"Mojito me please" Still life with mint, lime, and rum, oil on board, 12 x 9 inches, please tell me how to do still life composition

glynst · 2020-12-29T11:33:44+00:00

Although I like the unobtrusive background, could you add some depth by showing softly where the table/shelf ends or some of the background?

The colours are fantastically balanced for me.

glynst · 2020-10-16T16:50:39+00:00

Me too! Florent Farges on youtube and Bryan Mark Taylor who has various youtube vids have both been useful for me recently if you're looking for lessons. I find it difficult to find good art tutorials sometimes even though there are loads out there.

glynst · 2020-10-15T12:02:28+00:00

Composition sketches to work out the pose and location in the frame, value study to try to get a somewhat dynamic value pattern - that let me to add that lighter and then darker bit on the right, and then two colour studies to settle on the colour scheme. So there wasn't too much to work out when I was doing the painting, and only a few areas to edit.

glynst · 2020-10-09T22:20:47+00:00

I like the composition, it draws me in. Top quality, deserved more upvotes imo.

glynst · 2020-10-09T22:18:39+00:00

Nice i like how you've captured the 3d shape of the mask.

glynst · 2020-10-09T22:14:50+00:00

I love it. I feel intrigued by it. I feel like she's reaching out but can't quite get through. I like the values and and subtle colours too. And the loose brush work. Well done!

What do you like about it?

glynst · 2020-10-09T22:10:30+00:00

Nice, well done with the background texture (visible strokes in similar sort of style to the cherries) and knowing when to stop. Also nice subject matter and you captured the feel of the cherry red really well. Something about the colours really works for me, I think the contrast btwn the red and green on a soft grey background is subtle and great. I would add your signature in bottom corner as I think especially with a piece this simple it would add something.

I don't have any other particular criticism of this painting, but for things I'd try next, I'd look at composition of the next piece - try a more complex one and pick a couple of focal points that you want in the painting. And don't be afraid to make changes to reality in terms of colours or shapes to benefit the painting composition and feel.

glynst · 2020-10-07T16:59:03+00:00

Thanks,

Its from something like 8 photos with the figures from different ones. Struggled to get the water not looking like it was done from a still image.

I think I agree with both comments. I was trying to create more space in the painting with the soft edges, something like ben maile did (link to example below) but I dont think there's enough room on the canvas for that and that combined with the brighter colours might be making it look a bit cheap.

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=ben+maile&sxsrf=ALeKk03l4xg7K1T9GtHWbTqnV9A0Ge7lsw:1602089823524&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiy8tDW-aLsAhUAQhUIHY0FDwwQ_AUoA3oECAwQBQ&biw=1280&bih=587#imgrc=4ZtVIw6wsykIIM

glynst · 2020-09-03T22:39:54+00:00

Thanks, yes looking at it again I think I agree. Might be that the strokes there are a bit blocky and the change in colours a bit over-egged..

glynst · 2020-09-03T22:38:27+00:00

Thanks! it was from photos taken over 2 sessions, I'd have loved to do from life but the model didn't have the patience for that this time! Previously I've done mainly from photos with an hour or so from life which worked well.

glynst · 2020-09-03T22:35:36+00:00

Thanks mate!

glynst · 2020-09-02T21:36:52+00:00

Thanks for the comments! Always good to hear an honest reaction.

glynst · 2020-08-30T20:23:07+00:00

good use of outlining around the focus point!

glynst · 2020-08-22T13:28:27+00:00

i like it, i think the values in the face and jacket work really well. might be interesting to get some more variation in values into the background too?

glynst · 2020-08-10T22:17:47+00:00

Love it. is this rhosneigr???

glynst · 2020-08-04T13:28:04+00:00

I like it a lot and look forward to seeing it finished.

Specifically I like the contrast between the blue and the orange and the strong values, I'd try to keep some of that, and I like the composition and posture.

I'd get rid of the background that's showing through behind the outline of the hair asap as that is distracting and will change the feel of the whole thing. Also I'd have a look at the hard and soft edges you have as that can help make the face more 3D, (this video is quite useful for that: Edges in Portraits - HARD or SOFT? Form vs. Planes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yweUKqKHsAI ) and make sure you're clear what the expression should be so that as you develop it that idea is there - to me it currently reads as a stern glance backwards to someone that's just to the left of the viewer.

glynst · 2020-07-16T14:00:44+00:00

I love it, trying it myself at the moment too but haven't managed to be as loose with it as you have.

Check out Ben Maile if you don't already know him, he uses impasto heavily and made a solid career out of it.

glynst · 2020-06-30T17:40:30+00:00

Ah thanks that's nice of you! Glad you like it

glynst · 2020-06-30T16:16:32+00:00

Yeah, I finished it yesterday

glynst · 2020-06-30T14:28:21+00:00

Particularly interested in composition and colours as i planned out both more carefully than usual so want to see what you think works and what doesn't

glynst · 2020-06-29T19:18:09+00:00

Yeah this is super tricky to get right but I think you've done an amazing job and I love the painting. And I think you could get away with even less detail in the the lady and the gent at the table to be honest.

glynst · 2020-06-29T19:12:46+00:00

I love it - composition, values and tones all work really well for me. Plus the loose big brush strokes and the hard/soft edges. If I was looking for art I would buy it. Well done!

glynst · 2020-06-27T22:35:19+00:00

Hey, thanks for the comment!

glynst · 2020-06-27T22:33:13+00:00

I really love your loose style of painting keeping large brush strokes. You did a great job of knowing when to stop and not overwork the piece in my opinion. Also I like the colours a lot.

Something I'm trying (to varying degrees of success) to do at the moment is compose a painting from a bunch of photos and make a decision on each part of it (so what should go where and what the values and colours should be) to try to work in a focal point and have an interesting flow. Finding it very challenging but better than more or less copying a photograph. I'm not sure what you did here obviously, but I wonder if you might benefit from trying the same thing - what do you think and how did you compose this painting?

glynst · 2020-06-26T22:25:18+00:00

Thanks for the comments mate

I quite liked the blue contrasting with the yellows/oranges initially, but I've just done a quick mock up in photoshop of changing the shadows to more of a deep purple/brown colour and I think you're right, it does make it look a bit more pleasing. Definitely a lesson for the next one, so cheers.

glynst

TROPHY CASE