Cat watercolor painting needs critique
Jack3000
still have some fine details that I know are needed.
But the one thing I'm unsure of is the empty white negative space. I'm
not sure if it works. I'm trying to make it look like an unfinished
painting, in a finished kind of way, and I'm not sure if it just comes
off as simply unfinished.
Please let me know what you think.
http://www.jack-hand.com/images/art_Charlie.jpg
thanks!
Jack
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Jiri Borsky
Non-controversial conclusion - sorry, boisterous RAF participants.
I agree. It is fresh, good, leave it at that. Job well done.
Jiri Borsky
Dan Fox wrote:
>
> Maybe a very light wash in that area - it is hard to tell how that white
> comes across in reality. One thing I *am* sure of = it doesn't need any
> more detail, fine or otherwise. Too much detail could wreck it. (Rule of
> thumb: paintings don't get ruined by unsufficient detail - they get ruined
> by too much detail.)
>
> Nice job.
Nik Maack
Jack3000 wrote:
> http://www.jack-hand.com/images/art_Charlie.jpg
> I've recently painted a painting of a cat. It's still not complete; I
> still have some fine details that I know are needed.
Looks complete to me. I like how the white space draws the eye to the
cat, along with the two green lines. (Of course, it's up to you whether
you want to add more stuff.) I like the purple armrest the cat is
sitting on, and the detail there.
The traditional subject matter and style turns me off, but what do I
know? It works for many other people.
> But the one thing I'm unsure of is the empty white negative space. I'm
> not sure if it works. I'm trying to make it look like an unfinished
> painting, in a finished kind of way, and I'm not sure if it just comes
> off as simply unfinished.
No, I think that white space works. As I said, it looks complete to me.
Also, I think the white space strangely DEFINES the window. The lack
of detail makes it beautiful. It glows. That might be a side effect of
showing it on a computer screen, but I suspect it works just as well in person.
Well done.
Jiri Borsky
It would not do any harm to tidy up the right hand area.
The unfinished edges there are NOT echoed by anything else similarly
"unfinished" elsewhere. Get rid. Simple cropping job.
Regards, JB
Leigh
would like it. For one thing, it's too square, an uninteresting negative
shape. Perhaps you could give a sketchy indication of something that would
alter that squarish shape. I'm seeing it as a window, perhaps if a very pale
tree branch or house top could enter into it, you'd still have the
unfinished look.
L..
L."Jack3000" <mr_nic...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:cb57701f.02072...@posting.google.com...
Nerd Gerl
area seems to balance the colored and detailed cat 'n couch (nice work). If it
were my painting, the only thing I would do is add a faint (and I mean *really*
faint) design onto the white space so that it isn't so extreme (or, um...
contrasty). Maybe I would add a sheer curtain - So lightly rendered, that at a
particular distance, or with bad eyesight, one wouldn't know the curtain was
even there.
I like the way you layered your colors and values. :-)
<mr_nic...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
>news:cb57701f.02072...@posting.google.com...
>> I've recently painted a painting of a cat. It's still not complete; I
>> still have some fine details that I know are needed.
>>
>>
>> But the one thing I'm unsure of is the empty white negative space. I'm
>> not sure if it works. I'm trying to make it look like an unfinished
>> painting, in a finished kind of way, and I'm not sure if it just comes
>> off as simply unfinished.
>>
>> Please let me know what you think.
>> http://www.jack-hand.com/images/art_Charlie.jpg
>>
>> thanks!
>> Jack
>>
>> ______________________________________________________
>> "Hand-Crafted Portraits"
>> The Perfect Personalized Gift!
>>
>> www.jack-hand.com
>
>
==========
Portfolio of Nude Angels: http://www.rcip.com/nerdgerl
See In Person @ MatrixArts Space | Sacramento, CA
E- Portfolio: http://www.rcip.com/nerdgerl/nangels.zip
keith o'connor (tinmangallery.com
Aside from that I fail to see what is wrong with Dan's comment.
He was very kind in providing a hint - much more restrained than me but I am
in my quiet phase .
keith
Jiri Borsky <bor...@dialz.pipexz.comz> wrote in message
news:3D3A11...@dialz.pipexz.comz...
Roob
painting is pretty bad. I can see you have a lot of potential with the
medium, but you aren't trying hard enough or thinking hard enough.
Your painting is lame. Practice though, and you'll improve.
mr_nic...@yahoo.com (Jack3000) wrote in message news:<cb57701f.02072...@posting.google.com>...
Nerd Gerl
>I think you should dump this project and start all over. Frankly, this
>painting is pretty bad. I can see you have a lot of potential with the
>medium, but you aren't trying hard enough or thinking hard enough.
>Your painting is lame. Practice though, and you'll improve.
These criticisms are awfully juvenile: "Lame"?? "Pretty Bad"??
Surely you could have said something more erudite...
Need a dictionary?
Roob
nerd...@aol.combounces (Nerd Gerl) wrote in message news:<20020723225415...@mb-fo.aol.com>...
Roob
rendered..." you should write for the nation!
nerd...@aol.combounces (Nerd Gerl) wrote in message news:<20020723225415...@mb-fo.aol.com>...
Andrew D
a window) and is so strong it acts as the main focal point.
I made my browser window narrower and lost a little of the dark green on
the left and the cat's back leg (this makes it portrait format) and this
seemed a bit less overbearing - to me. Doing this, the cat's head remains
to the left/above centre but the vertical division between green and white
is now 'almost' central. Maybe this division could be softened by lifting
some of the green out so that it drifts slightly left and isn't such a
hard line?
Alternatively, it may be worthwhile washing a little something (probably
cool so that the cat looks warmer?) into the window area so that the main
white highlight is on the cat. After all, a highlight isn't a highlight if
it takes up half the painting. I'd have a play with it on the computer
before I got carried away with changes though - if I were you.
