Thank you for sharing your colored pencil landscape. I am impressed with your attempt to use colored pencils with such a large drawing. I did in the past and by the time I arrived at the larger areas I lost patience and it looked sloppy to me. Yours does not look how mine did at all.
I did like how Matt cropped the image to make the seagull stand out. I did like the second way better but if you want to keep the sky I have a third idea. What about putting a headland in where the horizon line goes a little downhill?
I think that a headland about 1/4 of the wat across the horizon line about 1/4″ to 1/2″ starting at the edge of your paper and then getting to the height of your horizon line would be nice.
I think the headland with the value changes in the water and on the bird would make the image really pop. Though for the size I think you did a really nice job.
Also if you like larger drawings there is another paper I just discovered recently., it is Strathmore Colored Pencil drawing paper. It take a lot of layers using something like Faber-Castell Polychromo Pencils but I imagine with a wax based pencil like Prismacolor that it would take fewer layers. They have it in a few sizes of paper if I remember correctly, for sure 5 x 7 and 9 x 12. This one works well as I am on a restricted budget.
Again, thank you for sharing this really nice landscape/seascape drawing and I look forward to seeing more of your artwork. If you do make alterations I hope that you resubmit it here so we can see what you have done.
Another really excellent critique that I will apply to my tool box. I really enjoy when you show the ways to crop a piece of artwork when something may not feel or look right for us as well as the fact that cropping can be scary as there is no return after we have made the first cut.
Just a little personal note on value, I was looking a two black tee-shirts and noticed as they were next to each other that one was definitely bluer and the other the color of charcoal so I decided to compare them with a pair of black pants and the pants were definitely browner.
Thanks for teaching us so much about value. It is an invaluable advice that you have given us. As is all you teach us.
Have a wonderful day and weekend. Greetings to your family,
Oh, wow, what a great surprise when I came to see this week’s Member’s Minute! I am thrilled to have Matt share his critique of my very critique-able art work. I appreciate all the feedback and am getting the pencils out right away to get back at it. I do want to say- the horizon is perfectly straight- my photography was not spectacular. I must pay more attention to that aspect of my projects. I have no issue with filling the tooth of that paper- but I do have a tendency to call a project done before it’s really finished and I believe that played a role here. My sky frustrated me as well, and I am going to work on using Matt’s feedback to make that more realistic. It was gray and dull in the photo so I looked for another one to use as sky and I think I should have put it down and come back a few days later. I was not pleased that the seagull was in the middle of the photo reference but I didn’t even think to alter the pic prior to drawing- another thing I must consider when choosing a reference. It doesn’t have to be exact! Seeing the difference with it cropped was a true ah-ha moment. In fact, I may just crop it myself- then I don’t have to deal with that sky! I do want to try and work on the values of the water, though, so I will take all of the recommendations into consideration. I was surprised that both Matt and Teri thought it was large- did I bite off more than I could chew? Maybe so.
I want to thank you for your feedback, Teri. I appreciate your suggestions for sure. I’ll certainly post my piece with the changes I make in the forums, I don’t know about you but I love seeing how things progress.
I had to laugh when Matt mentioned choosing a less textured paper- the project I’m doing now is on fine grit sandpaper. It’s eating my pencils but I am loving it.
Matt- I want to say thank you SO MUCH not only for this critique, but your steadfast and clear teaching manner during your videos and Gettin’ Sketchy. You really have made a wonderful and safe community for people like me who picked up a pencil just a little while ago and now feel like we can post our drawings and join in with very accomplished artists. That says a lot about you, and I can see that there are real friendships in this group. So glad I found a place here.
Thank you very much for sharing your art work with us along with your posting. I can almost smell the salty sea and hear the squeaking of the unvisible sea gulls far above in the sky. Makes me feel invited to your drawing.
Not only Matt’s critique, but your lessons learned from it are teaching for me too. I love working with multiple layers, therefore prefer Pastelmat for my pencils drawings. But – you, Matt – reminded me again of that choosing the right paper might also depend on the subject. Flowers might look smoother on less textured paper, while rocks might look great on heavy textured one.
The cropping has been teaching too. When watching the first one, I asked myself why Matt did position the bird to the left side, as it is aleady facing the left side. I lean positioning subjects to the opposite site they are looking. Hope to make sense.
Teri’s headland suggestion is great! I assume, for this piece it’s not possible, as colored pencils are hardly erasable. But maybe it’s a learning curve for your next piece.
Dear Lisa – you made me feel happy about what you wrote about this art community. I have been a member for several years and share your feelings.
May you all have a wonderful week,
See ya at live classes or gettin’ sketchy,
Buddy
Hello Lisa,
Thank you for sharing your colored pencil landscape. I am impressed with your attempt to use colored pencils with such a large drawing. I did in the past and by the time I arrived at the larger areas I lost patience and it looked sloppy to me. Yours does not look how mine did at all.
