# Not happy with this one



## TerryCurley (Jan 4, 2015)

This is my Iris that I have been working on. I'm not at all happy with it and would love to have ideas on how I can make the next one better.


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## chanda95 (Apr 6, 2011)

Do you have a picture you were working from or is this memory? Overall I think you did a very nice job with a very difficult flower. Irises are not as easy or as straightforward to draw or paint as they appear and I applaud you for tackling it. Don't get discouraged at all with this! Here are some things I see.

(1) The leaf structure is wrong. It looks a little more like a tulip than an Iris. If you look closely at an Iris you will see that the edges tend to be a wavy or rippled (for lack of a better word). They aren't perfectly oval or round. In order to achieve that look you will need to make your edges less rigid than you currently have them. (does that make sense)? Also Iris leaves tend to be rippled on the inside of the leaf as well. They do not have very strong leaves so bends and waves within the leaf are normal. 

(2) I am thinking that maybe there is a little too much white showing. I do not know though if that is the photograph or if that is just white. If it is white I would tone it down a bit and make it a lighter shade of purple. 

(3) Does your iris have any yellow in the center? Sometimes they do and at the base of the leaf where it connects you will often see a splotch of yellow color that gradually radiates out onto the leave and blends in to the purple. 

When painting or drawing an Iris think "loose" because that is what an Iris is. It's a free, loose, wild looking flower. Good job Terry!


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## TerryCurley (Jan 4, 2015)

Wonderful thoughts Chanda and I will refer back to this note when I attempt the next Iris. Yes I did have a picture I was looking at. I didn't want to post it because the painting I ended up with looks nothing like it and I'm a little ashamed of that. I'm thinking my next flower is going to be a rose. I once attempted roses in acrylic and they didn't come out half bad, but I thought I'd try stretching a little and do something harder this time.

Thank you for taking the time to give me such a comprehensive feedback. I love that you are so encouraging and yet point out ways to improve. You should be a teacher.


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## chanda95 (Apr 6, 2011)

TerryCurley said:


> Wonderful thoughts Chanda and I will refer back to this note when I attempt the next Iris. Yes I did have a picture I was looking at. I didn't want to post it because the painting I ended up with looks nothing like it and I'm a little ashamed of that. I'm thinking my next flower is going to be a rose. I once attempted roses in acrylic and they didn't come out half bad, but I thought I'd try stretching a little and do something harder this time.
> 
> Thank you for taking the time to give me such a comprehensive feedback. I love that you are so encouraging and yet point out ways to improve. You should be a teacher.


LOL. I sort of am..I homeschool my child..does that count?


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## TerryCurley (Jan 4, 2015)

How can you homeschool if you work at a regular job too?


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## chanda95 (Apr 6, 2011)

In all honesty it was a very good attempt. An Iris has a lot going on and can get pretty detailed. The main thing is just take it slow..take breaks and really, really look at your subject matter closely.


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## chanda95 (Apr 6, 2011)

TerryCurley said:


> How can you homeschool if you work at a regular job too?


He has work that I send with him to do during the day. Thankfully he is incredibly self disciplined and he does it. We check that in the evenings and we work on whatever else he needs to do for that day. That often take several hours out of our evenings. We sometimes work on weekends and we extend our school season almost year round (almost). We don't take extended breaks for Thanksgiving, Christmas or spring break. I do allow breaks for periods when his extracurricular activities are really intense. He is in Awana, 4-H and soccer. He goes to Vacation Bible School and UK Soccer camp in the summer months. I try to get him involved with as many activities with other kids as I can to enhance his social exposure and believe me..the kid is a social butterfly! 

I am one of the few homeschool parents who does this. Actually I may be the only one, I don't know. The key is organization. I have an organizer that I record days of school and activities done. I also purchase complete curriculums. He works in Abeka right now and that is a pretty intense program. He technically should be just finishing up 2nd grade (if he was in public school) but right now he is finishing up 3rd grade. What helps is he is incredibly smart and catches on very quickly. His reading is at least a 6th grade level. he LOVES to read. He seriously has two of the National Geographic 5,000 facts books that he takes with him to read just for fun. He has been doing cursive writing since first grade. His math is beyond anything I was doing at his age. 

In addition to his seatwork I also have an online (complete curriculum) program that I use in the summer months. He really likes that program and is already asking when he is going to do his school on the computer. 

I am a helper in his Awana group and I can see that he really is advanced in a lot of ways. At this moment he is the only child in his group to complete his book and is two sections away from finishing his reviews. If he does it (which I think he will)..he will be the first child in about 15 years to accomplish that task. Last year he got 4-H Booster of the year for the county. I give him the tools to succeed..and he does.

I am consistent, organized, and dedicated. I don't recommend it for everyone because it's difficult, very difficult, but it can be done. There are days we are all crying and have had enough. Those days - we close the books - and take a day off.

I have had numerous comments on how far advanced he is so I don't feel I am doing too bad. 

Sorry for the long winded post..lol. I have had a lot of naysayers tell me it can't be done but I think he proves it can.


