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Colleen's gone Coastal, Oregon USA (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter colleenc
- Start date
colleenc
Well-known member
Finally getting in some bird work...want to see if I can create a way to do hummerss that is more like how my eye sees them instead of freezing like a camera does I'm trying to get more motion somethiing like Manfred Schatz, the only wildlife artist who really made a specialty of motion.
this is 5x7 oil on stretched canvas it looks better in person, the color is richer
this is 5x7 oil on stretched canvas it looks better in person, the color is richer
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Andrew H
Well-known member
From my perspective, thats an incredable leap across to a different subject matter, and you done a very good job of it....Its perfectly shows the idea of motion in the wings..well done !
But if I were to make any other comment (From my unskilled eye),im worried about it being bang in the middle (sorry)......?
But if I were to make any other comment (From my unskilled eye),im worried about it being bang in the middle (sorry)......?
colleenc
Well-known member
But if I were to make any other comment (From my unskilled eye),im worried about it being bang in the middle (sorry)......?[/QUOTE]
Thanks Andrew. Guidelines like not putting stuff in the middle are very useful, but not carved in stone. After you can paint by the rules, you can start to do some pushing the boundaries of the rules.
So lets look this one over. First this is a 5x7 study, and the bird is lifesize. so there's not much choice where it has to fit. Here are some tricks I used to offset it. First notice there is a strong diagonal in two directions. Diagonal movement is the most dynamic of all composition, you can see it in spades in the Baroque Era of art. Second notice there is a strong focal pt, on the eye both contrast and color, and that falls in the area of the picture plane that is near what is called the rule of Thirds, you can look that up, it a way of dividing the canvas in thirds both directions where the imaginary lines cross ( like tic tac toe) is the sweet spot to put your focal pt. Third Ive used the background to create more movement, and melded edges, and used some of the background color in the bird to create more unity, so there is not a pasted on effect of a bird on a background, but a movement of light in space.
All of those things help over ride the bang in the middle thing. But thats still a good rule to follow most of the time.
Thanks Andrew. Guidelines like not putting stuff in the middle are very useful, but not carved in stone. After you can paint by the rules, you can start to do some pushing the boundaries of the rules.
So lets look this one over. First this is a 5x7 study, and the bird is lifesize. so there's not much choice where it has to fit. Here are some tricks I used to offset it. First notice there is a strong diagonal in two directions. Diagonal movement is the most dynamic of all composition, you can see it in spades in the Baroque Era of art. Second notice there is a strong focal pt, on the eye both contrast and color, and that falls in the area of the picture plane that is near what is called the rule of Thirds, you can look that up, it a way of dividing the canvas in thirds both directions where the imaginary lines cross ( like tic tac toe) is the sweet spot to put your focal pt. Third Ive used the background to create more movement, and melded edges, and used some of the background color in the bird to create more unity, so there is not a pasted on effect of a bird on a background, but a movement of light in space.
All of those things help over ride the bang in the middle thing. But thats still a good rule to follow most of the time.
Last edited:
colleenc
Well-known member
solitaryVSong
Well-known member
New birds for me Colleen. I'd be happy to have the chance to paint them, aquarium or otherwise.
John Richard
Well-known member
Your humming bird is wonderful, love the brush work and color!
John
John
