Orange with White Jug

Oil on Canvas, 30.5 x 40.5 cm (12 x 16")
Palette - Spectrum Orange, Cad Yellow, Australian Red Gold (a very warm med - dark toned orange - transp) Burnt Sienna, Ultramarine and Titanium White.
Enjoyed the challenge of this once again.

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Albums: Workshop 7, Workshops

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Comment by Richard Robinson on March 16, 2012 at 13:13

Design

Looks like a good strong design to me Annie - you've tied everything together in a circular fashion and the overall dark/light construction is very strong. I might have tried adding a leaf or two behind the jug on the right, but that's all.

Colour

Good bold colour nicely arranged. The strong red in the background might be stealing a little of the orange's thunder, but on the other hand it helps bring the greens to life. You have noted some subtle colour variations like the cloth getting cooler on the left (although it could have gone a bit darker too) but have missed a few key ones like the difference in value between the light and dark sides of the oranges. For instance look at the two on the right. Itis not very obvious that the piece behind is in light and the other in shadow. The colours are too similar. Also, look at the rind in shadow in the full orange. Squint at it and it does not blend in with the other shadow colour there. It should. The value is too light. Also your reflection of that orange in the jug is mostly darker in value than the jug's shadow which it is actually supposed to be lightening, so the value of the orange there is too dark or the shadow is too light, or both. The gradation of colour across the jug could have been smoother to give the effect of glazed pottery, but that's more about brushwork. Hope that helps. The more you look the more you see.

Brushwork

Some of your brushwork is is fluid and bold and beautiful, while other parts are overworked - you know where, because you felt it when you did it. I see beautiful brushwork as an art in itself, but when you can describe something with a few luscious strokes it's a double-whammy - a perfect harmony of form and function. Something to aspire to. I'm always asking myself, 'how many brushstrokes does this really need?' How can I use the brush in a clever way to paint a Haiku rather than an Encyclopaedia? But that's me. Depends on your goals. One note that might be useful to you is to be careful that your quest for exciting brushwork does not ruin your value structure. At the moment I'm seeing that happen in most of your surfaces, most noticabley in the jug where slight changes in value because of left over paint in the brush or moving from one area to another are causing streaks of different values and confusing the form.

Realism

There are the few things I've mentioned detracting from the realism, but also the drawing in some places which is very easy to see when you place the finished painting next to the photo. Just compare individual shapes and it's easy to spot small errors to watch out for next time. It's much harder to do while you're actually painting of course but hey it wouldn't be exciting if it wasn't challenging right!? Reading this again it seems I've really picked this painting to death but that's because I want to encourage you to do even better next time. Overall I think it's a very pleasing painting which leaves a lasting impression because for the most part it's been boldly and elegantly done. Good work!

Comment by Stephanie Burgess on March 13, 2012 at 1:47: Anne, I just realized one of the comments I made here was meant to be on the workshop. Sorry LOL, I tried to delete it but I guess It can't be deleted.

Comment by Annie Cullen on March 12, 2012 at 22:55: Thankyou!

Comment by Richard Robinson on March 11, 2012 at 14:30: Nice one Annie! Very crisp, good design, drawing and colour. Beware those small changes in value in the brushstrokes in the jug - they confuse the form.

Comment by Casey Toussaint on March 7, 2012 at 19:48: Those oranges are luscious. Nice job.

Comment by Stephanie Burgess on March 6, 2012 at 19:26: Well, I finished round 1 of this. I'm starting over. I think my brain was just thinking too much. I've never been disciplined in a painting before and the rigidity I felt shows. My oranges look like plastic oranges. Round 2 here we go.

Comment by susie gregory on March 6, 2012 at 12:32: lovely job annie!! i don't have leaves here in indiana yet...had to improvise!

Comment by Annie Cullen on March 6, 2012 at 10:53: Thanks for all your comments - I had to get it done quickly, Anne, as my granddaughter arrives today and there will be no more painting time!! The leaves are from my hedge Svitlana! Called Vibernum - but they came out looking like orange leaves - which is fine!