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rheomode
Posts:2
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| 07/10/2009 11:13 AM |
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Hi, my name is Jennifer and I am new to this forum. I've been working with pastels for a while and I'd like to get some feedback on some works. This is the first one, it's 18x24 and I have two concerns about it (although PLEASE feel free to criticize outside of these concerns as well).
My usual method is to soften the edges of the items in the composition to give more of a dreamlike/impressionistic quality, these hard decisive lines that define the plants make me uncomfortable, BUT, my boyfriend insists that it's the bold lines in this that make the piece striking. I promised him I would leave it alone for a week and then decide what to do. So any feedback concerning this would be great. 
Also, I am bothered by the bottom left corner, I suspect it's because I don't have as much texturing as I do on the other two plants, the darks I have don't play as well as my other colors, so I am going to pick up a few Schminckes to help remedy this, although I'm not sure their darks will be dark enough...can anyone recommend other pastels that are dark and deposit like Schminckes? Maybe this area is too dark to begin with? It is meant to be in the shadow, but I can lighten it if it needs.
Thanks for your help
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Cezanne
Posts:4
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| 07/15/2009 12:05 AM |
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| I think I would agree with your boyfriend in this case. The hard lines work in this, but if you still feel you need to soften something, I would soften the green... flower?... in the back ground as your eye immediately goes there. The lower left hand corner does not bother me. I never use black in my work I have found that sennilier #463 makes an excellent dark. Sometimes, I will wet it to make it just a hair darker. It has been a while now. What do you think of it after you have had some space from it? |
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Suzanne |
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CTBarb
Posts:143
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| 07/15/2009 8:50 AM |
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I like the harder lines too. But I agree that the direction of the light is ambivalent as it is. Darkening the lower left will make it obvious that the light is coming from upper right and make the painting more dramatic. I also agree to stay away from black. Sennelier makes a number of very beautiful darks. You can choose to do any of the primaries or secondaries from their line. A usual technique woudl be to heighten the cooler colors in that lower left corner using very dep blues leaving the upper right warmer and lighter. I also agree to soften the lines of the plant in the back and maybe actually lose some of the lines into the background even on the large warm plant in center. Hope this helps.
Barbara |
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rheomode
Posts:2
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| 07/16/2009 3:07 PM |
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Thank you both a TON for your input, it is greatly appreciated. i don't use black (whew!) and i am a sennelier #463 addict : ) although i have not tried wetting it, which is an interesting idea. i have not yet experimented with mixing water with the chalk, ive only been working with dry pastels on plain unsanded paper so far, but i think i should start playing with this technique soon... do either of you mix water with the pastels on a regular basis?
after getting some space from the piece i am tending to agree with everyone, it seems like a good time to apply the ol' "if its not broken, dont fix it" motto. although i do like the idea of working in a few more deeper blues into the bottom left and i am also going to soften the highlights on the top right item (in case you are curious, this is actually an echeveria lola, a really beautiful succulent plant, you might notice that all of my compositions will contain succulents..), i do see now that it really draws my eye more than it probably needs to, and i would like for all the components to draw my eye equally. hard to see when i'm sitting right in front of it! : )
jennifer |
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