I’m starting the critique section with a self-critique of Minnippi, Dappled Light. This is to show you what to expect from the critiques and how to view your own work objectively, flaws and all. The purpose of these critiques is not to be overly critical or praising, but rather to help you identify areas for improvement.
What I like:
- The overall appearance. It reminds me of how the scene looked and felt in person. (This is important! It doesn’t matter if you get the small stuff right if you overlook the big picture.)
- The striking color contrast and use of broken color. I drew inspiration from Claude Monet for this.
- The use of texture, which is particularly visible from the side. This adds an interesting dimension to the painting, as the individual strokes have physical shadows, highlights, and contours.
What could be improved for next time:
- The process was unnecessarily long. I could have used larger brushes at the start to speed things up. This would have been faster and more effective. (Tip: Always be on the lookout for easier ways to get to the same end.)
- The dappled light looks a bit off. But not enough to change it now.
- The line separating the grass and the background looks a bit straight and unnatural. (Tip: Be careful with straight lines in the landscape.)