Have you ever been painting and it's just not working and all of a sudden you have no patience left and you deep 6 it? Well this is what happened to this study. Luckily it was a study, and it reminded me of why these small paintings are so valuable.
This was a street corner in France somewhere, and these two old fellows were solving the world's problems. I loved them, but also loved the ambiance of the corner with the market, awning, colours etc. It wasn't a digital image, which would have made it easier to play with and crop. I know I could have scanned it, but I jumped in and started painting. I got so feed up with it not working, that I just put it out of my sight and forgot about it. But the other day, I came upon it and right away I realized that the composition was all wrong. If I cropped it, I could make the two fellows more of a focal point and still capture the ambiance. Editing is one of the most important steps in composing a painting, so I would move or edit out that dark vertical post. It keeps wanting to be in the middle. Then I would tone down the colour of the fruits and brighten the shirt on the fellow facing forward. One day I may even go back and repaint this one because I have a great title for it. What do you think? Is the composition better like this? Have you experienced problems like this?
Composition Problems
Bonjour ma chère Claire,
ReplyDeleteEffectivement en examinant avec beaucoup d'attention votre toile, ce poteau est gênant dans le sens qu'il tombe juste au milieu de votre peinture et la coupe en deux.
En revanche la hauteur de votre bâtiment ne me gêne pas. Il donne parfaitement l'ambiance de nos rues françaises. Vous avez raison en ce qui concerne la chemise de l'un de vos personnages, peut-être lui rendre plus de luminosité apporterait une force dans cette peinture et ainsi nos deux compères en seraient le phare. Belle atmosphère... Bisous
You already did a good job of it. I think your words about painting composition has already help you solve the problem. The pole would have more meaning if the light was red for instance. I love your two fellas and if I may suggest just a touch of light on the shoulder of the left one. But as one of my teachers say: " Never forget who's holding the brush "! :-)
ReplyDeleteI think cropping it makes it a much more interesting composition.
ReplyDeleteI also have starting keeping some ot the daily paintings that I thought were failures. When I look at them a month later, I often can see where I went wrong. Some of them I can fix, some I can't. But it does help me learn.
I love this painting Claire. Love the colors you used..the reflection in the window and the fruit..beautiful.
ReplyDeleteHi Claire,
ReplyDeleteI'm actually partial to the top one. I think I love the building and the fruit stand it creates such a great scene, I think that gets a little lost when it's cropped. And I do love the open window on the top floor with the shutter. I do love how your red pops so nicely. It's a lovely painting either way, hope you have a less frustrating day tomorrow:)
Thanks Martine, Helen, Virginia, Hilda and Carrie, for your thoughts on improving this painting. As Martine said, the dark post dividing the canvas vertically, was the biggest problem. I don't know if I'll go back to this subject or not, but it was a good reminder, that composition is the most important thing. You have to start with a good composition because nothing will save a painting with a poor composition. It just doesn't work. Thanks for being part of the sharing process.
ReplyDeleteHave I!? Ack! I am the queen of poor composition! But the scene is a good one. Move your vantage point over the side, and gaze down the street farther beyond the two men. See more of the storefronts and the street... That's what I would like to see! But your work is always wonderful!
ReplyDeleteI think I love the building and the fruit stand it creates such a great scene, I think that gets a little lost when it's cropped.
ReplyDelete