From the Artist: I was intrigued by your choice of colors and produced this painting of the moorland country around Hadrian's Wall in Northumberland, UK. I found the blue a bit overpowering but otherwise the color range was more than enough and I intend to explore it more fully this year.
From the Painting Guide: Phtalo blue is indeed a very selfish color that tries to take over a painting, but looking at your painting I'd say there's no doubt you were the one in control. A tiny bit definitely goes a long way and it's best to use too little of it initially than too much, but it does also make it an economical color to have in your palette.
Things to Consider When Looking at This Painting:
Perspective: I think there's a great sense of perspective in this painting, of the landscape moving away into the distance. Spend a moment analyzing the "building blocks" of the composition that create this.
First there's the distant hills with color suggesting vegetation but without detail of individual plants (while you intellectually know there are plants, you shouldn't paint them separately if you'd impossibly see them in real life). Then there's the row of trees, with more detail than the hills but not as much as the grass or tree in the foreground.
There's the path which disappears from view, but which we read as continuing beyond our sight. Having the large tree in the foreground go off the edge of the canvas creates a sense of it being very close, particularly as it contrasts with the tree on the left which we see in its entirety.
Notice too how blue is used to create unity across the composition: the little specks in the foreground on the left (which 'read' as flowers) echo the touch of blue in the roof, as well as being in the figures and the sky.
Shadow: Look at the beautiful shadow cast by the tree on the left. How it's not a solid color, but spreads out getting lighter in tone. The degree of darkness is perfect -- when you look at the painting as a whole it doesn't dominate, but squint at the painting and you'll see it's a very strong design element.
From the Painting Guide: Phtalo blue is indeed a very selfish color that tries to take over a painting, but looking at your painting I'd say there's no doubt you were the one in control. A tiny bit definitely goes a long way and it's best to use too little of it initially than too much, but it does also make it an economical color to have in your palette.
Things to Consider When Looking at This Painting:
Perspective: I think there's a great sense of perspective in this painting, of the landscape moving away into the distance. Spend a moment analyzing the "building blocks" of the composition that create this.
First there's the distant hills with color suggesting vegetation but without detail of individual plants (while you intellectually know there are plants, you shouldn't paint them separately if you'd impossibly see them in real life). Then there's the row of trees, with more detail than the hills but not as much as the grass or tree in the foreground.
There's the path which disappears from view, but which we read as continuing beyond our sight. Having the large tree in the foreground go off the edge of the canvas creates a sense of it being very close, particularly as it contrasts with the tree on the left which we see in its entirety.
Notice too how blue is used to create unity across the composition: the little specks in the foreground on the left (which 'read' as flowers) echo the touch of blue in the roof, as well as being in the figures and the sky.
Shadow: Look at the beautiful shadow cast by the tree on the left. How it's not a solid color, but spreads out getting lighter in tone. The degree of darkness is perfect -- when you look at the painting as a whole it doesn't dominate, but squint at the painting and you'll see it's a very strong design element.