Barmahlíð 10 x 20 inches

I need some advice on this one. I am doing this commission for a friend. The subject which is this house is not super interesting for me to paint, so I am trying to find ways of making it interesting. This is what i have so far.

Any ideas would be much apreciated regarding anything. Composition, color, whatever :)

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Comment by Ann Turner on September 23, 2013 at 16:53: Oh such good advice on how to make this more interesting ! I confess that when I first saw it I had no idea haow to help you turn it into a winner but Michael has given some great ideas of where to go to add interest ! Good luck ! I look forward to your new post.

Comment by Manneherrin on September 21, 2013 at 11:22: This reminds me of the place I used to live in Germany. Brings back old but good memories

Comment by Michael J. Severin on September 21, 2013 at 10:25: I accept ...just do a good job my friend!!! :)

Comment by Þorgrímur Andri Einarsson on September 21, 2013 at 9:41: Hahaaahh. Thank you Michael.

Very very very much help :) No this house is actually very close to where I live. The problem is though that the garden is full of trees and your not really able to see the house :) This is actually the most interesting view of the hosue, or at least the strongest of the views I tried.

I was definetly feeling it is lacking in contrast and yes I think I will follow all your suggestions. I will post the result this weekend. If they dont work, then its on you :)

Comment by Michael J. Severin on September 21, 2013 at 9:16: You know Andri, this being a commission for your friend, who, I am assuming, wants a portrait of his building, and I am assuming that it is from a photograph..... puts you at somewhat of a disadvantage. For one, you do not have the luxury of going to this site to find a more interesting view point ..you must rely on the photo. Also, since this is , I assume, a portrait of the building, your freedom to change things around is kind of limited. Having said all that, one way to make a painting interesting is to have more ..CONTRASTS ...this is seriously lacking. Since you cannot alter the building, you must invent some kind of contrasts of light and dark. Your light source is coming from behind you. Make your light source more strong and coming a little from right to left and make it low in the sky to give you long shadows. That would throw a shadow on the front facade of the building where the shaded side of the facade is. Your light on the building then could be juiced up a notch and much warmer. Make that tree much warmer and darker ..so it contrasts with the sunlit wall. Gradate your grass from bottom to top so the eye moved into your painting. Get rid of that path and find another way to introduce an action line. Lower that building on the right!! ...it competes with your main building and the whole thing creates a boring shape ..you will have a better shape if you lower that building. Okay, last thing ....you have a complimentary color scheme of green and violet ...which is kind of limiting ...try using a split complimentary color scheme of violet with yellow green/ and blue/green. Mix the violets on the roof with the yellow/green and violet and try the facade with yellow/green + violet ...experiment with that. Oh, don't DRAW every window! ...maybe keep on or two well focused and the other windows just quick indications ..our brains will connect the dots. Okay, my friend ..I hope that helps a little? ...good luck.