# WIP Started 8/18/15



## TerryCurley

This one is all me. No picture to follow. No tutorial to follow. My own composition.......So I really have my fingers crossed. One thing I've learned in life is how to deal with humiliation so if I have it coming bring it on.

This is just the underpainting of where the flowers and buds are going to be. The background (except for the splashes of color) is a deep purple but it's showing up black in the photo. The flowers are going to be light yellow with a few little pink daisies here and there.


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## Asancta

TerryCurley said:


> This one is all me. No picture to follow. No tutorial to follow. My own composition.......So I really have my fingers crossed. One thing I've learned in life is how to deal with humiliation so if I have it coming bring it on.
> 
> This is just the underpainting of where the flowers and buds are going to be. The background (except for the splashes of color) is a deep purple but it's showing up black in the photo. The flowers are going to be light yellow with a few little pink daisies here and there.


 Veeery good I love it.Remember though don't overdo it...know when to stop lol


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## Susan Mulno

A marked improvement! Well done! :vs_clap:


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## TerryCurley

He Susan, you did read that this is just the underpainting. I find it curious that you said a marked improvement. Are you thinking about that horrible background I did with geranium plant?....yeah that was pretty bad.


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## Erilia

Looking good already :biggrin:
I'm a big fan of yellow on black, I cannot wait to see the rest :laugh:


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## Susan Mulno

TerryCurley said:


> He Susan, you did read that this is just the underpainting. I find it curious that you said a marked improvement. Are you thinking about that horrible background I did with geranium plant?....yeah that was pretty bad.


Trust me, even your underpaintings show improvement. Before they looked like you snuck up on them, now they are bolder, more confident. Your composition is more fluid. And the background looks like it's going to be a winner!


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## TerryCurley

Next installment. I have to go grocery shopping now, and then do some chores...grrrrrrr. I do plan to do more on it later.


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## chanda95

Do not change that background! I absolutely am in love with this already! LOVING the contrast and I would call those big flowers done. They are the best I have seen you do. This is so nice!


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## Erilia

Oh my god ! :vs_OMG:
Superb, I love it :vs_love:
Tis all I can say.


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## FanKi

Same as Chanda. The contrast is perfect, the whole painting it's so beautiful. 

You never stop to amaze me, Terry


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## TerryCurley

Thank You FanKi, Chanda and Erilia. Chanda I'm planning to put a little highlights on the roses still but not until they are dry -- That way if I mess it up I can wipe it off. I don't plan to change the background but I do intend to add to the picture. It needs leaves and some Baby-breath flowers and some Daisies (little ones) kind of like what I have in the Poppy Bouquet picture. 

I do agree that these are the best roses I've done. You know what they say practice, practice, practice! 

I'm just praying I'm not going to screw it up by making it too busy, but I want to try out what I'm planning. So I have my fingers crossed.


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## TerryCurley

It's Finished. I'm sending this to a friend in New York after it is dried and sealed. She just saw it online and she says she is very happy with it. 

This is all completely mine. My Composition (with Jenkin's influence), totally free hand painted (as is all my work now). 

Be honest I need to know honestly if you think it is too busy or not. What would you change on it if you could. I need to learn what works and what doesn't.


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## Asancta

TerryCurley said:


> It's Finished. I'm sending this to a friend in New York after it is dried and sealed. She just saw it online and she says she is very happy with it.
> 
> This is all completely mine. My Composition (with Jenkin's influence), totally free hand painted (as is all my work now).
> 
> Be honest I need to know honestly if you think it is too busy or not. What would you change on it if you could. I need to learn what works and what doesn't.


 You want my honest opinion?If yes...well it's too much going on,too many colours,too many different flowers all over the place and no equilibrum.Those blue and red leave branches seem to be off place and they cover the flower(it's ok but there is no shadow on the flower).The purple small flowers in the bottom right are again off place-if you have purple on bottom put some purple on top to equilibrate it,not to mention that they seem unfinished.You still need to work on the leaves-a good practice is to draw them on plain paper over and over again because if you can draw it's easier to paint.Practice practice practice.

Hope I wasn't too harsh ...if I was I'm sorry.


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## TerryCurley

No you are not too harsh Asancta. I'm from NY, I have thick skin. That's how I learn. I just keep trying until I come up with something I'm happy with. I'm not going to do any changes on this picture because the person that is getting it likes it, but I will keep everything you said in mind and apply it next time as best I can.

