My third still life

[DarkOwnt]

This is my third still life, and my first entirely in ArtRage 4.

Still need to add detail to the ceramic pots and the wood table. Also need to add real and specular reflections to the ceramic. Likely will do an overall color adjustment at some point, as well as some thick impasto brushwork for impact.


Not painted from memory or imagination - painted from a random reference image.

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[Enug]

I thought it was your photo ref when I first looked. ;) Should be spectacular when finished.

[BushcraftOnFire]

Very Well Done! This is spectacular already! Great work

[jmac]

This is very, very nice. Not sure I would add too much to the table. Right now that apple is riveting. But I can't wait to see how you finish it off.

[DarkOwnt]

Thank you for the kind words and encouragement!

This is primarily just an exercise in painting what I see. I would not call this "art" (closer to empty "reproduction" - although I have tried a little bit to make it more like art than a photo) and I am a little embarrassed to post it here but your feedback is very useful and once I know how to paint I can paint things with more purpose/meaning/selection/composition/interpretation etc.

Here is the lowdown on changes:

Added reflections on the white jar, punched up the diffuse lighting on it from the apple and olive jar. Messed a bit with the table surface, partial reflection emphasis and some detailing. Removed some distracting brush stroking. Tried to round out the apple. Added detailing to olive jar. Tweaked composition/angle slightly.

Still need to round out olive jar which appears flat, and increase detailing but not so much as to make it distracting. Need to make table a wee bit more chaotic and detailed without making it distracting. Still need to add some painterly/impasto strokes for impact.

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Cheers!

[Caesar]

A magnificent outcome! It would deserve to be exhibited in both the main gallery section and the Ambient Spotlight one!

[DarkOwnt]

A magnificent outcome! It would deserve to be exhibited in both the main gallery section and the Ambient Spotlight one!

Thank you for the kind words Caesar. They definitely are a help for my confidence.

[DarkOwnt]

Well. I want to say that I am finished but I am not perfectly happy yet. I'm having trouble with the olive jar... I've improvised a little rather than rely on the reference and I am not so happy. Perhaps all it needs are reflections, or just a little smoothing.

Decided I will leave the table alone. Finished the white jar and the apple. This might be done... or it might not be.

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[jmac]

You have done a really beautiful job with this. The apple, table and white jar are very nice. I really think you handled the reflected light very well. While I understand your desire to do something more with the surface of the olive jar, to me it is the only part of the painting that looks digital or artificial and somehow doesn't seem to go with the other elements. I know this is just a study for you but I think if you stepped away from it for a bit you would find a solution you would be happy with and take what started as "just an exercise" and make it a very fine painting. I understand your comment about not feeling this is "art" but I respectfully disagree. Well done.

[DarkOwnt]

Thank you jmac!

Very good observations, especially the one about stepping away for a bit and then finding a solution.

I think one problem with the olive jar is that the brushstrokes in the detailing are completely out of step with the kinds of brush strokes and their widths elsewhere. I will likely redo the detailing of the olive jar entirely. Had a glitch while saving to my network drive so I am forced to use an earlier version anyway. It's a learning process.

[jackykans]

it is a oil painting or a picture,it really look nice?

[DarkOwnt]

it is a oil painting or a picture,it really look nice?

I used digital oil brushes almost exclusively. On occasion in the process I used blenders, and layer blurring. Created completely in ArtRage.

I'm glad you like it! Thank you!

[DarkOwnt]

Ok. Here is the finished piece.

Crisp and juicy!

Thank you for your comments and encouragement!


Decided to be more organic with the olive jar, more randomly mottled than pock marked and only a hint of shininess on it. Added a few little impasto strokes on the apple. Hope you like it.

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[SculptureCollector]

Wow Legit thought it was a photo, Amazing!

[DarkOwnt]

Wow Legit thought it was a photo, Amazing!

Thanks! I think my next big challenge is to paint more from imagination... and a subject that means something!