Drskmishra

[eighty+]

Wow. Fab. Fab. FAB

[Drskmishra]

Thanks so much sir, I need encouraging words from artists like you!

[Drskmishra]

Have tried to do this with colours and details, any good?

[Drskmishra]

Have done these onions, shadows and all. Seek suggestions from all please.

[Drskmishra]

Tried this still life, seek suggestions from all please.

[D Akey]

Perhaps you need some napkins.

Looking good.

[Drskmishra]

Napkins, haha, thanks sir!

[Drskmishra]

Have tried to do the still life again, shadows, water drops and all. Any good? Seeking suggestions from all please.

[D Akey]

Looking good. I think that in this case of the apple atop black, the challenge is to not have the black override your colors, thus making them a bit drab. I don't know the photo you're using as reference, but you may want to match it to the various places in your rendering. Overall it's succeeding in several key ways.

[Drskmishra]

Thanks sir! Have given the seascape another try, any better?

[D Akey]

Very powerful! You should be proud of this one. Certainly very dynamic and it reads well.

[DaveRage]

I really like this, great job of the sea, especially the feeling of motion to the waves!

[Drskmishra]

Thanks so much sir! Let me see how i can make it better, thanks again.

[Drskmishra]

I really like this, great job of the sea, especially the feeling of motion to the waves!
Thanks Dave, my learning has been showing up it seems! I've been using the iPad version which apparently is not as feature rich as desktop version. But no complaints, see if you can add some fan brush option for leaves etc. Great app this artrage, been posting my works on instagram and getting good response! Thanks again.

[Drskmishra]

Have given it a try, silverware, reflections and all. Need to go a long way it seems, looking suggestions please.

[D Akey]

Looks like you have the right stuff in the right place. If you're going for trompe l'oeil fool the eye style where it looks photographic, then you probably want to avoid a heavy tooth to the paper because that pushes the look into the area of painterly and faster painting, less "tight" painting. In that case you would want to be a little more detail oriented and look at the character of your marks as saying more about what it's reflecting and describing surface materials.

On the other hand if you want painterly, then you're on the right track. These kinds of set ups generally are associated with trompe l'oeil, so the expectation historically leans in that direction for measuring against.

But it looks like you could go any number of ways with it. And it looks good as a finish too. Just saying for further paintings if you care to aim one way or the other, or run with this look. The possibilities are infinite.

But this is a good solid piece.

[TMUCW]

Wow I love this one! The reflections are beautiful!

[Drskmishra]

Looks like you have the right stuff in the right place. If you're going for trompe l'oeil fool the eye style where it looks photographic, then you probably want to avoid a heavy tooth to the paper because that pushes the look into the area of painterly and faster painting, less "tight" painting. In that case you would want to be a little more detail oriented and look at the character of your marks as saying more about what it's reflecting and describing surface materials.

On the other hand if you want painterly, then you're on the right track. These kinds of set ups generally are associated with trompe l'oeil, so the expectation historically leans in that direction for measuring against.

But it looks like you could go any number of ways with it. And it looks good as a finish too. Just saying for further paintings if you care to aim one way or the other, or run with this look. The possibilities are infinite.

But this is a good solid piece.

Sir, I was just trying to learn the reflections. As per your suggestions, been looking at scores of paintings and photographs online to study the intricacies. Hope to improve further, thanks for all your support.

[Drskmishra]

Wow I love this one! The reflections are beautiful!

Thanks for your observations!

[eighty+]

Hi. Enjoying. Your output really Fab. Congrats CIAO. SLAINTE

[Drskmishra]

Sir, thanks a lot for your kind observations!

[Drskmishra]

Have tried this cup, saucer and bubbles, seeking suggestions from all please.

[Drskmishra]

Have tried to do it after learning for some days, any good?

[D Akey]

Nice stuff. Keep at it. You'll see more and more as you do it. One thing I would suggest is to look at your transitions if at all possible. One way to accomplish a stroke fading out is to paint it on a separate layer and then with a really soft, big eraser, erase it back. You can also reduce the intensity of how much it erases and gradually erase. Those are a couple things you can do. That works with more than highlights too.

Good challenges. Lots of interesting things included. I think learning to gradate will make all the difference for you because you have the information where it belongs. Now it's a matter of transitions. Another way to say what I mean is that you have been adding marks which is the way traditional paint is often done. Now it's a matter of thinking of the reduction. You have positive working, but you need the negative -- and of course the transitions between the two.

[Drskmishra]

Thanks sir. Shall try as suggested.

[Ksparhawk]

I have to confess I'm a novice lvl when it comes to doing paintings in artrage even though I've had artrage since ArtRage 2.6 Full Edition. However I'm a fairly decent artist when I do it by hand on a canvas with a wide variety of brushes. I Love your picture it is so detailed. I love the leaves on your trees I'm going to have to play with the programs some more to see if I can get that effect.
That is a very nice piece of Art. I'd print it and hang it on my wall.
~Hawk~

[DarkOwnt]

My suggestion for the coffee cup is to draw the shape first on a layer using pencil and use tools like a ruler or a grid to get the ellipse at the top of the cup and the ellipse of the saucer just right before you start to lay down paint.

Here is a good video with tips re. drawing first (on canvas but equally applicable to digital art):

https://youtu.be/NZ0y4MiM-pc


Also, was the spoon present in your reference? It seems to a casual viewer that that the spoon should be reflected in the cup. If you painted it from imagination, you could try setting up a similar situation in real life to see how the reflection should appear.

[Drskmishra]

Thanks sir for your kind suggestions, spoon was actually an afterthought! Shall take into account next time, thanks again.

[Drskmishra]

Just did a quick one on this, reflections and all. Seeking suggestions from all please.

[D Akey]

Got some nice things happening there with your chiseled stroke technique. Personally, I would keep your technique happening and make sure that your drawing is accurate, or at least adjust along the way. What often happens is that we fixate on solving one visual problem, as with the painting technique, and ignore another one, as with the structure of the object one is painting. In this case that lower lip, with no context other than itself (and perhaps the Rocky Horror opening), one can only look at it and compare it to normal anatomy. The overall shape is a bit off, but it can be fixed if you have a clear reference photo. Were I doing it, I would put the original on a layer and reduce the transparency to see how the shapes differ and go in and clean it up.

But the paint technique is your own and you can really experiment with making it work in infinite contexts. If you have a chance, I would recommend looking at John Berkey, the illustrator, who took this kind of technique to a masterful level. His forte was machinery and spaceships and hardware. But that was just who would hire him -- sci-fi book publishers and so forth. And that was his niche. But he did lots of other things as well, but that was what he was known for I think.

[Drskmishra]

Thanks sir, the lower lip does look distracting! Shall take care in future, thanks again.

[Drskmishra]

Have given it a try, reflections, shadow and all. Looking forward to suggestions from all please.

[D Akey]

Looks nice and spicy. Good one!

[Drskmishra]

Sir, thanks a lot for your kind words! Looks like I'm on track, shall try to improve further, thanks again.

[Drskmishra]

Have tried to do the flowers, vase and reflections, any good?

[pai]

The peppers are so real and so painterly too. Love that one :)

[D Akey]

The flower vase has some nice stuff happening. The vase is frosty, which may be the kind of glass. So it's hard to comment on. Ordinarily, when you have so much black in the painting and so saturated with the color of the flowers, you would want to go a little richer throughout. But I don't know the reference you're using. I can only go by how it appears, and I personally would include some of that contrast in the vase.

If it's normal transparent glass, then that's a whole other thing in which case you would want to have more darks in it or perhaps pick up some of the color of the flowers reflected in it to add interest and make it feel more like it's part of the same environment. Sometimes one has to push things further than normal to achieve this cohesiveness. But that's just a guess based on generic painting principles.

It's a sweet piece and some stuff in it is very pleasant. Keep painting. Even though I had criticism, it belies the fact that you're learning so much and extending your skills.

[Drskmishra]

Thanks ma'm.

[Drskmishra]

The flower vase has some nice stuff happening. The vase is frosty, which may be the kind of glass. So it's hard to comment on. Ordinarily, when you have so much black in the painting and so saturated with the color of the flowers, you would want to go a little richer throughout. But I don't know the reference you're using. I can only go by how it appears, and I personally would include some of that contrast in the vase.

