I pass this rock everyday on my walks at the beach. I used to come swimming here as a child and my playmates used to challenge each other to swim out to the rock. Great memories of childhood at the beach. I love it as much now. This is the only rock along the foreshore.
I haven't managed to get a feeling of depth. The rock is rather flat. Does anyone know how I could improve on it?
Lots of love from Susan in Australia
8 comments:
I think you did a really wonderful job on this, Susan. And I also think you caught the feeling of depth. Your shadows look great and the sea spalshing into it helps give it depth also. This is a really wonderful piece. Sounds like you have great memories, too!
I, too, think you did a great job and it doesn't look flat to me. Objects further away are not as crisp and clear, so you may try lightening/blurring the rock's outline that is furthest away from the viewer. If this is watercolor, you can use a brush dipped in clear water, stroke the wet brush across the area you want to lift, dab on a paper towel and repeat. Don't overwork or you'll wear out the paper. Let it dry completely and see if it's better to you.
Susan, you did a good painting. It's terribly difficult to draw a rock (my opinion!), so better don't ask me for advice ;-)). However, I would agree with Brenda, try fading the contours and the colours of the things which are furthest away.
Susan- when looking at a rock (or any object for that matter) consider your basic shapes, cube, sphere, cone. This rock appears more like a rectangular cube to me. So begin there by picking sides. How the sun hits those planes will allow you to create depth. I bet if you go back you will sit and see that there is a side that is deeper in shadow than another. Even an area where the rock connects to the earth where it is the darkest. The side away from the sun will be darker than the side in direct line with the sun. Brenda is correct when saying objects further away are not as crisp. So the side closer to you will be more detailed than the side away from you. Sometimes blurring the far edge helps as does a bit of atmosphere when objects are much further away.
Take a box out of your cupboard and either put a light on it or take it outside, and study the planes. Now your rock also has some additional shapes to give it its unique form. So you have to keep that in mind when drawing it too. If it has a spherical shape on one end you need to use those rules of light and shadow as well.
I hope this mini lesson helps.
Have fun.
Susan, you are really branching out here and it is wondeful. Such great memories and awesome place to vist. I will let the experts help you on the advice, it all sounds good.
I can't remember attempting rocks myself (at least, not in colour) so I can't advise you, but I think you've done very well with this, Susan!
Daily walks on the beach! How lovely.
Wow -- lots of good answers on the depth question! ;-)
Looks fine to me -- I'm also sighing with envy about you getting to take a daily walk on the beach! Lovely indeed!
I think you've done a great job too and Brenda and Robin have given you some fantastic advice to improve on it even more. I think I'd also like to see a bit of colour in the other areas of your drawing too, particularly around the rock, as I think this will anchor it and give it more credibility. I'm also jealous that you go for daily beach walks. :)
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