So, I chose my "Hi-Key Exploration of Green" piece.
I chose this one because my classmates felt it had potential to be something more. But the process of unlocking that potential was very frustrating. If I'm honest, I wasn't quite thrilled to redo this one.
But I trusted my peers and began to work it. So here's a visual summary of what I did.
The final turned out like this:
I tried to make a more interesting painting and to make it feel more cohesive, with all the elements working together. Part of the critique I received for the original painting was that the character didn't feel as if it belonged. It just didn't have the integrity of the environment around it.
So I really tried to make everything feel part of the same world. The shapes of the trees, the topography, camera angle, flowers, lighting, values...these were all things I thought about while working.
The class ended with a bittersweet eight hour meeting in which everyone was asked a question about what we learned and what our plans were.
It was difficult to describe the sheer amount of knowledge that came from this class. The moments of clarity, where determination overcame fear, the discoveries of what color can do...
I don't remember what I answered, but I remember the recommendation that Chris and my classmates gave me. It was:
Do more studies.
It makes sense. I can see how my work will improve with studies. If you follow me on facebook, you may have noticed that I've been posting a lot of them!
Here's one of the better ones from a few weeks ago:
Painting Drama has helped me find my feet as a storyteller and an artist. I can't recommend it enough. If you're looking for inspiration and a good group of people to work with, please check it out.
If you have any questions regarding my experience with the class or about the projects I'm working on please leave a comment or find me on facebook! I love to meet other artists or writers.