If it's normal transparent glass, then that's a whole other thing in which case you would want to have more darks in it or perhaps pick up some of the color of the flowers reflected in it to add interest and make it feel more like it's part of the same environment. Sometimes one has to push things further than normal to achieve this cohesiveness. But that's just a guess based on generic painting principles.

It's a sweet piece and some stuff in it is very pleasant. Keep painting. Even though I had criticism, it belies the fact that you're learning so much and extending your skills.
Thanks sir, got carried away with the flowers perhaps!

[Drskmishra]

Have tried to understand the reflections, retractions, light and shadows. Looking forward to suggestions from all please.

[D Akey]

I would try to render everything as you see it in the source, exactly as it appears in the photo so that your end result looks like the photo. You will learn a whole lot doing that once or twice even if you don't plan on working like that in future. You will get a very intimate look at how glass works that way. Once you have done that, you will hopefully be able to transfer/translate that sensibility to whatever style you're ultimately doing.

But in yours now I like the contrast you have put into the whole -- strong lights and strong contrasting darks in the upper part of the glass. The base loses some of the transparency and reflective quality. But I do like your richness.

[Drskmishra]

Sir, I have been observing hundreds of paintings and objects for light effects, refractions and reflections. Seems to have worked! Thanks for your suggestions!

[Drskmishra]

Have given it a try again, light reflecting from vase, shadows and all. Any better? Seek suggestions from all please.

[D Akey]

We're getting into an area where they've all got good stuff happening. I think this one is very successful. Nice painterly flow to the paint and the colors are more complex, juxtaposing and making it more interesting to look at (in my opinion).

Impressive expansion into painting. You're like a juggler who is now keeping more balls in the air at the same time. Good going!

[Drskmishra]

Thanks for all the encouraging words sir! I have been observing hundreds and hundreds of paintings. Hope to learn and do better!

[DaveRage]

Lovely colours and feel to this. I like it a lot.

[DarkOwnt]

Very nice, so many realistic effects!

Since you asked for suggestions... I suggest toning down the diffuse lighting on the vase and shifting its color slightly. It might only be a VERY subtle shift lower in intensity and possibly toward the color of the vase.

The light directly coming from the table to the viewer should appear brighter and more intense than the diffuse light from the table bouncing off the vase (since bounced light is almost always slightly less intense than direct light... unless you are dealing with a mirror), also the color of the diffusely lit part of the vase can be subtly shifted toward the color of the vase itself. This is because the light we see from the vase is the result of the diffuse light from the table (intense orange-brown) illuminating the vase which has it own color (beige). Since the vase is beige which is very close to white, this shift might not even be noticeable, and hence is optional, a mere lowering of intensity should suffice. (Technically its more complicated than a shift... but a shift often suffices)

As a "cheat", you could create a new layer on top, and re-paint the portions of the vase where there is diffuse lighting from the table all the while pretending the table was not there to reflect the light. This in effect is like having a version with no lighting from the table illuminating the vase. Then slide the opacity of that top layer all the way down to 0 (giving you your original painting as the starting point) and start increasing the opacity (like turning down the lighting effect from your table) until you have the right amount of reduction in lighting from the table... i.e. the level of lighting you want (which could be chosen based on realism or simply your taste).


Very glad to hear and see you are observing reality with care... the results clearly show it is paying off!

Cheers!

[Drskmishra]

Thanks for all the fine points suggested! As I always say this forum has helped me no end in learning the basics of painting! In this case I was taking the vase as highly reflective thereby causing glare of red colour to the viewer, but obviously I've got a long way to go! Thanks for telling me the nuances in such detail!

[Drskmishra]

Lovely colours and feel to this. I like it a lot.

Thanks so much Dave, great to see you taking interest in my efforts! Just one point, a fan brush for my landscapes, it'll help me a lot! Thanks again!

[DarkOwnt]

Thanks for all the fine points suggested! As I always say this forum has helped me no end in learning the basics of painting! In this case I was taking the vase as highly reflective thereby causing glare of red colour to the viewer, but obviously I've got a long way to go! Thanks for telling me the nuances in such detail!

Ah! If the vase is more or less silvery like a textured mirror then I suggest making the bright beige spot on the right match better the grey background and the shadowy part of the table (the darkness in the bottom right should be reflected)...

very good vase ! You should be proud!

[TMUCW]

wow, the flower vase is amazing! good work!

[Drskmishra]

Thanks for taking a look!

[Drskmishra]

Have given it yet another try, just to work on reflections and shadows. No reference photo, so the subject has nothing to catch attention, just the jug! Seek suggestions from all please.

[D Akey]

I know you were responding to D.O.'s suggestions, so I won't comment on that for when they come in and say something again, if they're so motivated. But it's got good stuff happening.

Probably the thing I would recommend in the case of actual geometric objects, is to be aware of how you're creating volume, to make certain the volume seems to hold the shapes. It's just a bit off. And that's just a matter of fine tuning the values and the contours and such so that the volume reads appropriately -- ie. the bulges are in the right place and of the right dimension so it doesn't flatten out too much or bulge too much or whatever. That's largely a matter of how the shadows fall (values describing contour).

(look at the angle down on the pitcher and table which is higher and the cup which is lower/narrower meaning the eye is lower when looking at it, compared with the other shapes.) The angles are in disagreement about where the point of view is - as an example. That's in the drawing stage often times that you work that out. Sometimes it can be corrected in the painting stage. But it's easier to get it right before painting has committed to it.).

Anyway, nice one.

[Drskmishra]

Shadows do not correspond to shapes and placement on the table, completely agree sir! Plus the composition also dull, I admit! Let me see how I can improve on these, thanks for your suggestions sir!

[DarkOwnt]

Another nice still life!


One technique I think is useful at the early stage is to build the scene in one's mind starting from the table-top and going up past the top of the objects...

1. Imagine the points and surfaces where the objects touch the table... their contact "footprint" if you will, and their relation to each other. The orange touches essentially at a point, the cup has a circular footprint, and the jug also has its footprint (cant quite tell, but its circular or oval). Imagine what a sketch of this footprint on the table would look like looking directly down at it... and also from your perspective

2. Now imagine taking a virtual plane parallel to the table and sliding it up through the objects, taking slices as you go. These slices are very much like the footprints, but are above the table. Are the objects close... far apart... do they potentially overlap in space? This gives you a sense of how the objects relate to each other in the space above the table.

Imagining 1 and 2 helps with placement of the objects (so they do not occupy the same space above the table) and drawing their outlines, and keeping their spatial relationships to each other clear in one's mind. This also helps with things like shadows, highlights, reflections, etc. by keeping the spatial relationships clear.

[damasocl]

Me quedé asombrado con este último óleo... Bastante distinto a tus primeras pinturas... Tu técnica es excelente y muy personal... Felicitaciones.-

[Drskmishra]

Thanks D.O. for such a detailed explanation of spatial disposition of objects! As a practicing physician, I keep seeing CT scans of patients with slices at different levels of the body, your explanations are nowhere less in description, thanks so much for the detailed advice! Shall try to improve further sir, thanks again!

[Drskmishra]

Me quedé asombrado con este último óleo... Bastante distinto a tus primeras pinturas... Tu técnica es excelente y muy personal... Felicitaciones.-

Thanks sir for taking a look at my works!

[Drskmishra]

Have done this landscape after sometime, been observing them in details of late. Getting any better? Seeking suggestions from all please.

[D Akey]

I recommend that you set it aside and then look at it after at least a week with a fresh eye. The issues will become apparent to you.

What I see is that you are getting into other areas of the painting experience that come with having done a lot of it. The main one is that your mind is starting to get cluttered. When I backslide this much it usually means I am too tired and I'm not thinking clearly.

So my recommendation is to step back a bit.

[Drskmishra]

Point taken sir, sure I'd observe more of paintings and try to learn! Thanks for the kind advice!

[Drskmishra]

Back after a break with this still life, reflections and all. Any better? Seeking suggestions from all please.

[D Akey]

Perspective's a bit weird, but the colors and surface look like a winner to me.

