From the Artist: This is my second still life. I really struggled with this one where shadows are concerned. I wanted to take the painting as far into chiaroscuro as possible, but I feel like I'm still holding back on my goals. I get scared that I'll go too far with the darks, and will not be able to retrieve the painting. I've a long way to go on learning to trust myself here.
After some discussion, I decided to leave the knife in blue. The further the painting got, the more the blue looked like steel to me, and that seemed fitting enough, even though the original knife had a black plastic handle. The candle was added a few days after painting began and lit well into the process. I think lighting it was a good idea, but I found myself fighting against veering from my original plan.
All in all, I enjoyed the project, and learned more about how stubborn I can be.
From the Painting Guide: I know you've been aiming at the dark, moody backgrounds in an Old Masters style and I think think painting really achieves that (beautifully!). The deep dark background makes the orange of the cut fruit really glow and resonates with the dark shadows cast by the shadows.
Things to Consider When Looking at This Painting:
Background: Notice how the addition of the flame on top of the candle allows lighter tones to penetrate the dark background. Without it, the background runs the risk of being too uniform, and visually dull (though also remember that it's almost certainly the case that in real life, rather than a photo, you'll be able to see more variation in the background).
Choice of Still Life Objects: Consider the style this painting is done in and the fact that the original knife used in the still life set-up had a handle made from a 20th century material (i.e. plastic). Would it have created an inauthentic feel to the painting?
Framing: As the photo is at the moment, when this painting is framed it's likely that the little bit under the table's edge will be lost. While a frame need not cover very much of a painting's edge, unless it's in a style that goes around the canvas it will crop some of the painting off. You may not intend the painting to be framed, but once you've sold it, it's out of your control.
See Also: Read what Painting Forum members have had to say about Tina's painting in this discussion thread.
After some discussion, I decided to leave the knife in blue. The further the painting got, the more the blue looked like steel to me, and that seemed fitting enough, even though the original knife had a black plastic handle. The candle was added a few days after painting began and lit well into the process. I think lighting it was a good idea, but I found myself fighting against veering from my original plan.
All in all, I enjoyed the project, and learned more about how stubborn I can be.
From the Painting Guide: I know you've been aiming at the dark, moody backgrounds in an Old Masters style and I think think painting really achieves that (beautifully!). The deep dark background makes the orange of the cut fruit really glow and resonates with the dark shadows cast by the shadows.
Things to Consider When Looking at This Painting:
Background: Notice how the addition of the flame on top of the candle allows lighter tones to penetrate the dark background. Without it, the background runs the risk of being too uniform, and visually dull (though also remember that it's almost certainly the case that in real life, rather than a photo, you'll be able to see more variation in the background).
Choice of Still Life Objects: Consider the style this painting is done in and the fact that the original knife used in the still life set-up had a handle made from a 20th century material (i.e. plastic). Would it have created an inauthentic feel to the painting?
Framing: As the photo is at the moment, when this painting is framed it's likely that the little bit under the table's edge will be lost. While a frame need not cover very much of a painting's edge, unless it's in a style that goes around the canvas it will crop some of the painting off. You may not intend the painting to be framed, but once you've sold it, it's out of your control.
See Also: Read what Painting Forum members have had to say about Tina's painting in this discussion thread.