Cool. Some nice stuff happening. It's always hard to talk to someone when you don't know what their level is coming in and what they've accomplished with a study. And as such I could be going off about something you weren't even thinking about because you had really specific challenges you were addressing, which may have been 100% successful. So you could see this as a quantum leap forward compared with previous paintings. And I don't know how much of the mechanics of painting on screen digitally was your primary focus in this case. Nor do I know how much time you gave yourself to do this. Duration matters. Also what do you see the purpose of the painting to be is also another factor. You could have been doing the equivalent of a comp to show a client for an orange juice advertisement which would later be photographed, with type overlayed and so on.
So, having said that, looking at this as if it were a finished rendering that you were aiming for:
1) you got the overall feel just fine. Clearly it's oranges, and there was some parts that were hand done and others that may have been partly done with a filter.
2) the source photo or set up from which you're working is very important to be a good image, because in the case of a rendering, it's the goal to look like the source and the exercise is in getting it to look like it as closely as possible. So you have to develop a critical eye when choosing a model. That comes with experience from knowing what makes the picture work (the pitfall there is in not needing to develop a critical eye and know why it's a good source photo). If you're wanting to paint something, you have to be able to ascertain whether it's sharp enough to be able to pull out details, it's got to be lit well, And you have to be able to follow the colors and values exactly with some (or all depending on your need) detail indicated. An essential part of being an artist is knowing how to imply lots of texture with very little so that the eye of the viewer is led and not left to chaotically wander around. You're organizing and editing the visual experience.
3) There's something that guitar teachers say about the old adage "Practice makes perfect." They also say it doesn't. Practice makes permanent. The trick is perfect practice makes perfect. If one is always making the same mistake over and over they will be blind to the mistakes.
So anyway, I think for where you are in the game, this general advice as getting you pointed in the right direction is best. You'll pick up technique as you go. But learn to really look and not rely on what the computer or photograph shows except as a springboard for your artistic eye to take further or take away the sense of it to another painting or drawing your doing. Learn from everything, good or bad so as to develop your critical judgement. Be the artist and make your choices to suit your needs. One small technique pointer is be careful of pebbly filters. They can loose your forms all too easily and hide it behind a mish-mosh. (the edge of the lime rind for example is very saw toothed which I don't think is right. I could be wrong because I'm not seeing the photo. But my recollection tells me it's a cleaner edge.
Another tip is to mind the highlights on the lime as well. It works, but if you were to try to paint something that's not in the filtered photo, like controlling and organizing the highlights, you would be lost. It's not logical because it's not defining the surface other than it's wet. But you're completely dependent upon the source photo, and as an artist, unless you're super specialized, you want to be able to draw and create what's not there because you know what the forms are doing. Otherwise you might as well become a photographer because it's more on target for your interests and skills. (nothing wrong with being a photographer by the way, it just uses different muscles and doesn't use others whatsoever).
Anyway, those are some of the things I learned along the way as an illustrator. There are a lot of tools in digital that blend photos and art, and you'll have to find your way to your own preferences and needs. If your desire is to be a commercial artist, you want to be able to draw on demand to help someone visualize what isn't in any photo.
Good luck and you're off to a good start, especially in that you're opening the door to your next considerations for your artistic learning.
Last edited by D Akey; 09-14-2016 at 01:01 AM.
"Not a bit is wasted and the best is yet to come. . ." -- remembered from a dream
Junior Member
Beginning Digital Painter- Citrus Painting
Reply With Quote