[Drskmishra]

Thanks, sir! Was trying to learn the surface and color, shall have to work more on the perspective!

[damasocl]

Las texturas son extraordinarias... Me parece muy original este estilo...Suerte!

[Drskmishra]

Las texturas son extraordinarias... Me parece muy original este estilo...Suerte!

su aliento me ayuda siempre, gracias señor

[Drskmishra]

Have tried to do some details on mountains, shadows and trees. Seeking suggestions from all please!

[eighty+]

Hi. drskmishra. Just love your colours ok. I can't comment. As your in the hands of the best. And I'm only a old Bodger
Trying to paint myself. Ok. Will watch from afar. To see your progress. CIAO. Ploos. HASTA. lA. VISTA. SLAINTE

[D Akey]

A thought: if you want to show depth, as one would probably want to when doing something realistic, you will see that the saturation diminishes and leans toward the sky color and the darks lighten far more than the foreground. That requires more paint mixing rather than repeating very similar colors throughout the painting. You have only a slight change from foreground into the picture, and the strokes are also rather similar. As an artist, you need to keep these balls in the air as you juggle a complex landscape.

Good try.

[Drskmishra]

Hi. drskmishra. Just love your colours ok. I can't comment. As your in the hands of the best. And I'm only a old Bodger
Trying to paint myself. Ok. Will watch from afar. To see your progress. CIAO. Ploos. HASTA. lA. VISTA. SLAINTE

Thanks for the good wishes sir!

[Drskmishra]

A thought: if you want to show depth, as one would probably want to when doing something realistic, you will see that the saturation diminishes and leans toward the sky color and the darks lighten far more than the foreground. That requires more paint mixing rather than repeating very similar colors throughout the painting. You have only a slight change from foreground into the picture, and the strokes are also rather similar. As an artist, you need to keep these balls in the air as you juggle a complex landscape.

Good try.

Yes sir, fading into the horizon! Shall need to work more on it I guess! Thanks for your observations!

[Drskmishra]

Have tried to imagine this girl walking in the rains. Many shortcomings, the background not very meaningful perhaps! Seeking suggestions from all please.

[D Akey]

Have tried to imagine this girl walking in the rains. Many shortcomings, the background not very meaningful perhaps! Seeking suggestions from all please.

Looks purposeful to me. It creates an atmosphere appropriate to the whole. The focus or blurry quality is consistent and it becomes a soft statement that carries an emotion or tone to the piece. So this is less about visual information and more about mood. Very valid. Nice one.

[Drskmishra]

Thanks so much sir!

[Drskmishra]

Have tried to refine the water droplets again after a while, the leaf looks a little flat and dull maybe! Seek suggestions from all please.

[Drskmishra]

Been trying to gain confidence with brush strokes and use of colors. Have tried to concentrate on the car so the background is not so coherent perhaps! Seeking suggestions from all please.

[D Akey]

Paint on! You're doing fine. Like that car model when they speak of mileage, your mileage may vary. So just keep filling the tank and pack a lunch and drive out into the scenery.

[Drskmishra]

Thanks sir, for continuously encouraging words!

[Drskmishra]

Have tried to paint this train chugging through forest. Not much trying to do the detailed engine sketch, have tried to concentrate on brush strokes and colors, looking forward to suggestions from all please.

[Drskmishra]

Have tried to improve on the colours and brush strokes, done after a gap. Any good? Seeking suggestions from all please.

[Alexandra]

How magical, a beautiful painting for sure. Excellent!

[D Akey]

Looks like an ideal spot to relax, free of the cares of the day to day. Soft healing colors. Nice one.

[Drskmishra]

Thanks both of you for the kind words!

[Drskmishra]

Have tried to paint this clear water quiet beach, boat, shadows and all. Any good?

[damasocl]

Tus obras: todas excelentes... y has ido evolucionando pero siempre muy fiel a tu estilo...

[Drskmishra]

muchas gracias por interesarse en mis esfuerzos, ha sido amable, gracias de nuevo!

[Alexandra]

Love it! Fun and brilliant perspective!

[D Akey]

Floating. . . Surrealism in a realistic context. Great feeling.

[Drskmishra]

Thanks ma'am, thanks sir for encouraging words!

[yang]

Lovely colours, I'm a fan of your work!

[Drskmishra]

Thanks so much, I'm just a learner!

[Drskmishra]

Have given it a try again, foam and all. Any good? Seek suggestions from all please.

[D Akey]

A celebration of colors for sure. Looks like Autumn is here. I never thought of tropical beaches with the azure color of the water being next to the reds and oranges of trees this time of year, but it really does make for a rich color statement. Takes on a language of its own as if it's an illustration of words with nouns and adjectives.

[Drskmishra]

Yes sir, been trying to understand colours and the ways they can be used! Thanks for your observations!

[Drskmishra]

Have given this old scooter a try, rust, paint, shadows! Any good? Seek suggestions from all please.

[D Akey]

I don't know if it's any good. That's a relative value judgment. I would have to ask what you were trying to accomplish -- in other words, whether you were trying to make it look realistic or just are using the motorcycle as a general way of breaking up sections of the canvas with your usual marks. While your style has been geared toward organic shapes, your technique is so very different from the way I've ever known to paint hard shapes like motorcycles that I wouldn't know where to begin to suggest. So I'm at a loss. If you painted like me I would have more to say, but you are your own artist which is a good thing.

My personal opinion is that it looks like an experiment in getting loose and sketchy with a mechanical subject and you need to do more of that kind of subject to find something to emphasize more -- whether to make it more about the shapes, or more about looking like a real motorcycle. Only you can answer those questions with more paintings that address what you're trying to do -- for you.

[Drskmishra]

Getting loose and sketchy, probably you're right sir! I'm just going on with whatever is coming to my mind. Just exploring colours, techniques, strokes, that's all. Regarding this subject, I always wanted to paint an old condemned vehicle! Thanks for your kind observations sir!

[Drskmishra]

Have tried to paint the morning sun rays falling on mountains and trees. Seeking suggestions from all please.

[D Akey]

Looks great. I like how the light is illuminating a particular portion of the mountains. It makes for nice drama and it separates the areas nicely giving it depth. Pleasing colors too.

[Drskmishra]

Oh great sir! Didn't know it was this good! Thanks for always encouraging me!

[Drskmishra]

Have tried yet another seascape, foam and all. Still trying to get it right! Any better? Seeking suggestions from all please.

[D Akey]

Again, the colors and values are very pleasing. Beyond that, much depends on your choices. For example, there's a hard edged quality to your brush strokes. My most satisfactory work has been where there's a lot of seamless-ness. So I'm more familiar with that approach. Where that works for me is both in the actual blending of paint as well as mixing more gradient steps within a color and between colors. But then it becomes a matter of feel where it should go one way or another. The color variation where you have multiple values of turquoise in the cresting wave is luminous and quite nice. The variation makes it interesting to look at. Conversely, where some of the areas go from darker turquoise to white, it creates a contrast that is a little jarring to my eye.

Overall, I'm liking your work. If you're going for a calligraphic look, then I would suggest more control with your "calligraphy", where it demonstrates a mastery of the brush and a deliberateness of design. But you might want to think about exploring where you want to place your marks and what about those marks would make it exciting and artful, like a master swordsman controls his rapier. You're getting closer. Those are just a few thoughts for your consideration. But nice work. It's a pleasing painting.

[Caesar]

I like this very much! It looks like a very good base You may refine indefinitely, but already neat and completed in all of its parts and overall blue, white and ochre/ burnt Sienna harmony.
You really kept improving since Your start!

[Drskmishra]

Thanks, both of you for taking such keen interest in my paintings. As I said, I'm still learning, hope to improve gradually!

[pai]

So many beautiful ones. Especially like the last three ones. Love the color palette on the motorcycle one and feel the wind breeze on the last seascape. Great stuffs.

[Drskmishra]

Thanks m'am!

[Drskmishra]

Have tried to refine brush strokes and shadows in this one, seeking suggestions from all please.

[Caesar]

Now You may invite Monsieur Claude Monet to visit You! Fine!