I'm still new to this art stuff. Only started 15 months ago and never took a class in my life, so the idea of equilibrium with the colors is something new to me. 

Can I ask you what you use to seal your paintings?


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## leighann

I don't think it's too busy, I like busy. I love the little daisies. The only thing I might have done differently is had the center flower a different color, which would have made it even busier!!! :vs_smirk:

Truthfully, I have no room to criticize anyone :biggrin:


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## TerryCurley

I would have liked to make the two roses different colors but the lady that is getting it wanted Yellow Roses on a Purple background. The background is a very dark purple. It's kind of hard to tell in the photo.

Thank you Leighann, and don't sell yourself short.


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## Asancta

Is ok I think that all my paintings are bad so I'm not harsh only with someone else's works...I'm very harsh with myself too.Just look at the pictures of the 1st and 2nd stages of this painting and you'll see the difference.I mean...maybe is just me...

For sealing I use Liquitex...they have plenty of glazing mediums.I have a pearly sort of one that I've found at Hobby Lobby(man I love that store) and another one ...a fluid medium.


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## TerryCurley

Have you ever used a spray? Can you use any medium as a sealer? You know what, I'm going to take one of those pictures I'm going to discard and try using the Walnut Medium on it. That has a nice gleam to it. I really think the medium I have been using is turning my pictures darker.


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## Asancta

TerryCurley said:


> Have you ever used a spray? Can you use any medium as a sealer? You know what, I'm going to take one of those pictures I'm going to discard and try using the Walnut Medium on it. That has a nice gleam to it. I really think the medium I have been using is turning my pictures darker.


 I have some spray too...but it STINKS.If you think it makes your paintings darker put it on a white piece and see the result :vs_blush:


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## TerryCurley

Good idea.....actually now that I'm thinking about it I know it does. I put it on a white paper plate when applying it on the picture. The next day when it dries on the paper it is a blob of something that resemble the color of an Ochre wash. Thank you for helping me see the obvious. I'm never going to use that again. Just FYI, what I'm talking about is Glazing Medium from Wilson Bickford's line.


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## chanda95

TerryCurley said:


> It's Finished. I'm sending this to a friend in New York after it is dried and sealed. She just saw it online and she says she is very happy with it.
> 
> This is all completely mine. My Composition (with Jenkin's influence), totally free hand painted (as is all my work now).
> 
> Be honest I need to know honestly if you think it is too busy or not. What would you change on it if you could. I need to learn what works and what doesn't.


Terry, I think you have done a wonderful job. You stepped out of the box and that is a big deal. For that I give you mega applause. 

I also think that how you executed the painting was nicely done..I really like the flowers and your use of colors. 

I do think that it is too busy. Personally I feel your larger flowers should be the focal point and therefore the brightest colored. I would have gone with fewer smaller flowers and dim them down a bit in color to bring the brightness and beauty of the big ones forward more. I also would not have included the orange leafy vine. It really didn't need that accent in my opinion. Right now your eye travels all over the place. I actually find it drawn first to the mass of little flowers instead of the big ones. Always keep in mind when doing a drawing or painting that sometimes less is better.I know it is easy to get carried away with stuff like that. I have often been guilty of either adding not enough or adding too much. I think it's a process we all go through as artists..learning to know when to stop. It's normal and not at all a big deal..just something new to learn. 

I am giving you a huge applause on those bright yellow flowers..they are so lovely. I can't even begin to say how nice of a job you did on those.


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## TerryCurley

Chanda I really respect your opinion and appreciate your praise and encouragement. 

I see the focal point of this picture as the big yellow flower on the right. I don't see how I could make that any brighter and I do think the other flowers are muted in comparison. So I guess I'm just confused. 

I'll grant you that it is too busy. That's historical has been one of my problems. Remember the Cabin picture, it has everything in it except an alien coming down from the sky. LOL Each picture I learn from and almost every picture I repeat a mistake I have done in the past, but eventually I get it. 

Thank you for the compliment on the colors. I so like my pictures to be colorful. If anything is going to delineate my style it's going to be an abundance of color in my paintings.


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## chanda95

TerryCurley said:


> Chanda I really respect your opinion and appreciate your praise and encouragement.
> 
> I see the focal point of this picture as the big yellow flower on the right. I don't see how I could make that any brighter and I do thing the other flowers are muted in comparison. So I guess I'm just confused.
> .


