Your Opinion Please
OK, I have struggled with this painting all week. Even trying to take a picture of it has been a challenge!! Too many cloudy days with no good light and for some reason my camera does not like the color purple. But anyway, they say if you help a butterfly escape the cocoon it will die. Why? Because struggling to escape the cocoon makes it stronger. So I know I am learning new things with each struggle but come on! Can't I get a few more that are a little less frustrating?
But here is where I need your help. I am thinking about resizing this piece to approx 5 3/4 x 9 (See below). What do you think? It is currently about 8 X 9.
Please help, I've struggled enough with this one!! Thanks!
Well Karla, in my opinion, you've already escaped the cacoon, so your good!
ReplyDeleteA wonderful painting! The cropping does taylor it
up.
I remember reading that Velasquez actually added canvas to some of his painting. He felt it needed
the space. The dark area plays an important roll.
Some artists crop a portion of a painting. I have done this, as it is all about the art looking its best!
The art looks good so you can't make a wrong choice. It is just another step toward finishing
the piece.
If you decide not to crop, remember that a frame
puts the final look in. Maybe do some taste tests
with frame sizes before commiting to a choice.
Thanks Bill! Trying out test frames is a great idea. I will give that a try.
ReplyDeleteHi Karla, wonderful job with this one. However, keep in mind the crop you are suggusting puts a line across the middle of it cutting it in two. This is not usually reccommeneded to do as it's rather difficult to look at (I forget the real explanation other than that). Usually you place the main part of your subject in a third of the canvas (still struggling here to explain) for visual effect. Maybe try a crop the other way 5 across 7 down. You can paint a few of those berries beneath the oranges if you like more of them. Why to you want to change it's size?
ReplyDeleteCarol, Thanks for the suggestions. You are right, my crop would cut the painting in half. duh! I just wasn't happy with all of the dark background. I have found some good suggestions from Mara Schasteen for backgrounds in her new e-book. I will write more about that tomorrow.
ReplyDeleteHi Karla,
ReplyDeleteSince you are feeling that a crop might be the solution, you are having a gut feeling that may be the exact thing to do. What if you cropped into the two berries to the right. You have things going out on the left so it would be perfectly ok to let your objects go out of the picture on the right. C.W. Mundy does this a lot. He utilizes space this way saying that it creates dynamic sense of space like creating a landscape - a panorama effect. I think you are on the right track. Cheri.
ooo...ooo....Cheri I think you are on to something! I did a quick crop of the picture like you suggested and cheated the top down as far as I can ( so it is no longer cut in half) and I like it! Yea!! Thank you, thank you.
ReplyDeletehi there, thanks for stopping by and loads of luck with the exhibition!
ReplyDeleteMy feeling too is that you have an urge, try it out. I find experimenting is the best way to discover what to do :)
Oooh and I have just seen above you've gone for it - yay!
Amelia.x