Sara walking towards...

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Comment by Michael J. Severin on September 28, 2013 at 11:05

Jon, another thing I would like to explain.  All of your darks are what they are .....DARKS.  Your middle values are middle, and your light values are light.  So, that means that ALL of your assigned darks are ....DARK ..represented by values, 2, 3, and 4.  No other values will go into those shapes!  Your mid values could be 4.5 to 6, and your light values, 7 and 8.  Your dark accents could be a 1 and your light accent would be a 9.  On this painting, you have fractured your darks by making some elements, that you have place into the darks, too light ..you went out of the value range.  Your cast shadow goes way out of your established dark value range.  Your cast shadow is the same value as your mountain ..which is a mid value.  Look at the shadow side of the stone pillar (next to the figure).  It is too light ..it is out of your dark value range.  All that stuff behind it is also out of your dark value range.  BTW, that shadow side of the pillar should be warm because it is getting reflected sunlight from the sunlit top of the wall.  I know this is a lot to think about, but it is do able.

Comment by Michael J. Severin on September 28, 2013 at 10:51

Hey Jon.  The composition is okay, BUT ...compositional wise, you need a lot more interest in the building on the left.  It is your center of interest, and the figure is your focal point.  When I say more interest, I don't mean more THINGS ....by interest I mean, more contrasts of color, edges, temperature, texture, Etc.  You really need to run the gamut from your darkest dark to your lightest light ...and everything in between.  A lot more variation of warms and cools, thick and thin paint, saturated played against dull color, etc.  You should have a lightest light and darkest dark.  Your lightest light will probably be the halo of rim light, your darkest dark would be that back side of the building on the left ..you might need to whittle into your wood pile with this darkest dark, so it is in juxtaposition with the light on the pillar and the halo of rim light on the figures head.  Do you see what I am talking about????  Your darkest dark and lightest light will become your perimeter of values ...EVERYTHING else in the painting cannot be as dark or as light as this.  You will need to consider that large expanse of roof and make it more interesting .....once again, contrasts of warm and cool in an abstract pattern.  One more thing, the greens on your mountain  (at the top) are too yellow (warm) ...make that a cool gray green.  You have it all here Jon!! ...it is just a matter of getting some painterly effects going.

Comment by Jon Main on September 28, 2013 at 8:53

I truly appreciate you taking that much time and effort, Michael - it really is generous of you (and shows how good the net can be, etc.). That's really, really helping me - I'll get stuck in over the weekend and see if I can move it up a level. Interesting that you see color temp/color as the thing to work on. The composition's OK? Anyway, big kudos to you!

Comment by Michael J. Severin on September 28, 2013 at 8:35

Hi Jon.  I see your light source as coming from the front and too the right a little?  If so, then the wall of the building on the right cannot have light on it?  So number one,  clarify your light source.  Okay, your cast shadows on the ground are much, much to cold ..try UB + AC + a little yellow.  You can also throw some other warms into it.  The tree peeking out on the right edge....get rid of it!  You can then have fun with that whole wall exposed by playing up warms and cools!! ....That wall could be a rich mixture of Blue, orange, sienna, and violets ..which will be echoed in the other building and the ground shadow.    Think of picking out a complimentary color scheme ....I would suggest Blue and Orange.  try a palette of Cad Yellow med. Cad yellow deep, cad red light, cad red light, burnt sienna, raw sienna ..these are all in the orange range of colors.  On the blue side try:  UB, Thalo Blue, Aliz. crimson (to make a blue violet)  and maybe cerulean blue.  Orange and violet make nice orangy browns .....When you warm the cast shadow, it will still be cool in relation to the sunlit ground ..so make sure you don't go overboard with the warmth in the cast shadow.  Okay, the rim light on the figure:  White, cad yellow, and a cad Orange ...a very small amount of both.  Try an throw some more warmth into the figure ...Maybe a burnt sienna coat or something?   Basically Jon, your painting requires more warm passages and a better understanding of your light direction.  I think once you get the cast shadow in, the rest of the painting will tell you what to do?

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