[Drskmishra]

Hahaha, not that good sir, but hope I'm at least getting things somewhat right!

[D Akey]

I really like it. I don't get stopped at every abrupt change in value and color. A way to say it is that it draws less attention to the mechanics of painting and more to experiencing the vision. I just sort of float into the setting, around on my lily pad, exploring the serenity -- the jewel in the center of the canvas, to bend a famous consciousness phrase to a painting experience.

[Drskmishra]

Thanks a million sir! Your kind words have always helped me!

[Drskmishra]

Have tried to do this one after looking at hundreds of pictures and paintings in an attempt to understand the basics. Read a lot of related suggestions online, have tried to work further on brushwork, shadows and reflections. Any good? Seeking suggestions from all.

[D Akey]

Well, since you are heading the way of separate marks, why not make it artful. No matter which way you go, and all directions are valid, try thinking of it as an art. This could be really something if you were to latch on to an idea and really explore it. Just a small suggestion since I know painting's primarily as a release for you so you can unwind rather than it being work. You may be achieving your desired end. Yeah, I know, you're just learning. . . we all are. I'm learning the violin which I just began. My efforts are rather crude, I dare say. So you're way ahead of me.

[Drskmishra]

For taking it to the next level, I really need to work hard! Shall keep trying, thanks sir!

[D Akey]

For what it's worth, flying by the seat of your pants is fine if you have the formulas down where you know them well enough to feel your way into a painting. But even those folks who have go-to methods, when things aren't working, they will consciously fall back on those formulas to bring the troubled painting back on track.

Looking at forms and lighting and how to give the illusion of a shape turning, mixing colors that give the illusion that one part is closer and another farther away, using color and values to group elements into larger sections, and placing them in a designed way on the canvas -- those are your tools when working with naturalism. Working from the big picture first and then detailing it out is the way to go.

I hope this is helpful. It's very hard to offer suggestions as you're painting when it would make a difference rather than after you're done and you post it up on the forums. I sure hope on some level you're having fun.

Maybe you can take a class in the real world with an instructor who paints like you want to paint. You can then learn by them showing you exactly what they're doing and thinking as they paint. Just looking at paintings or even reading books isn't a very good method if you're into new areas. Besides, it may well be a whole lot more fun for you to be with others sharing the journey. Was always more fun for me to do it that way. I mean keep posting here. Love seeing your work. But you may want to enter the real world too.

[Drskmishra]

Your suggestions well taken sir! Shall try to watch it in real time with an artist, perhaps. Thanks again!

[Drskmishra]

Have given it a try, cabin needed more colours perhaps! Foliage, shadows, sunlight, hope I've done some justice! Shall welcome suggestions from all please.

[D Akey]

Nicely romantic. I take it that it's something of a self portrait, even if only in spirit. I like how you're pulling the focus in to the characters and cabin through values and saturation, even staging. Sets a mood.

[Drskmishra]

Hahaha, self portrait! Shall convey it to Her Majesty, for sure sir! Thanks!

[Drskmishra]

Have done this still life after a while. Trying to gain confidence with brush strokes, shadows and colours, any better? Seeking suggestions from all plesase.

[Caesar]

The log cabin painting is fantastic as well as this garlic head ... except for vampires I presume.;)

[DarkOwnt]

This is one of my favorites of yours! Very well done. Painterly up close, but also realistic from far.


Did you paint this from a reference (photo or real objects) or from imagination?

[Drskmishra]

Thanks for taking a look! No references, just been observing onions closely for some time!

[Drskmishra]

Tried this autumn landscape after a while, brush strokes, lights and a splash of colours! Any good? Seeking suggestions from all.

[eighty+]

Fab. Fab. FAB. I CAN SAY NO MORE. CONGRATS PLOOS:D

[D Akey]

Wowee!!!! I agree with Eighty+'s enthusiastic response.

It's gorgeous! Love the colors and saturation with that subject, love the detail, the care of the shapes, how the trees breathe, all around top marks!!!! Well done, Doctor!!!

[Mike A]

Great - wish I could be there! Fabulous colours - full of light and energy.

Mike

[Drskmishra]

Oh, my God, didn't know it was that good! Thanks a million to all of you for the kind words of encouragement! Hope to improve further! Thanks again.

[Caesar]

Excellent painting and style once again!

[Drskmishra]

Thanks so much sir for all the encouragements!

[Drskmishra]

Have given it a try, using colours and shadows. Any good? Seeking suggestions from all please.

[D Akey]

Beautiful, Doctor. Love the feel of the whole thing. I get the beauty of the sunset where the pair is enveloped in the rich colors of the sunset. The boats sailing out give a metaphoric impression as well.

Season's Greetings to you and yours!!!! May you have many years of rich color and companionship with your family.

[Drskmishra]

Thanks a million sir, wish me all the luck so that I continue to treat the poor patients and at the same time, continue to learn this fascinating art of painting!

[damasocl]

Bellísimo!!!

[eighty+]

jesus Christ that's Fantastic Doc Made me fall out of my armchair which as you can imagine takes a lot o doing and the

worst part is getting back up with the aid of my two walk sticks :D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:confused::confused::confu sed::confused::confused::confused:

[Drskmishra]

Thanks sir! sei sempre stato incoraggiante!

[Drskmishra]

jesus Christ that's Fantastic Doc Made me fall out of my armchair which as you can imagine takes a lot o doing and the

worst part is getting back up with the aid of my two walk sticks :D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:confused::confused::confu sed::confused::confused::confused:
Thanks a million sir for taking a look at my painting! I can make out you are an exceptionally brave person and won't require much of support from your walking aids! Please regularly do your quadriceps exercises to keep your thigh muscles strong and protect you from falls, my humble advice as a professional!

[Drskmishra]

Have given it a try after observing several pictures and paintings. Shadows, trees without leaves and snow, added human figures as an afterthought! Any good? Seeking suggestions from all please, and greetings for the new year!

[D Akey]

Overall it's quite nice. That river color seems more saturated than anything else and as a result it jumps a little. Personally I would have pulled in some of the adjacent colors. Speaking of that, snow tends to be reflective and the artist has the opportunity to pull some colors from the sky into the shadows.

Having said that, you have most everything you want there. If you wanted to play with painting over some of the shapes you already have the test wouldn't hurt anything if it's on layers. The composition is quite nice. It feels like winter, it is inviting. I think you have a lot working. Just if you wanted to try working with it to see what happens you might surprise yourself.

Very glad to see you're exploring the way people paint and trying it on for size. You're building your personal artistic tool set.

[Drskmishra]

Thanks sir, for your observations! Yes, the river colours could have been given a chance in reflections! Shall keep that in mind next time, thanks again sir!

[Alexandra]

Wow, such beautiful works!

[sabena]

Wow Fantastic painting ;)

[Drskmishra]

Thanks both of you ma'am for the kind words!

[Drskmishra]

Have given it another try, trees in the foreground with snow and shadows. Any suggestions?

[D Akey]

I'm really loving the colors in this one. You've integrated them nicely and there's some subtlety as well as sharp contrast. It's a little like counterpoint in music. Very appealing. I think you did very well indeed with this one. Hope you like it as well.

[DarkOwnt]

This last snowfall one is wonderful!!

Good job with the choice of colors... very realistic. The work could benefit from moving on to custom brushes... I see too many square edges here... and it's not your fault!

Great painting!

[Drskmishra]

Thanks sir, for always guiding me!

[Drskmishra]

This last snowfall one is wonderful!!

Good job with the choice of colors... very realistic. The work could benefit from moving on to custom brushes... I see too many square edges here... and it's not your fault!

Great painting!

Yes, I'm doing it on iPad version of artrage which doesn't offer many choices on brushes! Doing foliage is a big challenge! No fan brushes!

[Drskmishra]

Not so remarkable, but have tried to learn some more about snowfall! I'm sure many shortcomings are there! Shall look forward to suggestions.

[D Akey]

Looks good to me! I like how you created a diffusion filter kind of effect and how you've basically sectioned the areas of the paintings based on the colors of the flowers in those areas. It's a nice way to integrate where they look like they belong together -- red, yellow and blue. Makes it feel more composed. Seems like a very effective way to keep it from being spotty. Nice solution and it feels harmonious.

