds visual intrigue to pull in a viewer without detracting from the beauty of the flower.
Things to Consider When Looking at This Painting:
Composition: Notice how the center of the flower isn't in the center of the composition, but raised above it. This stops that bull's eye (or fried egg) effect you so easily get with a centered composition, which can be boring to look at. Instead, here, the bottom petals stretch to fill up more than their share of the composition (if all petals were equal, that is), while the top petals seem to reach out towards us rather than stretching sideways.
White Subjects: Look closely at the various tones in the shadows on the white petals, how they're considerably lighter than the dark background. It's an excellent example of how shadows aren't simply black, and undiluted black at that.
From the Painting Guide: I think you've got a lovely sense of intense sunlight on the white petals, without bleaching out the detail and texture in the petals. The really dark background allows the flower to glow with light. I love that triangular shape of shadow in the center which adds visual intrigue to pull in a viewer without detracting from the beauty of the flower.
Things to Consider When Looking at This Painting:
Composition: Notice how the center of the flower isn't in the center of the composition, but raised above it. This stops that bull's eye (or fried egg) effect you so easily get with a centered composition, which can be boring to look at. Instead, here, the bottom petals stretch to fill up more than their share of the composition (if all petals were equal, that is), while the top petals seem to reach out towards us rather than stretching sideways.
White Subjects: Look closely at the various tones in the shadows on the white petals, how they're considerably lighter than the dark background. It's an excellent example of how shadows aren't simply black, and undiluted black at that.