Road in Abiquiu

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Comment by Candi Hogan on March 3, 2015 at 6:32

Thanks Michael, I'll check it out!  

Comment by Michael J. Severin on March 3, 2015 at 6:06

Sounds great Candi!!   .... Nature very rarely gives us ready made compositions ....we kind of need to impose our own will upon it.  May I recommend a book:  "Composition of Outdoor Painting", by Edgar Payne.  You will probably find it on Amazon?  ....

Comment by Candi Hogan on March 3, 2015 at 1:55

Good Morning Michael!  Went back in and studied the paintings for this challenge from our NM group, looks like one artist took the liberty of changing the submitted photo and accomplished most of what you suggested!  I'm going to copy your critique and share it with our group  ( and compliment Valerie), and learn from it!

Comment by Candi Hogan on March 2, 2015 at 10:22

Hi Michael!  Me again, went out and planted some flowers and thought some more about your comments.  You are right!  I have just been painting each photo we are presented with as pretty much verbatim. I have just been  enjoying seeing the different styles each member paints the photos in I guess.  I should be taking at least a little more liberty in the composition, values, etc.  I think I would feel a little more comfortable doing more though with my own photos.  Really appreciate all of your tips, as really admire your work!!

Comment by Candi Hogan on March 2, 2015 at 9:55

Thanks Michael!  I appreciate all of your input!  I'm here to learn!  If you have time, check out the Let's Paint New Mexico Facebook page for the other members of our groups interpretations.

Comment by Michael J. Severin on March 2, 2015 at 6:47

Nice job Candi!! ....thoughtful color scheme and great concept.  I hope you do not mind, but I would like to point out a few things that you might want to consider in future paintings.  Okay, try not to have sky and land masses the same size ..either put emphasis on the land or the sky, not both.  The road lead in is GREAT ..good job there, BUT, your logs on the right lead us out of the painting even before we get to the road ..they are a powerful magnet pulling us to the right....have a few point up toward the direction of the road.  Give us a source of light direction ..from the clouds, it looks like you have it coming from the right ..but nowhere on the ground do you show us a direction ...your tree elements need some dark/light and shadow to explain this.  Okay, When you take us down the road, lead us to something Candi.  At the end of the road .you have a hint of an autumn tree ..that is good, BUT, you need to give it more oomph ..by adding more bright color, value,and contrast ...then that will be our destination ...the focal point!!!!.  Lastly, Candi, the blue sky shape just above the horizon and road, is too "in your face".  it is too dark and too intense of a blue ....as the sky nears the horizon, it gets lighter and warmer (usually).  Try raising the value and adding either lemon yellow or viridian green and yellow ocher to your blue.  Then open up that shape by punching through the cloud at the top of the shape.  Sorry Candi, I kind of piled on here, but you can store this info for future paintings ..:))