[Drskmishra]

Thanks sir for your kind words! Shall try to improve further.

[damasocl]

Excelentes (como siempre) tus últimos trabajos, y siempre en tu particular estilo... Felicitaciones.!!!

[eighty+]

Hi Drsk. ? Well to my old eyes they all look great. It doesn’t seem to matter what brush you use. As long it’s not your toothbrush ;):D

CIAO. `PLOOS HASTA LA VISTA. IVAYA CON DIOS. SLAINTE

[Drskmishra]

Hi Drsk. ? Well to my old eyes they all look great. It doesn’t seem to matter what brush you use. As long it’s not your toothbrush ;):D

CIAO. `PLOOS HASTA LA VISTA. IVAYA CON DIOS. SLAINTE
Toothbrush, hahaha! Sir, on Artrage ipad version there are not many options for brushes, and foliage are particularly challanging to draw or paint. Im just managing with paint load, thinners and insta dry options provided there. And sir, your old eyes are serving you pretty well!

[Drskmishra]

Excelentes (como siempre) tus últimos trabajos, y siempre en tu particular estilo... Felicitaciones.!!!

gracias señor por alentarme siempre!

[Drskmishra]

Not giving up on snowfall, learning more and more of it! Any better? Seeking suggestions from all please.

[D Akey]

Good stuff, Doctor. I think it's working very well. Keep up the good work as the seasons change. Still winter for a bit, this is true. Any time you want to conjure up a season on canvas, it's yours to do. If the heat of summer ever gets you down, remember your winter chops and make it winter.

[DarkOwnt]

Very nice!

My only real suggestion here is that I find the trunks a bit top heavy. It looks like somebody cut the tops off of all the trees revealing the trunks.

If there were more space at the top you could extend that lovely leaf colored zone and add more thin branches, but given the trees' positions in the composition I'd suggest covering the upper quarter or upper third of the trunks over with more leaf color to represent the canopy (blending and/or tapering the trunk into it), and adding some very faint and thin branches supporting the canopy.

What I like about this one is the abstraction. There are no individual leaves, but we see the masses of color which suggest the leaves which make it up.

[Drskmishra]

Sir, you got it right, the green canopy should've gone up a little more! Good learning for me, thanks!

[Drskmishra]

Have tried to do the crashing wave once again. Been trying to understand the details of wave forms, any good? Seeking suggestions from all please.

[Drskmishra]

Trying to learn more and more of waves and foam, any better? Seeking suggestions from all please.

[Patrick_K]

The second wave set is lovely. I love the colors used. I think a key to waves and wave forms is being able to convey visual rhythm in a natural manner. A lot of times you'll need to augment what you see in order to convey the correct feeling. Turner was pretty good at this. Each wave form is a separate mass with character of it's own. Each wave builds upon the other creating a rhythm that helps the viewer make sense of the motion in the ocean.

[Drskmishra]

Thanks for the observation Patrick!

[Mike A]

I can cope with most subjects in any medium, but I find water difficult at the best of times and it generally takes me half a dozen goes to get it anywhere near right. So, though I can't offer any advice, very well done for your efforts! Impressive.

Mike

[D Akey]

I LOVE that explosive wave. Wow. The colors are fantastic and lively. The composition is great. The feel is super energetic. It's a great way to exploit your penchant for your frequently drawn brushwork (to the left of the explosion on the surface of the water). I think it may work particularly because the values are so close and the nature of the way foam sits on agitated sea water. It's more a fast impressionism technique -- and what could be faster than an exploding wave.

I would hang that in a second in my office and look at it regularly when I was feeling tired. A great reminder that a creative explosion is available to be had.

Really good. The second one looks like something you've done before. Is it a re-post? The subject is very different than the first one and as such it has a very different vibe.

[Drskmishra]

Thanks sir for all the encouragement, yes the second one is an attempt to get the earlier ones better! Just learning to get the foam right!

[Drskmishra]

I can cope with most subjects in any medium, but I find water difficult at the best of times and it generally takes me half a dozen goes to get it anywhere near right. So, though I can't offer any advice, very well done for your efforts! Impressive.

Mike
Thanks, Mike, for your kind words!

[damasocl]

Sencillamente: Extraordinario!!! Esas olas, ese cielo, esa espuma .... me deslumbraron!!!

[Drskmishra]

Trying to refine further, learning shadows and depth. Any improvements, seek suggestions from all please.

[D Akey]

Love the colors and values. Has a nice sense of movement. I like how you direct your brush strokes as flowing water moves. It's also not a bad thing to keep that in mind for doing paintings of other subjects -- that the rhythms created that way add a layer of design that enhances the visual experience and creates a aesthetic sense to show what order the artist saw in the subject. That speaks to a higher level of why we would bother looking through the artist's eyes. It's an overall sense to the subject rather than just a bunch of random daubs. Musicians well understand this. It sometimes takes painters a little longer because they can get away with not doing it. But when they do, the art really sings.

[Drskmishra]

Sir, thats what I've started to appreciate. The shadows, the colours, the brush movements......its undoubtedly a long process! But im keen to learn, thanks for opening up new vistas for me!

[Drskmishra]

Been trying to learn more of waves, shadows, depths, water, rocks, foam and all. Any improvements? Looking forward to suggestions from all please.

[D Akey]

Very nice! I see a lot of great progress in your work.

Again, I love your colors - bright and appealing to view. The brushwork is thoughtful in that you choose the type of marks you want to use that is logical to distance (less detailed) and close up (sharper and more detailed). The wave definitely looks like a wave. Overall very pleasant painting. I get the feeling of the ocean as seen through your eyes. Well done.

Keep your momentum going because it is this momentum where you'll find yourself making lots of progress. You'll see how it plays out specific to you. It's almost always quick and slow and quick etc. Hard to track it for a formula to the speed. Just maintain the joy of it and it will come in its own timing.

[Drskmishra]

Thanks for the encouragement sir, been thinking of doing seagulls for long. Have given it a try, as in a close up photograph, any good?

[Mike A]

The seagull's great - nice sense of colour and hue across the palate.

The painting of the waves is also very good - I loved the splashing of the surf and the wave/pool patterns on the sand. The only comment I would make - and obviously I'm used to colder UK waters - is that the blue of the open sea might be a little less vibrant to more easily morph into the greener surf. But, as I say, we don't get seas that blue over here! :D

[D Akey]

Very nice. I think something you may want to bear in mind (in the naturalistic direction you appear to be going) is the volume of the bird. What makes that work in terms of volume is to think of the lighting. One can relate shapes in nature to primitive dimensional objects like a sphere, cyllinder, box and so forth for creating the illusion of mass. Those lighting tricks show form. Simple but it works.

Right now your sandpiper generally separates out fine into a distinct shape and because we can easily recognize it, our mind completes the picture. It's all a matter of how far you want to take the illusion of what we see plus how much artistic flair do you want to infuse. You have a painterly quality going on in many of your seascapes so it's clear you have the chops. It's now a matter of where and how you want to apply it.

Perhaps if you think of the bird with the focus you brought to the waves you might find your painting having more of an overall completion. It's fine now. Good stuff is happening. It's just if you want to take it even farther.

Nice one!

[Drskmishra]

The seagull's great - nice sense of colour and hue across the palate.

The painting of the waves is also very good - I loved the splashing of the surf and the wave/pool patterns on the sand. The only comment I would make - and obviously I'm used to colder UK waters - is that the blue of the open sea might be a little less vibrant to more easily morph into the greener surf. But, as I say, we don't get seas that blue over here! :D
Valid point, Mike! The colours could have been more in sync, completely agree. Thanks for your kind suggestion, and yes, the waters are cold in your place, at least in Scotland( my personal experience!), but UK is beautiful!

[Drskmishra]

Have tried to do this coastline with green patch. Seeking suggestions from all please.

[D Akey]

Well, personal taste here:

The straight black is fighting the rest of the sky and water and sand parts of the picture so it pops out as jarring to the eye.

All the vegetation is basically handled the same way (same colors including the black) so it flattens out and loses the illusion of depth.

