11 - Painting from Photos

[MaryAnne Long]

Brian,

Although your comments were directly toward Germa, I appreciate the reinforcement of hearing it.  That has been my biggest problem - just doing a painting from a photo and not thinking about the elements and doing any planning.

Not any more - today is the first day of my new painting life.  Practice - prepare - plan - paint - ponder - repaint (if unpleased) - take pride in a work well done.

aloha

mea

[MaryAnne Long]

Germa,

Somehow this painting slipped by me.  Glad you nudged us to comment.

I like the little cottage - would love to see inside.  The big tree and shrubs next to it are very well done.  Nice sky.

I think I would have put some shadowing to indicate ruts in the driveway and in front of the house to indicate someone had visited recently.  Someone in a place as lovely as that must have had visitors.

aloha

mea

[scouserl41]

Is the OpenLuchte (?) museum still there outside of Arnhem Germa? I remember visiting there back in the 70's and 80's. There were some very nice old building preserved there. Good subjects for paintings!
Brian

[Germa]

 
It still exists: http://www.openairmuseum.nl/

(looked for the English version for you, but yes, it is Openluchtmuseum).

If you want to take a look at the houses again, you better follow this link.

[MaryAnne Long]

Germa,

Thanks so much for the link to the Dutch houses.  They are unique architecture.  So cozy looking.

I enjoyed seeing those.  Quite lovely.

aloha

mea

[scouserl41]

Yes that's the place! Thanks Germa, our kids used to like going there and exploring all the houses.
Brian

[Alice L Lemke]

Next time, try to put some interesting turns in your road and don't run it straight off the bottom of painting. Bring down the perspective from birds-eye level to the ground for everything.  A great book that would help is Tony Couch's "Keys to Successful Painting." I love your trees, clouds and colors. 

[Germa]

Thanks for your feedback Alice.

You are so right about the birds eye level!

I decided to call it a day with this one and keep is as an example of 'how not too'.
I practised the clouds, the trees, the house, and as subjects they aren't wrong, but they don't 'fit' together.

I think I have to wait till I found a subject that I really have a feel for,  this one wasn't and that shows.

But it was still a good practise.

[nolan]

I wouldn't give up on this painting, it has the making of a great painting.
Just keep working on the suggestions of the other members.
Also remember the spotlight effect (darker in front then more light towards the focal point then exagerated atmospheric perspective towards the back). All that can be done with glazes once the painting is dry 

[MaryAnne Long]

I'm going to put Keys to Successful Painting by Tony Couch on my Christmas list.

Thanks for the suggestion, Alice.

aloha

mea

[Tania]

I definitely wouldn't give up on this one, Germa! Lovely work - lots of good stuff happening here! Awesome sky, terrific trees, good depth. The path being in the pic is fine but compare the size/width of it to other parts such as the door or windows of the house. The tracks would be from something huge! Perhaps make them narrower and break it up a bit with grass hiding parts or something like that? Just some thoughts! I really want to see the sheep! I think that will complete the composition nicely! 

[Germa]

Thank Nolan, Tania, and everybody else who came with great suggestions.
I take a little break from this one, study all your suggestions and when the time is right, I'll show the final result, with the sheep.

[Germa]

NOW I know where I went wrong, just in the beginning.

Since I didn't paint the mountains in, as in the landscape classes, I would have lower my horizon much more, max. on the half of the painting or something.
Would make life much easier.

I did practise mountains, but we don't have mountains and honestly... I like the feeling of a wide, open landscape.

I couldn't get that wide, flat land feeling in my landscape, by this not only the atmospheric perspective could have done better, but the perspective of everything I have put in the landscape seems wrong.

 
Yes, I feel time comes. 

[CAROLYN from New Jersey]

Comments and Critique please..... shadows???

 

Details

[CAROLYN from New Jersey]

The horizon is really straight, just took a bad photo... grrrrrr