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Re: zen's gallery

PostPosted: Sun Feb 28, 2016 7:18 am
by Zeropainter
Nice painting I like especially the 2/3 of the last part (middle-part and down-part) of your picture c:! :ob :ob :ob

Re: zen's gallery

PostPosted: Sun Feb 28, 2016 7:38 am
by Knacki
Great one zen.
Pretty much dig the style and colour choice.

You gave the river a much more important rule in second one, giving the eye more to view and follow.
First, I was not sure if I like it better, but the more I look on it, the more it is convincing me.

But what I really love is - even in those exaggerated colours - I am there! It really gives me the the atmosphere.
I almost can smell the trees.

Thanks for this little visual holiday from cold Germany.

Re: zen's gallery

PostPosted: Sun Feb 28, 2016 9:56 am
by Taron
Yaha, perfect feedback, Knacki, I feel the same. I'd guess that zen is really missing Dalmatia! :D

Re: zen's gallery

PostPosted: Sun Feb 28, 2016 11:57 am
by Tartan
I am loving the colors and feel of this also. It's nice looking out of your window c:! :)

Re: zen's gallery

PostPosted: Sun Feb 28, 2016 2:11 pm
by zen_
Thank you all! I appreciate your kind and honest comments!

@Zero
Yes, I spent least time painting that top part of the picture. ;-)
IMHO it's good to create balance in painting so that something less beautiful can be more beautiful, if you compare it with even less beautiful.;-)
Thank you!


@Knacki
I had same mixed feeling when I compared both paintings. But, you're right, I had to lead eye out of interior!
btw. After I painted river green I asked my older, almost teenage daughter (I'm kinda developing her's art criticism) which one she liked more? She said one with blue river!
You know how to touch me in heart with a comment! Thanks!
Yes, I don't know but, as I started painting I was aware of process and painting and then, without noticing it I just felt sucked in, there was no more canvas/monitor in front of me.
It's crazy feeling, but I felt also there! That's how I skewed that window's pit as it's different on reference I used!

@Taron
You also touched my heart with that comment! Yes, I'm missing Dalmatia, especially from this foggy weather in Zagreb! I guess that distant hills resembled one of Kozjak in my mind, as also can be seen from my parents home in Kastela.
It's used to be said that there is no art without suffering/struggling lol!


@Tartan
Thank you!
The painting is recreated from this photo. The river is Neretva, at the city of Mostar in Bosnia and Herzegowina (it's actually 2 hours north-east from Split).
It has very picturesque area with architecture one found in Dalmatia.

Re: zen's gallery

PostPosted: Thu Mar 03, 2016 12:14 am
by zen_
Just doing some study of this still frame of beautiful Iselin Vollen Steiro. I like how she performed in Bowie's The Stars (Are Out Tonight).

This is a quick mid tone gray paint, and just started adding shadow tone.
Her's face is still out of props, but wanted to feel the atmosphere. ;-)

(Edit: I thought that girl from the still was Saskia de Brauw, but I was wrong. I searched for additional references and found that was not her lol.) :PP

Image

Re: zen's gallery

PostPosted: Thu Mar 03, 2016 10:39 am
by Taron
NIce study for sure! And you should really use this beautiful opportunity to focus on the facial "props" a bit more. She most certainly is well worth it! :D
I'm kind of intrigued by how your shadow translation slowly turns into a design element. I think, you should also explore and continue that, because that's really elegant! c:!

Re: zen's gallery

PostPosted: Thu Mar 03, 2016 11:37 am
by Tartan
Much better than my mud man Zen :) Taron has a point in developing the shadows as more of a design element. The look of quiet startlement is superb. I can almost hear the quick inhalation of her breath right before the camera shot. It also has a magazine feel to it evoking what could have been published 30's to the 50's. I think you have shown me a path I stumbled on without reference. c:!

Re: zen's gallery

PostPosted: Thu Mar 03, 2016 1:24 pm
by zen_
Thanks guys!

@Taron
Yes, I must fix proportions and features, but wanted to show it like that so you can see that I also struggle to get it right! It's not easy! ;)
I don't event thought of design, but yes, simplifying things lead into design....and really thanks for helping me realizing that in this example! :D
btw. check how Picasso reduced bull into one line. ;-)

@Tartan
Thank you for kind description of moments this image brought to you. Yes, she's a model and she know how to do these things! ;-)
I read that others used this or similar approach in getting things right! Actually, I never tried this apporach until this study. Idea (I think) is to use just one mid tone or value and paint whole picture without highlights (as they are got from canvas). I used eraser (a lot) and smudge (very little) to push that tone into highlights, to get some of fine transitions from mid tone to highlight. I also used big brush for nice transitions (idea is to use biggest brush you can for what you want to achieve, that's gives most natural feel to painting).
This really helps to see things as simplified and to train your eyes to see it like that (even though I worked from B&W image).
Then I started adding shadow and painted that planes (bottom-left and top-right from hers head) with brighter tone.
I'm glad that it helped you see it little simpler! :D Things should be simple! 8-)
And yes, it's good to use reference, at least your own sketch! ;-)

Re: zen's gallery

PostPosted: Thu Mar 03, 2016 6:17 pm
by Knacki
I like what I see and I want more!
Even though your pic is a bit out of proportion regarding reference, I wouldn't mind if you keep her like she is.
Maybe just a tiny correction between mouth and nose and she will develop to a own character what will free yourself from picture reference.
Like your Picasso example, expressive paintings should be free from original without loosing the main form.
I am sure you'll have much more fun with colours when you feel free ;)

Just a thought. I know, once you are in this likeness trap you easily get lost. ;)