Goodbye to the Great Ocean

Comment

Comment by Laurel Sternberg on March 4, 2012 at 12:14am

You're doing amazing work for 3 months. Congrats. You don't actually need a level for your horizons. Just measure from the top of your canvas on both sides, draw a very light chalk line (pastel pencils give a fine line) across, and paint up to it. Any of your acrylic paintings that you're not completely satisfied with can be retouched easily. If you're wanting to go lighter, over dark paint, you might have the cover the area you want to change with white first, then the color you want after.

Comment by julie keller on March 3, 2012 at 9:07pm

i love this little body in the corner with what looks like a bit of tension  and uncertainty with her shoulders raised as she confronts a rather ominous body of dark water that looks more like a growing wave to me than a horizon.  i'm amazed you've been painting such a short while.  there's something tender & certainly vulnerable about this little girl. she appears transfixed in the sand, unable to move.  i like the anxiety it creates in its stark simplicity. 

Comment by Lacey Roberts on March 3, 2012 at 5:00pm

No, I agree with you about the horizon. My first ocean was the one
of Myrtle Beach and I knew the English Beach horizon was off. The
ruler and maybe even a level may be necessary. The girl's arms are meant to be bent at the elbow and pointed in the direction of the ocean. I still agree that they aren't how I'd like them. Her shoulder looks shrugged to me. I really appreciate your comments. I've been painting for about 3 months and have (obviously) no training. I don't exactly know how to improve or where to go for instruction short of enrolling in collegiate courses.

Comment by Laurel Sternberg on March 3, 2012 at 2:46pm

There are some basic rules of figure proportion. These arms are not correct. There's that lumpy horizon again. Is it deliberate? If so, please forgive me, I won't say anything about it.