What I mean is that your colors are all equally bright to me. In order to bring your yellow flowers forward you want to leave them as is. You want to reduce the number of flowers you have on the side and then darken them up a shade or two to give the illusion they are in the shadows..In doing so it will give the viewer a more direct path to view the main object (the large yellow flowers). 

Right now you have the smaller flowers competing for attention with the larger flowers. The mass of smaller flowers you have overlapping the larger ones. I would have left the larger ones untouched and darkened the smaller ones and not overlapped them over the big ones. Does that make sense? There isn't much depth to this painting because the viewer sees it all on one level. There needs to be more shadows to pull those little flowers back. Look at the painting as if the big flowers are in the sun and the little ones are hiding in the shadow of the big ones a bit. But keep in mind that is how I would do it. I know you love bright colors but sometimes your painting will pack more of a punch if you have one or two really bright items combined with darker or more muted elements.


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## TerryCurley

Got it, Thank you.


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## Asancta

I think what is chanda trying to say(and me too) is that your painting lacks a focal point.It is a great painting and you did a LOT of progress so don't discourage BUT you do have to chose your focal point,the figure that drives attention EVEN IF the entire painting has a rainbow of colors.Look for ex at the painting bellow-it has a bunch of colors a bunch of flowers with different shapes but the eye is attracted by the white/pink and luminous peonies(I guess they are) and the other flowers fade somewhere in the background being in dark.However the painting is filled with colors.

http://oil-paintings.biz/oil-painti...a-vase-on-a-ledge-laden-with-fruit-15347.html


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## chanda95

Asancta said:


> I think what is chanda trying to say(and me too) is that your painting lacks a focal point.It is a great painting and you did a LOT of progress so don't discourage BUT you do have to chose your focal point,the figure that drives attention EVEN IF the entire painting has a rainbow of colors.Look for ex at the painting bellow-it has a bunch of colors a bunch of flowers with different shapes but the eye is attracted by the white/pink and luminous peonies(I guess they are) and the other flowers fade somewhere in the background being in dark.However the painting is filled with colors.
> 
> http://oil-paintings.biz/oil-painti...a-vase-on-a-ledge-laden-with-fruit-15347.html


Yes..this is a good example of what I was trying to say..lol. Pictures always do a better job than words with me..but that is what I was trying to say..yes.


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## Asancta

Baumann has some great theory tutorial classes(or rather videos from his classes) and here is one on focal point





I must be some youtube classes graduate LOL


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## TerryCurley

Asancta said:


> I think what is chanda trying to say(and me too) is that your painting lacks a focal point.It is a great painting and you did a LOT of progress so don't discourage BUT you do have to chose your focal point,the figure that drives attention EVEN IF the entire painting has a rainbow of colors.Look for ex at the painting bellow-it has a bunch of colors a bunch of flowers with different shapes but the eye is attracted by the white/pink and luminous peonies(I guess they are) and the other flowers fade somewhere in the background being in dark.However the painting is filled with colors.
> 
> http://oil-paintings.biz/oil-painti...a-vase-on-a-ledge-laden-with-fruit-15347.html


 Yes the focal point is very obvious in that picture. Thank You.


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## TerryCurley

Asancta said:


> Baumann has some great theory tutorial classes(or rather videos from his classes) and here is one on focal point
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KIulGvfPIM4
> 
> I must be some youtube classes graduate LOL


Great video! This is the first I've heard of making a second and third focal point of less intensity to the primary focal point with the primary more toward the back of the painting as to pull people into the painting. Also to make it in a triangle to get the eye to move around the painting. I think I just learned something. I already new the idea of a focal point for a while, but you know understanding a theory and applying a theory are two different things and that's where experience comes in. Slow but sure, I'll get it.


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## Asancta

TerryCurley said:


> Great video! This is the first I've heard of making a second and third focal point of less intensity to the primary focal point with the primary more toward the back of the painting as to pull people into the painting. Also to make it in a triangle to get the eye to move around the painting. I think I just learned something. I already new the idea of a focal point for a while, but you know understanding a theory and applying a theory are two different things and that's where experience comes in. Slow but sure, I'll get it.


 Yes...he makes it better sound in English than me lol


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## Asancta

This is another video that is very educational on still life...


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## TerryCurley

Thanks, I watched him, he is a very good teacher.


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