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## TerryCurley (Jan 4, 2015)

You're right it does take an exceptional person to accomplish. You have a remarkably smart son and it's very possible he would be slowed down in his progress in the regular school system. You know the old saying the convoy moves at the speed of the slowest ship. My hat goes off to you. I know it is something I could never have done. Just helping my boys with homework when they were children was much more than I could handle most of the time.


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## chanda95 (Apr 6, 2011)

TerryCurley said:


> You're right it does take an exceptional person to accomplish. You have a remarkably smart son and it's very possible he would be slowed down in his progress in the regular school system. You know the old saying the convoy moves at the speed of the slowest ship. My hat goes off to you. I know it is something I could never have done. Just helping my boys with homework when they were children was much more than I could handle most of the time.


LOL. He would be that child that constantly gets in trouble..not because he is a bad kid but because he would be a bored kid. He would be done with his work and pestering the other kids. I figured that out really early on. He has a mind I just wish I had a fraction of. It needs constant stimulation and if I can't give it to him he finds that stimulation in books. He reads anything he can get his hands on..seriously..anything. It is so so hard at times but I wouldn't change anything other than holding on to the hope that soon I will be able to eliminate the job aspect.


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## SherylG (Feb 27, 2015)

I think it's a nice painting, something you could hang on a wall and I like irises! 

Here are my thoughts, IMHO: 

I think the parts of the painting are disjointed, not blending together well. What doesn't work is the iris/frame with the background/leaves. You need to blend the iris and frame into the picture more by using some of the background brown to shade the flower and using some of the purple in the leaves and background. Because you have mixed cool colours (purple and white) with warm colours (brown and yellow/green) it is going to be difficult to do and still look good. 

I know it's a lot of work but you can do one of two things: 
1) Change the background altogether to a "cool" colour, using it to shade/highlight the iris & leaves and add to the frame. You will also need to change the colour green in the leaves to something cooler, more teal.
2) Change the iris & frame to a warmer purple or another warm shade, highlighting with the brown and using some in the leaves. 

The leaf colour looks very good on the brown background because they blend together well and you have used the brown to shade the leaves, although you need to use as much highlighting on the leaves as you did the flower.

The yellow bits in the center of the iris will help with the colour "pop". Purple and yellow are complimentary colours (opposites on the wheel) and used together in a painting will make it "pop" more. Ditto for Blue and orange or red and green. 

Making small part(s) of the item disappear into the background is another way to blend the item into the picture, hence one reason to shade with the background colour.

I hope this helps and is not confusing. 

Good for you Chanda95 for home schooling! I know it's hard to do, especially while working.


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## TerryCurley (Jan 4, 2015)

Honestly I've given up on this picture. I just can't get enthused with it enough to even want to fix it. I'd much rather do another Iris picture instead keeping all your advice and Chanda's advice in mind.


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## SherylG (Feb 27, 2015)

That's too bad, it's very nice but I understand how you feel. "Fixing" a painting is just work. I usually toss them rather than do a complete make-over. 

Peel off the canvas and stretch another piece on, then it's not even really wasted.


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## TerryCurley (Jan 4, 2015)

I can't count how many have gone in the dumpster already. LOL...I'm still learning. Next month it will be one year since I started and to be honest I'm pleased how much I've been able to pick up on with the help of friends who know what they are doing.


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## SherylG (Feb 27, 2015)

I think it's nice enough to keep!  Honestly, it doesn't need a lot of work


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## Grumpy Old Man (Apr 15, 2015)

I could NOT paint a flower that good, so please don't take my comments as anything but my personal opinion.

I would not paint a border - I'd paint the picture to the edges of the canvas, maybe even over the edges.

You could try moving the flower somewhere besides dead center in the canvas. Divide your canvas into thirds horizontally and vertically so you have 9 squares and then move the flower around to the most pleasing position. Unless you think centering it is the most pleasing position, then, by all means, keep it there.

Hard to see details because the photograph is fuzzy from what might be movement of your hands. Easels are used so the canvas remains stationary, so why should your camera be different? Find something to prop it on when you snap the shutter. This will give you much sharper images.


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## SherylG (Feb 27, 2015)

He could be right about the border. It competes with the flower. Maybe the same colour but several shades lighter with a thin shadow around the edges? 

The flower is very good. I don't think you should pitch it, but I do understand about discouragement. You'll notice, no one has said you should do anything to the flower. It's a great flower and worth keeping. Maybe just put it away for awhile and come back to it after you have done a few other paintings. I have a few paintings on the go at one time, usually.


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## TerryCurley (Jan 4, 2015)

Yeah I was trying the frame technique when I was doing that to see how it worked out. I usually don't do a frame. And all your encouragement is greatly appreciated, but I've moved on to painting William the Goat. 

What I do with pictures I don't care for is put them in my closet and then after I've collected about 15 to 20 of them I take them to a second hand store and tell him he can sell what he wants and pitch those he doesn't want. Of course some I'm ashamed to even take to him, those go into the dumpster. I'm the total opposite of a hoarder. Clutter gets on my nerves and I need to rid myself of things I don't want.


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