I did like how Matt cropped the image to make the seagull stand out. I did like the second way better but if you want to keep the sky I have a third idea. What about putting a headland in where the horizon line goes a little downhill?
I think that a headland about 1/4 of the wat across the horizon line about 1/4″ to 1/2″ starting at the edge of your paper and then getting to the height of your horizon line would be nice.
I think the headland with the value changes in the water and on the bird would make the image really pop. Though for the size I think you did a really nice job.
Also if you like larger drawings there is another paper I just discovered recently., it is Strathmore Colored Pencil drawing paper. It take a lot of layers using something like Faber-Castell Polychromo Pencils but I imagine with a wax based pencil like Prismacolor that it would take fewer layers. They have it in a few sizes of paper if I remember correctly, for sure 5 x 7 and 9 x 12. This one works well as I am on a restricted budget.
Again, thank you for sharing this really nice landscape/seascape drawing and I look forward to seeing more of your artwork. If you do make alterations I hope that you resubmit it here so we can see what you have done.
Teri (Artsy)
Hello Matt,
Another really excellent critique that I will apply to my tool box. I really enjoy when you show the ways to crop a piece of artwork when something may not feel or look right for us as well as the fact that cropping can be scary as there is no return after we have made the first cut.
Just a little personal note on value, I was looking a two black tee-shirts and noticed as they were next to each other that one was definitely bluer and the other the color of charcoal so I decided to compare them with a pair of black pants and the pants were definitely browner.
Thanks for teaching us so much about value. It is an invaluable advice that you have given us. As is all you teach us.
Have a wonderful day and weekend. Greetings to your family,
Teri
Oh, wow, what a great surprise when I came to see this week’s Member’s Minute! I am thrilled to have Matt share his critique of my very critique-able art work. I appreciate all the feedback and am getting the pencils out right away to get back at it. I do want to say- the horizon is perfectly straight- my photography was not spectacular. I must pay more attention to that aspect of my projects. I have no issue with filling the tooth of that paper- but I do have a tendency to call a project done before it’s really finished and I believe that played a role here. My sky frustrated me as well, and I am going to work on using Matt’s feedback to make that more realistic. It was gray and dull in the photo so I looked for another one to use as sky and I think I should have put it down and come back a few days later. I was not pleased that the seagull was in the middle of the photo reference but I didn’t even think to alter the pic prior to drawing- another thing I must consider when choosing a reference. It doesn’t have to be exact! Seeing the difference with it cropped was a true ah-ha moment. In fact, I may just crop it myself- then I don’t have to deal with that sky! I do want to try and work on the values of the water, though, so I will take all of the recommendations into consideration. I was surprised that both Matt and Teri thought it was large- did I bite off more than I could chew? Maybe so.
I want to thank you for your feedback, Teri. I appreciate your suggestions for sure. I’ll certainly post my piece with the changes I make in the forums, I don’t know about you but I love seeing how things progress.
I had to laugh when Matt mentioned choosing a less textured paper- the project I’m doing now is on fine grit sandpaper. It’s eating my pencils but I am loving it.
Matt- I want to say thank you SO MUCH not only for this critique, but your steadfast and clear teaching manner during your videos and Gettin’ Sketchy. You really have made a wonderful and safe community for people like me who picked up a pencil just a little while ago and now feel like we can post our drawings and join in with very accomplished artists. That says a lot about you, and I can see that there are real friendships in this group. So glad I found a place here.
Thanks again-
Lisa.
Doe anyone el see a dolphin, 2 fish and a bird hidden in the rocks at bottom left?
Haha – yes, I can see the dolphin and the fishes, but no hidden bird.
Buddy
Dear Lisa,
Dear Matt,
Thank you very much for sharing your art work with us along with your posting. I can almost smell the salty sea and hear the squeaking of the unvisible sea gulls far above in the sky. Makes me feel invited to your drawing.
Not only Matt’s critique, but your lessons learned from it are teaching for me too. I love working with multiple layers, therefore prefer Pastelmat for my pencils drawings. But – you, Matt – reminded me again of that choosing the right paper might also depend on the subject. Flowers might look smoother on less textured paper, while rocks might look great on heavy textured one.
The cropping has been teaching too. When watching the first one, I asked myself why Matt did position the bird to the left side, as it is aleady facing the left side. I lean positioning subjects to the opposite site they are looking. Hope to make sense.
Teri’s headland suggestion is great! I assume, for this piece it’s not possible, as colored pencils are hardly erasable. But maybe it’s a learning curve for your next piece.
Dear Lisa – you made me feel happy about what you wrote about this art community. I have been a member for several years and share your feelings.
May you all have a wonderful week,
See ya at live classes or gettin’ sketchy,
Buddy