A suggestion would be to mix your darks using a dark value of a color that relates more to the overall key color and tone of the whole (look up "atmospheric perspective"). That's what I would do anyway. Remember, you're painting a painting, not a photo and you have to think like an artist and take things beyond the literal.

Why then does it work in a photo? In large part it's because people don't question a photo and because the photo is far more subtle and detailed than your painting. People will question paintings if they don't feel right, regardless of whether the viewer knows why something is off.

[Drskmishra]

Completely agree, the colours do look harsh here. Have to learn a lot! Thanks sir for your advice!

[D Akey]

Being and artist means there's always going to be lots to learn forever after. That's the beauty of it. Keeps the journey interesting.

[h8l2]

Perhaps you are not a professional painter, but you have the main ingredient, talent. it's wonderful.

[Drskmishra]

Rather quick one at this, the handscrub lotion thats the need of the hour! 30 sec of thourough hand wash can stop the spread of virus by over 80%.

[D Akey]

Rather quick one at this, the handscrub lotion thats the need of the hour! 30 sec of thourough hand wash can stop the spread of virus by over 80%.

What a great illustration of art with immediate value! Well done, Doctor! Let's stop the virus! Good use for your skills on two fronts.

[Drskmishra]

Perhaps you are not a professional painter, but you have the main ingredient, talent. it's wonderful.thanks a million, just been trying to learn!

[Drskmishra]

What a great illustration of art with immediate value! Well done, Doctor! Let's stop the virus! Good use for your skills on two fronts.
Thanks, sir for your kind appreciation!

[h8l2]

Less saturated shadows works better... ;)

[Drskmishra]

Yes, it was a quick work on the first day of corona lockdown ! In any case, i have to go a long way:D

[Drskmishra]

Have given this a try, learning more of reflections in calm water. Foliage might have been better, but brush options are limited in iPad versions! Any good?

[D Akey]

I like the vegetation and sky quite lot. The plants and trees are airy and the colors are integrated nicely. I also like the variety of marks, differentiating the kinds plants.

I also very much like how you brought some of the warms from the trees into the clouds. This is successful on two points -- the colors relate to other parts of the painting reinforcing the idea of what they call "golden hour" or "golden time" which essentially is when the sun is low or even just gone and there's a warmth to everything. Plus it gives more variety to the brushwork.

And that's one of the outstanding parts of this one -- the brushwork is more varied and interesting, your color choices are good and they seem to breathe the same atmosphere.

As to the water, I think you have the right idea, but unless it's very windy the water wouldn't be quite so choppy. Even so, your marks look like dry drawing marks sitting on the water a little like a hair net on one's hair. The character of the marks are different than the moist wet-into-wet feel of the rest of the painting and are drawing attention to that difference, apart from the feeling that this is a unified vision. It's almost like you have two paintings happening -- above and below the shore. One possible way to solve that is to do so with more color mixing and including more intermediate steps and not just jumping in values so abruptly, except for in special cases where that's appropriate. It isn't just the mechanical limits of the brushes because you have done some great brushwork in this one.

But having said that, above the water is remarkably well-painted and whatever you did there, if you can do it in future paintings it's a very powerful approach. I really applaud your growing sensitivity to color and where you used the brush more loosely as you've done.

Another huge breakthrough for you.

[Drskmishra]

Thanks for your suggestions sir, the brushwork is getting meaningful and i see it as a great milestone! Learning colours is infinite and I'm on a long journey!

[Drskmishra]

Again a quick one, corona lock down impact! Have tried to paint my glasses, reflections and all,

[Drskmishra]

Yes, in India we take our tea with whole milk alongwith generous helpings of brown sugar! Corona lock down has forced me to seeing only emergency patients. Have tried to paint it from my own perspective, please have a look and give your suggestions!

[DarkOwnt]

Wow!

Painting from real life or a reference is definitely the way to go.

You are capturing what you see quite well here. I love the textures and colors!


The angle of view on the book seems steeper than on the cup which seems steeper still than the angle of view of the saucer. The elliptical shape of the rim of the coffee cup should be mostly the same as the outside edge of the saucer since the physical circular shapes are parallel... and seen from the same relatively distant point of view... in other words these should have the same amount of "elongation" and mostly differ only in terms of size. The cup also does not appear centered in the saucer...

I love your shorthand you use for the book and its pages as well as the abstract impression of writing or text on the paper.

Overall a great painting!

[Drskmishra]

Thanks a lot for your observations, the geometric shapes are difficult to draw on ipad version, even drawing a straight line is a challange! But your suggestions are very helpful, shall try to improve further, thanks again!

[D Akey]

Thanks a lot for your observations, the geometric shapes are difficult to draw on ipad version, even drawing a straight line is a challange! But your suggestions are very helpful, shall try to improve further, thanks again!

I agree. Perspective is an important point.

You mention that it's particularly challenging on an iPad. Possibly so. I don't use one, so I couldn't tell you what to do with that device in particular. However, I would strongly recommend that you start with a drawing on one layer that you will never see in the final painting. It functions like a blueprint for building a house.

The approach is that you can work out the perspective in line before you commit a lot of time to polishing a painting only to find that the angles are wonky. Lines are super quick and easily erased and redrawn and erased and distorted (if the iPad version has those tools) -- you get the idea. Doing the preliminary sketching is that it works roughly at the speed that your mind does. Paintings can be slower (at least until you become very practiced at it, but even then it's slower). Plus a drawing is very clear.

Use a light blue and when you have it you can make a darker mark over it or increase the darkness if you need it. You can also keep it on top of your painting and just hide and reveal it to check how your placement is working compared to the "blueprint".

It's particularly useful for mechanical images like this one.

I like the idea of the tea. Sounds delicious. Keep enjoying! But don't be surprised it the cup becomes empty before you're done. Nice stuff and thank you for your heroic efforts as a medical professional. You're doing a great service for your community. Keep yourself safe so you can help others. Bravo!

[Drskmishra]

Thanks sir, for all the suggestions on drawings and perspective! Shall have to practise more and more i guess. Thanks again sir!

[Drskmishra]

Colours of autumn are always refreshing. Have given it another try, shadows, foreground, colours. Any good? Seeking suggestions from all please.

[Drskmishra]

Did a quick sketching today depicting total lock down! Have tried to understand perspective, shading and some idea of the street. Many shortcomimngs, I'm sure! Seek suggestions from all.

[DarkOwnt]

Did a quick sketching today depicting total lock down! Have tried to understand perspective, shading and some idea of the street. Many shortcomimngs, I'm sure! Seek suggestions from all.

One quick tip about perspective.

You will recall from your geometry that parallel lines never diverge and never cross. It also is true that parallel lines will always appear to meet at infinity (think train tracks).

It follows that, if the rail on your balcony is parallel with the rails of the balconies across the road, they will appear to point to the same point on the horizon, but will never appear to cross one another before they meet at the horizon. This is deduced simply by imagining extending all of these lines indefinitely. Since they are parallel they never cross, but since the spaces between them must appear smaller as they recede in the distance, they appear to meet at infinity which in this case (since they are parallel to the ground) at the horizon.

In your picture, in the immediate balcony the top part of the railing and the bottom part of the railing should point to a vanishing point on the horizon. All edges parallel to that rail including all those across the street, also point toward that vanishing point. If it turns out the building across the street actually is not parallel then all those lines have their own vanishing point on the horizon.


Note: The horizon is only significant for lines parallel to the ground. Obviously vertical lines of buildings, furniture etc. point up, which all meet at infinity upwards... and parallel lines can point in any direction.

Final note: Your perspective within the balcony looks good, as it does general for each building... but they do not seem to be matched to one another in the same space. This of course does depend on the actual orientation of the buildings.

[D Akey]

Did a quick sketching today depicting total lock down! Have tried to understand perspective, shading and some idea of the street. Many shortcomimngs, I'm sure! Seek suggestions from all.

I like the autumn forest painting.

As to the sketch of the lock-down, I would never (as viewer) look at this as one image. I would see it as related vignettes in a sketchbook. As such they are cool. You're getting in and telling a story based on poses. It also has a feeling of stark detachment -- an allusion to a prison in a way. So editorially it rocks with message.

