Tuesday, July 28, 2009

"Cowgirl Cool #2" (sold)


12"x12"
Oil on Board
Well. . . . . . this painting was a learning experience! I wasn't too thrilled with it by the time I posted it yesterday, so decided to rework parts of it (sorry, Leslie!!). And, as things go, there's parts I think work better than the previous version and parts that don't. However, I've really had to ask myself what to do to make this work. I like the composition alot. I have decided that it would probably be better if it was backlit rather than the sun hitting the subjects full force from the direction it is now. The result of that is that I couldn't figure out how to show highlights without sacrificing enough contrast to make the foreground figures keep a dark enough value to really stand out. That sounds a little bit convoluted! Anyway, I think the figures in the foreground need to be much darker. I'd like to have more distinct layers of depth. Right now I've had enough of this subject, but when I'm over it I think I'll try different lighting.

1 comment:

Leslie Saeta said...

So ... I went back and compared the two paintings and you are right! I like the "new and improved" version so much more! It is more loose and the highlights are much stronger. Shows you how much I know ...