Student’s Comments:
What I like:
- I have been working/practicing on a series of water/ocean landscapes done with a palette knife. I like this one because I am trying to tone down my color values and soften it with more muted colors. The depth of field is pretty good. There seems to be pretty good movement of the clouds. I am finally becoming less concerned with details and I am concentrating more on color and composition. For me not worrying about details in an accomplishment. This painting is mostly from my head as opposed to using photos all the time.
What could be improved:
- I am getting back into painting as I approach retirement. I can’t wait to do it ALL the time…..less than 2 years.
- I need more practice with the knife to get a greater variety of strokes/effects. Clouds are tough to make look natural, more practice is needed. I may have too much color value in the grove of trees on the left. Should tone down the green, that may add more depth to the painting. It seems to be a little too symmetrical.
Dan’s Comments:
What I like:
I really like this one. It reminds me of a palette knife painting I did in 2021, Manly Rock Wall, Moody.
- Great overall feel and ambience. The painting works. It’s subtle and understated, but it works.
- Great use of texture and the palette knife. Good palette knife painting requires a touch of dexterity and finesse, which you’ve shown. Otherwise, the painting can come off as too brash.
- Nice color variance. This creates the illusion of detail. It looks like there’s more going on than there is.
What could be improved:
- The clouds could be cleaned up. Think in terms of big, simple shapes and which parts are in light and which parts are in shadow. Some subtle color variance might help, as you have done with the land. Be careful with overusing hard edges and pure titanium white. Less is more with those aspects.
- The color of the distant mountain doesn’t read well. Perhaps it is too warm and light.
- Be careful with repetition in the foreground.
- The dark tree trunks (see below) appear a bit overdone and they seem to appear rather than extend from the landscape.
Great work Frank!