As to the technique, I would say that you are looking pretty decently. It's not technically perfect, but you're closing in on forms enough for there to be life and attitude in it. So it gives it a rather personal journal vibe, through a voice. There are many more skilled artists who cannot get that sort of life into it. So you're ahead of the game there.

I think the one thing to bear in mind as you create through perspective is that you want to establish an eye level including a horizon line (whether or not we see it), and vanishing points that converge onto that line. Keep it simple when you can so you don't go crazy from trying to work out all the possible mechanics. But it's good to get a simple short hand handle on it.

[Drskmishra]

Thanks both of you, for your kind observations. Truth be told, I started with just a bored house locked man looking down his balcony with railing and background hint of a building, but the front looked so empty that i had to reluctantly add the front building, and thats where i lost the plot! Street scenes as you rightly put, have to tell a story, and I was only prepared for half of it perhaps! But I'm happy I wasn't wide off the mark! Thanks again for all the support as always.

[Drskmishra]

If I got it right, the parallel lines look more in order this time. Any better?

[DarkOwnt]

Aha.. yes much better!

[Drskmishra]

Thanks sir, for all the support!

[Mike A]

Hi -I've enclosed 3 quick'n dirty sketches to demonstrate a process that can be used to help a composition. Here's how it goes:

1: Create a base layer and draw a horizon, then add a vertical line - centered or not, as you feel like. The crossing point of the vertical line and your horizon is the Vanishing Point. Then draw some more horizontal lines below the horizon and add diagonals from edge to edge, through the Vanishing Point. You can then add horizontal lines above the horizon. It could look like this:

98858

2. Add a second layer and draw in your houses, etc. Here's an example:

98859

3. Make Layer 1 invisible and - hey presto - here are your houses in correct perspective:

98860

A little simple, but a useful starting point sometimes...

[Drskmishra]

Thanks Mike, you made my life much simple! Let me see how i can make the most of it. Thanks again!

[Drskmishra]

Have tried to do this beach, rocks, reflections and all. Seeking suggestions from all.

[D Akey]

The colors are sensational and rich. I like that you have mixed the color of the far rock with more blue to have it recede compared with the closer rocks. That's what is called atmospheric perspective -- the other, non-structural perspective that you were working on. Using both is always a great way to go to give a natural feel, whether using saturated colors or more muted. I love the movement of the cool blue to the warm as it comes closer to the viewer.

Good stuff. I'm feeling the space.

[Drskmishra]

Thanks, sir! Trying to reflect subtle light back on the rocks and cliffs so that they look connected to the water below. Thanks again!

[Drskmishra]

Have tried to imagine this quiet avenue, brick wall, bench and an old rickety window. A couple walking and a car in distant background to add some life! Not quite a story, but just gave it try, seeking suggestions.

[D Akey]

A few things are going on that you may want to learn from:

As bricks "vanish" away from the viewer, the vertical gaps between them get hidden more and more. And it looks like you were trying to save the perspective by bending the bricks down toward the figures. And as such it gets wonky.

The people need to conform to the same perspective as the building (in this case because it's on the same ground plane). The seat and building are on one ground plane while the people are well below the road level -- only they aren't. This sets up a noticeable inconsistency within the world you're creating. You can't just drop figures into an open space on the canvas. They need to belong and conform to the rules of the space you have established with your most dominant element.

When composing a painting, you should consider all your elements. The figures look shoe-horned into a space where they're crowding the edges. And figures are normally the thing we look at first because that's how we're wired -- to see the story of the 'actors' and wonder what they're doing. You put them in the corner like telling a long story and then at the end casually introducing the characters in a few last words. Rarely would that work. Similar in painting. You're telling a story.

Perspective also is a track like a railroad track that moves the eye along it. We tend to follow it. Use that strategically.

I think planning would be helpful. You can do all those things you were doing at the painting stage, including your afterthoughts, with a very quick drawing where you merely establish placement (or more if you are so inclined). Had you done an initial sketch, you could have seen the problems and fixed them immediately. Thereafter you would have been able to do the painting and not have battles in the end as you connected the elements.

This painting and all others are in the plus column -- meaning it's all experience to get better.

Keep going! The sentiment of it/the scene is a good one.

[Drskmishra]

Thanks again sir, as a matter of fact, I added the walking couple in the end, shoe horned it, as you rightly put! I should have concluded with bench probably, but it looked unimpressive and dull! Shall give it another try someday after studying more of perspective. Thanks again sir for bringing me back on track every time!

[damasocl]

Me gustó mucho tu cambio de estilo... Esta obra la encuentro muy agradable a la vista.

[D Akey]

Thanks again sir, as a matter of fact, I added the walking couple in the end, shoe horned it, as you rightly put! I should have concluded with bench probably, but it looked unimpressive and dull! Shall give it another try someday after studying more of perspective. Thanks again sir for bringing me back on track every time!

Just a little side note about adding elements (like the figures) to the painting when you're already committed to the space allocation:

You can add more canvas dimension to the painting (unlike with conventional paintings without a lot of difficulty). In other words you could add inches to the right (top or bottom etc) and merely extended the painting, which would have solved that particular shoe-horn problem. Then all you would have had to do was to use your painted areas as color pickers and continued it out to the new edges.

I don't offhand know how to do that directionally in ArtRage, but I believe that in the canvas settings you can change it globally but not sure about adding just to the right for example. Try experimenting. I know how to do it in PhotoShop and have used it. We can output to PS and change it there and then reload it back into ArtRage as a possible solution. But even if you can't extend one direction, you can always add to the overall canvas and collapse or link the layers and reposition the whole thing and then continue painting.

Anyway, the point is that Digital Painting is amazingly flexible and forgiving and we can keep adjusting whichever direction our fancy takes us.

[sabena]

Very good work :)

[Drskmishra]

Thanks everyone for being so encouraging always! This lock during the great lockdown assumes some significance! Of course this one is so old and rusted, hope it doesn't extend that long! Have been trying to learn rust and how it can be depicted on canvas, the lock, nails, door and shadows. Any suggestions?

[Drskmishra]

Have been learning more of reflections. Calm water, greens and reflections. Been improving upon on my brushwork, seeking suggestions from all please.

[D Akey]

Good stuff again. I would perhaps suggest that you think more in terms of differentiating the tree shapes from tree to tree or group to group. All the detail is really cool, but one of the things that's happening is that it is also all looking the same (or the variations are not quite distinct enough).

However, what you focused on is very good. You just may want to extend your visual vocabulary a bit so that you can manage spacial relations and depth a little more emphatically. I think you would be very pleased when you include thinking in terms of shapes and then working the depth with those shapes, and only then, once you have things sorted appropriately, you would know what colors and how much detail to put in each one.

I like the reflections in the water and breaking the surface too. Going in the right direction.

[Drskmishra]

Thanks sir for your valuable suggestions, yes the foliage and trees do look like a mass of green! Shall have to work on these as an ongoing process perhaps. Visual vacabulary, wonderful terminology sir!

[Drskmishra]

Have tried to do a planned composition this time, kept the distant objects out of focus to highlight the careless girl and her bicycle! Have also tried to get the perspective right, but many flaws I'm sure! Seeking suggestions from all please.

[D Akey]

Perspective's not bad. I like the proportions and gestures of the mid-range figures with those simple strokes indicating their placement and scale.

The star of your show is somewhat off in proportions. If a viewer can sense something's wrong it will more often than not be because there's something off in the human -- face or proportions or action. In this case, the girl is not quite right. I mean she's close, but still she's off just enough to have it interfere with the audience just going into the picture without thinking it's a painting and something amiss.

If all the figures are off then it may sometimes be attributed to a stylistic approach. But the other figures are pretty good, so by that criteria it becomes seen as a problem.

If it doesn't bore you too much you may want to consider drawing to get facile with it. I mean since you're in medicine you doubtless had to study anatomy, so I should think it would be a very easy step to take that knowledge into your pictures. Drawing would be a quick way to get your paintings up to speed.

Good work overall though in this painting. You are doing well with perspective and separating elements in varying distances.

[Drskmishra]

You're quite right sir, I need to do more of sketches, the girl should have been a few feet more into the scene perhaps. But overall looks like I'm not wide off the mark I guess:), thanks for your valuable suggestions sir!

