Since I learn something new from each painting, today's lesson is that shadows and highlights aren't the chore I thought they were. As an unexpected benefit, shading also helps me agonize less over getting the exact right colors since you have more chances to balance everything out.
Speaking of chores, the biggest one is usually the background. Canvas absorbs a tremendous amount of paint and little patches of translucency has become the bane of my existence. I have to squeeze flat my precious paint tubes to get enough paint for full opacity, and I wince every time!(I have since bought an economy-sized jar of white, and devised a solution to combat the scarcity mindset. More on that in the next post.)
Moving on to discuss this piece, I am particularly drawn to the straw grass and the shooting stars. They really help convey the vibe of a calm, soothing night in a not-so-distant land. The large, fluffy creature is also terribly cute.
My only complaint is that somehow, the painting feels a little pedestrian. That is to say, it is not as obscure nor a mishmash of concepts as most of my other pieces. A real departure from my style... hah! I love it.
P.S. Comparing to the original sketch, I forgot to put a swing under the lower branch. Is it better without it?
0 comments:
Post a Comment