Just my thoughts.
Overall, I was surprised by the painting after reading 'Roob's' unhelpful
comments. I expected primary school quality but I reckon any cat lover
would be happy to own this. Good stuff!
Andy D.
"I'm a great speller - but a hopless tpyist!"
keith o'connor (tinmangallery.com
-keeping the major weight on the left is good but there is no
counterbalancing in the empty white space
-centre in cat head but no secondary centre to offset the portrait of cat
head dominance.
-the eye cannot easily move over the entire surface
-curtains appear heavy muddy overworked watercolour is light airy
-the cat has a distracting moustache
-the right cat paw is a stump no form
-the right cat ear is a stump no form
-the major problem is that the artist is attempting to imitate the surface
likeness of the cat and environment and is not struggling for the form
underneath. This results in surface detail or cat that can't run.
-that's enough to start
Some of my comments the artist may be aware of but is looking for
confirmation.
Would recommend that the artist spend more time studying the basic forms and
practice defining the cat in terms of those forms.
The bottom line is that nothing I say matters - it's a cat picture - people
will like it - no one cares about the aesthetic content so it is ok.
You have had the benefit of RAF's best artists look at it - I am only an
amateur who knows nothing and likes to mouth off . Follow Marilyn's advice
she is much more knowledgeable than I.
keith
Marilyn Welch <mwe...@islandnet.com> wrote in message
news:3D3A02E2...@xxxislandnet.com...
> x-no-archive: yes
>
> It's beautiful.
>
> Jack3000 wrote:
>
> > I've recently painted a painting of a cat. It's still not complete; I
> > still have some fine details that I know are needed.
> >
>
> No, I don't think so.
>
> >
> > But the one thing I'm unsure of is the empty white negative space. I'm
> > not sure if it works. I'm trying to make it look like an unfinished
> > painting, in a finished kind of way, and I'm not sure if it just comes
> > off as simply unfinished.
> >
>
> It does look unfinished or it looks like a vignette.
> One of my instructors told us that every inch of the
> painting should be interesting in some way. And that
> is not accomplished by detail. Respect the edges of
> the work, go to the edge and balance the painting.
> Another thing to remember is that the background is
> not separate from the subject. Colours are reflected
> from the background to the subject and vice versa.
>
> MW
Andrew D
<pHJ%8.193197$WJf1....@news01.bloor.is.net.cable.rogers.com>, "keith
o'connor (tinmangallery.com" <scot...@rogers.com> wrote:
[snip]
+The bottom line is that nothing I say matters - it's a cat picture - people
+will like it - no one cares about the aesthetic content so it is ok.
+
+You have had the benefit of RAF's best artists look at it - I am only an
+amateur who knows nothing and likes to mouth off . Follow Marilyn's advice
+she is much more knowledgeable than I.
And you can bet someone will archive those statements and drag them out
again as required!
keith o'connor (tinmangallery.com
My law teacher once told me - there are two types of lawyers.
One type prepares his case it's all written out point by point - well
researched.
The other type is the gunslinger - grabs whatever is put on the table and
works with it.
I am more of the gunslinger type.
keith
Andrew D <right@the_end.of.my_tether> wrote in message
news:right-25070...@i204-247.nv.iinet.net.au...
defeated
> I don't wanna hurt anybody's feelings here, OK? The painting is OK.
All right, is the painting OK, or is the painting bad?
Because you also said:
> Frankly, this painting is pretty bad.
I'm confused.
~angela, who personally thinks the painting is great, but has been
accused of being a barbarian, so FWIW
Yetta Nuther
scot...@rogers.com says...
>I am more of the gunslinger type.
I would correct you on that. You are
definitely more the cow paddy tossing
type. Why don't you look up the place
in Texas that has an annual cow paddy
tossing contest - you'd surely be in
the running for champ in that sport!
Roob
sh00ti...@hotmail.com (defeated) wrote in message news:<c6062f19.02072...@posting.google.com>...
keith o'connor (tinmangallery.com
an Irishman throwing cow paddies at those big Scotts - I could dress in a
leprechaun suit - out run them - what a crowd pleasure - could make a
fortune on this.
thanks: keith
Yetta Nuther <ye...@noemailever.com> wrote in message
news:3d408...@oracle.zianet.com...
Elisa Vegliante
I think the painting looks finished. The assymmetrical balance works.
The white negative space reminds me of bright sun streaming through a
window, even though there is no window painted. If the bare white
paper is bothersome, you could put a very light warm wash there. I
like it as is though.
Elisa http://mondoexpressionism.com
>
> www.jack-hand.com
Jack3000
I've really appreciated them. Even the ones from Roob. (I must be a
masochist ;-) But seriously, I thought most of the comments from Roob
were right on the mark. I knew I still needed to make sure the form
--the skeletal structure-- could get a sensed underneath. (That's one
of my trouble areas, along with others.) However, this is still a work
in progress, so I think the comment on just dumping the painting
completely and starting over was a bit premature and perhaps harsh. (I
do respect one's candor, though.)
You all made wonderful suggestions and I will take them all under
advisement as I continue to work out the finer details.
I will probably continue this painting in a couple weeks and finish it
soon thereafter. I'd roughly say a month is a safe amount of time to
check up on my progress to see the completed work.
Again, thanks to all that participated in this critique. For any
others out there who didn't participate, feel free to continue to
provide any more insight that hasn't been mentioned already. I may
still be able to benefit from such words of wisdom, and if I cannot,
then I'm sure another artist reading this and looking at my work
could.
Jack
______________________________________________________
"Hand-Crafted Portraits"
The Perfect Personalized Gift!