[Drskmishra]

Have tried this girl tesing water on a quiet beach. Her excitement, clouds, rather still water and shadows as and when relevant. Seeking suggestions from all please.

[D Akey]

Pretty good. Nice colors. I personally, for designing the composition, would tend to stage it with the figure to the left more facing in to offset it a bit. The background behind her (to the left) is not placed all that well because when looking at this, the woman is immediately the first thing I see, and then I look where she's looking.

So it's almost like your composition is cut in half with the right half dominating (from the figure over to the right) and as such there is a lack of balance. Some artists don't care about balance but I find it essential when telling a story. And the artists who are breaking the rules are either less adept or very skilled and do it for a purpose.

Whether one does it well or badly, the artist is creating a hierarchy of importance in the pic. One leads the eye through the painting. So you have to know where the eye will first enter, and then from there where will it go. Because a painting is a still image does not mean it necessarily lacks movement. You are telling a story to the viewer both in subject matter as well as creating a journey though your picture usually starting with the subject and adding details as the viewer becomes aware of them as the eye journeys through.

[Drskmishra]

Valid points sir! The area behind the girl looks out of place no doubt! Perhaps more of dark big heavy rocks would be better, shall take care the next time, thanks for the suggestions!

[Drskmishra]

How would you like your egg? Well, I've been wanting to do this for a long time! Any good? Seeking suggestions!

[D Akey]

Delicious!

[Drskmishra]

City on a rainy evening. From perspective to colours, reflections, shadows and detailing. I have been observing & learning continuously through various paintings and photographs. Seeking suggestions from all please.

[D Akey]

It's like you've come full circle. I recall when early on you were painting this kind of subject. But I must say your technique has gotten more sure. This works great. The strokes are very interesting and it has a consistent feel throughout. Kind of sparkles, not so much because of little twinkling lights that many cafe's put into their environment to spice it up after dark. The tree is the main character in this concrete setting, but the strokes seem to electrify the scene.

It feels like I'm in a very comfortable outdoor evening after a rain. I've experienced such scenes in real life (more or less) and they're magical. I can see how you're drawn to the subject. It's inspiring. Nice job.

[Drskmishra]

Thanks, sir for all the kind words! Seems I'm getting there at last:) Shall continue to improve on it further, thanks again!

[Drskmishra]

I've done this again after a long while. The skin has various colours as it ripes, then the seeds,and the pulp in different hues as it ripes. Seeking suggestions from all.

[Drskmishra]

The keys that would unlock lives! Did this quick one to revive optimism in this lockdown! Any good?

[D Akey]

I think that if you are going to attempt a still life, you could improve in a couple different directions:

1) If you want to lean into a more photographic direction, you will have to paint cleaner with more attention to how the objects actually look. Look closer at your source image to get textures better, like rust and wood panels etc. Your painting is very loose for this kind of approach. Study how people achieved the look you're after and copy them because that direction is all about skill and technique. For this direction, you will be judged on how technically close it looks to a photo.

2) If you want to stick with a painterly approach, you will probably want to make it more engaging using far more interesting colors, values and/or lighting (harmonious and/or designed for a noteworthy composition). Those are things that people would want to see. Spice it up. It needs to dazzle like your crashing wave painting. It's a longer learning curve that you will only know after you get there. Trial and error for each piece until you assemble your tricks that you will employ because you know from experience. That kind of painting will be judged based on how sensually appealing and/or dramatic it is.

[Drskmishra]

Thanks for your suggestions sir! Shall have to learn a lot on this!

[Drskmishra]

Have given it a try, tramcar, the rainy street, shops, reflections grey sky and people randomly walking. Have also tried to keep the perspective in order with parallel lines. Seek suggestions from all please.

[D Akey]

Nice reflections and lighting and brushwork.

Your perspective is off. You possibly didn't plan every detail of it. If you painted a lot you would probably been able to wing it. I can tell what you were looking at and what you were relaxing through. But for where you are in your skill set it's expected that some things in this complicated an image there would be stuff that got away from you. But still, there's a lot of good stuff too.

The size of the people on the right if you take that scale across the street you would see that the park bench would barely come up to their knees. Also the tracks are not vanishing at the same spot on the horizon line and also a parallel thing, the overhead electric wires that fuel the trolley don't seem to match. Usually the tracks and the wires should be roughly following the same path since they both relate to the trolley (usually though it may not, it looks like they should. I don't have them around where I live so I don't know for sure.) Bottom line is I would have done a preliminary drawing to work out the perspective to where it's correct at the drawing stage. You could then have it on a separate layer over the others that you can toggle on and off over your painting to check that the painting stage is also conforming to the accurate perspective.

Anyway, a lot of good stuff happening with the mood of the piece. That works great. Just some mechanics of the composition are causing me to see the errors.

Keep going. You'll get it. I recommend trying easier scenes using perspective though fewer elements so you can then attend to all the details until you get handy at them. It gets faster as you paint those kinds of scenes more because once you start getting it right your eye will quickly tell you if it's working or not and you can make quick adjustments.

Perspective's a bitch until you get it. From that point on it's your bitch.

[Drskmishra]

Thanks so much sir, that b....h analogy:) shall keep in mind next time!

[Drskmishra]

Tried to do some corrections on perspective, hope I've understood the basics somewhat!

[D Akey]

Much better! Excellent adjustments. So you're now getting a handle on it. Well done.

[Drskmishra]

Sir, thanks for your observation, I take is as a complement on completing my journey through these 100 pages. I'm truely indebted to all senior artists who have painstakingly been bearing with my trash and also been encouraging me with genuinely valuable inputs! Shall continue to improve on my work, thanks everyone again!

[D Akey]

100 pages! Great mile marker for your progress. Congratulations! It's been a pleasure.

The best is yet to come :D

[Drskmishra]

Yet another attempt at refining my understanding of beaches, rocks and waves. Plain vanilla theme! Shall welcome suggestions from all.

[D Akey]

Overall it's good for the choices you've made. I'll just make comments on how I would paint it. I cannot speak for everyone's taste. But I have rules that work for me which my comment will reflect:

You're showing precision which is good. Things are where they belong as far as the drawing goes. So it's half way there. The placement is good, but the colors and values are in slight opposition to creating the illusion of distance. Because you have not cooled down the colors in the distance and you have some darks in the water farther away, it feels slightly like the distance is pulling forward toward the viewer rather than laying back down. So it's a little inconsistent for that reason.

In the mind of the viewer they would have no problem knowing what belongs where. But their impression would perhaps be slightly interfered with because they would have to make the adjustment in their own head. And if you wanted to jazz it up with color, you certainly could make it less plain vanilla by expanding your palette. Those rocks would be a natural place to add some colors beyond the formula of: Rocks are merely brown, water is that simple color of blue, etc. I can see you have some minor variations in there, but not enough to feel colorful.

Again, this is just how I would approach it.

[Drskmishra]

Thanks, sir, for your observations! The distant rocks needed to be in less defined haze of lighter shades perhaps! Or they should not have been there altogether maybe. Shall consider the points the next time! Thanks again sir!

[Drskmishra]

Have been learning to do the underwater pebbles and rocks, observing videos and paintings! Many flaws I'm sure, looking for suggestions from all please.

[D Akey]

I like it a lot. I think perhaps the water in the foreground could perhaps have some reflections fading down to indicate that there is water rather than just the refracted ripples on the stones at the bottom being the only hint. The underwater color and the surface stones could be handled a little differently from each other but it's not bad and it's likely natural. I just like to be a little more emphatic about it. The other caution would be that water is generally around the same level unless it's raging or crashing, so if you wanted it to seem placid then you would want to insure that the water looks consistently leveled.

None the less, I like the colors and the brushwork. The values are better in that they indicate/explain to the viewer that there is some distance as well.

I think it's a rich painting. Lots to look at. Challenging angle that you made work. Good one.

[Drskmishra]

Yes sir, the water level should have been one all along, but I guess I lost control on the way! Shall need to practise more perhaps. Thanks for your guidance, sir!

[Drskmishra]

Lockdown has had boots hung up! Any good? Suggestions please.