I've touched this painting up since thinking I was finished with it a month or so ago. I thought the foreground highlighted trees didn't have enough light, or glow, caused by the low setting sun across the valley. The tree tops are illuminated because the lower half is shaded by the hill I was standing on while taking the reference photo. I've gone back in and brightened them and also added some light to the mid ground valley area to suggest it is also highlighted by the setting sun.
What I want to know is if you think this light on the tree tops works here. Too bright, not bright enough or if it just doesn't look right to you...I like the idea of just a stab of light hitting something and thought it would work well here.
Here's a detail of the tree area. I also added some branches to the trees...something I rarely do with my trees. I'm not sure why but they look pretty neat once in a while.
8 comments:
Up close it words fine, looks really beautiful, but from the distance it seems like where you put the sun continues the horizon and seems to cut the painting horizontally.
Also, something about the foreground values that takes away from the impact.
But I'm no expert, and it's my opinion only, so only take from that what you will.
Hi Julianne,
Thanks for the input! I was wondering about the line on the trees being close to the line along the bottom edge of the mountains...maybe I'll lower the highlight.
The foreground was a field of dried brush over dried grass which meant it was sort of grey looking...after lightening the mid ground grasses today I wondered about that foreground area too. I'm going to have to look at that area more...maybe change the whole color there....maybe just make it shadowed green grass. Good eye Julianne and thanks for the feedback.
It's probably a rather impossible question to answer Ron. Might come down to taste and your current mood or interest
I think I tend to go with Julianne about the impact being taken away by the light on the trees. You could make the light on the trees much lighter, making them the main subject of the painting. It looks very interesting in my photo editor. But it will take away some of the impact of the clouds, which nevertheless might not necessary harm them. Sometimes it's nice to point the viewer in the "wrong" direction first, to let them later find the true subject themselves.
Both approaches (trees as the main focus or the clouds) probably work.
The trees and the foreground would have been too equal in value without the highlights thus I think the trees look better now; would love to see you carry the brighter light on the left to the right side.
As for cutting the canvas -- couldn't that could be said with just about any landscape with a distinct horizon line? Well to satisfy the purists Maybe the trees could be higher (or lower) than the mountains.......
I'd be SO HAPPY if my pieces turned out this well!!!
My opinion and I'm sticking to it!!! :)
-Les
I love it. I think that dramatic shadow work makes it more believable. I know just what time of day that is etc. Syd
Hi Bart....
Good point! I've taken another look and like where it's at. Maybe I'll just touch up the foreground grasses a bit. BTW Bart, you have some killer work on your site, Really nice work there! Thanks!
Hi Leslie....
I thought about adding a highlight on that taller bush on the right but it's pretty low and that would force me to adding highlights to the field behind it...I think this is where the trees are going to stay...for now, hahaha. Thanks Leslie.
Hi Syd....
I figured you'd know the time of day in this scene since you've probably stood at this very point a couple hundred times! Thanks for taking a look Syd...I'd try a plein air here but man the wind is a killer here.
Ron
Hi Ron
The bit I love most about this painting is the light on the mountain range- for me the colours here are superb.
I also don't mind the light on the tree line for this reason as it doesn't make the foreground contrast too strongly
Again the sky and clouds are your usual high standard!
Ryan
Hi Ryan,
Thanks for the comments on the painting here. I like how the mountains came out too here. I'm trying to get better at doing distant mountains and really capturing the light and colors they have. I also want to show some detail that you usually can see at a distance without making it obvious I'm trying for that. I think it is a very subtle bit of painting that makes that work in a good painting. It's a good goal to shoot for so I'm headed that way.
Ron
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