Monday, September 09, 2013

"Mailbu Canyon" ©


When I started this blog 7 years ago and I saw paintings that I thought were finished on the computer screen I would see glaring portions that I had failed to address.  Usually I had things all lined up in a neat row or the values so close that shapes were not clearly defined or a very strong angle screaming for the viewer to "look here", all very wrong for my style of painting.  After posting on the blog I would then "fix" these issues and move on to start the next painting.  

For the first time I posted this painting on Facebook before the blog and again I saw many little things that needed tweaking.  I hope this helps other artists when critiquing your own paintings.  So often we paint in the vacuum of our own studios without another set of eyes to look at a painting and a viewer to offer helpful suggestions for improvement.  Try photographing the painting and looking at it on your computer monitor in a small size.  You might be surprised at the different perspective the computer screen provides.  

Oil on Canvas,  20" X 24"

3 comments:

Debbi Smith Rourke said...

So soft and stunning. Appreciate the self-critiquing lesson, too. Quite valuable info. Thanks for always being so generous with your knowledge and process.

Laura Wambsgans said...

Thank you Debbi, I enjoy answering questions and helping artists, as I am offered help all the time. We are a kind and generous tribe!

Marian Fortunati said...

Very very true, Laura. You are so good at seeing things and realizing just what needs to be done to make your own paintings better. It's a skill that takes lots and lots of practice!!

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