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| 6x8" oil |
The last assignment for the Master Painting class I took a few years ago was to do a small "study" of anything we wanted and to then paint a larger piece (minimum size 18x24) using only the small study for reference. Trying to copy even the brushstrokes! This was to teach us how hard it is to make a larger painting look good even if the study works well. Our end of the year assignment fell in December and so I had brought up these fruit from the kitchen and just set them down while I decided what to do. Serendipity had a hand in it as the fruit set themselves up! I painted this at eye level using a kneeling bench. That is my old printer behind the nice gray shape of my desk chair and the base of my lamp to the left. I can't remember what adds the nice white line to break up the grays. I still love this little study which hangs above my desk.
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| The Big Picture, 18x24" oil on board |
The larger piece was not so successful. I happened across it while looking at old paintings stashed in the basement and brought it up to see if I could make it work. Kevin saw it in my studio when he came over last month and he pulled it out. He always liked my study for this assignment so he gave me a few things to do, saying the larger piece was just about "there" and it was worth saving. I did as he suggested, but I have not yet been told it is "there." "Here" it is.
Ah, I wrote the above text before I had the photo uploaded from my camera. Somehow seeing them online makes the differences "jump out" at me. If I really want them to match, I suppose I shall take it back to the easel.
4 comments:
I found this blog interesting due to the nature of the original assignment and its intended outcome. Most non-artists live under the impression that artists are simply "talented" and "creative." Come to find out, it's a matter of practicing your craft. I suppose the 99% perspiration, 1% inspiration rule applies here as well.
It sure does!
I think the light play on the small piece is better than in the larger. It is muted, but the fruit and the background pieces seem to me to be uniformly lit - i.e., having the same light source. In the larger piece, it seems like you shined a lamp onto the fruit and the background kind of melted (i'm sorry I don't have all the right "art" words). The desk surface on the small print is a little more normal; the larger piece is all uniform size and line, but it looks unnatural. The gloss on the entire larger piece makes it visually crisper but it lacks the warmth of the smaller piece, in which the gloss shows through on the natural reflection points. This time, I vote for the unimproved version.... I'm anxious to see how you develop it from here. ! Thanks for sharing.
I pray you are well and seeing His Hand at work in your days. I know that this time of preparation has been an amazing (harrowing??) experience for you, and I'm so thankful.
I continue to be amazed at your very thoughtful comments.Thank you for taking the time to give me great feedback on what you see. I love it! I will reread your comments when I am have both paintings before me on my easel.
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