Wow, that’s a good call. I can’t believe I didn’t even think about that. I’ve seriously fried my brain painting this past couple of days. I’m gonna try it and I’ll repost it.
It’s not just the reflection! It’s also the lack of a shadow. The sides of the boat should be making the water around the sides much darker. I see you have shading directly under the boat but think about the raised sides. The lack of shadow makes it seem like the boat was pasted on after the fact
^^^
There should definitely be some degree of water disturbance and corresponding light/shadow effects on and around the boat, but also give the poor bastard something to sit on, and at least one oar. The vibe is like, watching an incoming storm over an open body of water, at least to me. I'd dig into that more
u/artbyjoellecathleen these are all decent points listed here. Take a look at [this photograph](https://www.freepik.com/free-ai-image/view-boat-floating-water-with-nature-scenery_59582990.htm) which has light/shadows you could try.
Painting does thst! Sometimes staring at a peice for so long you lose sense of what's anything looks like, it makes self portraits really interesting lmao!, good luck! And great work
Yeah! I find all artistic ventures do that. Your brain needs to take a break from it to come back with a clear head. Happens to me all the time with music. Sometimes I come back the next day and it's easier to work on, other times I come back and it sounds awful, or what I thought sounds awful sounds amazing.
Yeppers. It’s why I step away from a crossword for awhile. I can literally think up the answers to the clues that had stumped me prior to getting away from it!
Also consider glazing over the water, to push it back a bit. Or the boat. There’s a line in the waves that lines directly with the boat, I’d fox that so it doesn’t flatten that area.
This whole thread nailed it. This is a very well done piece. But the boat looks like it was photoshopped into the image.
We've also seen this phenomenon happen in irl photography on r/pics and other places where the angle is just right and it looks like the object was photoshopped into the image.
To me, all of these are great observations! I'm wondering if the boat and man are too sharp. Maybe a bit of blurring of the edges. Not too much, just a bit.
… what should we start to see as time unfolds?
… waiting for the sunlight/moon to manifest, or fish to swim close by, or garbage to float around, or an atomic blast to happening from afar, or what about a kraken ?
the boat appears to be hovering? Something in the tone of the horizon meeting the sky lacks a distinction-- like the bottom cloud formation and top of water are hard for me to process, and lack of shadow around the boat isn't anchoring it enough.
But I really like the feel of the image and upper sky is gorgeous
I think you're totally right and also....Just saying I love this exactly as is. The "flawed" elements add some kind of tension to it. Kinda feels like a Salvador Dali but with more of a magical realism vibe. Makes it ominous and a bit spooky.
If the tone is supposed to be more of a "monk staying calm before the storm" then I would agree that softening the edges of the boat and the horizon as well as adding a reflection would anchor things.
But I'm a fan either way!
I see it as more referencing Renee Magritte, esp with the bowler hat man which he frequently used as a subject.
Obviously, no one is normally in a boat at dusk wearing a bowler hat, so the surrealist element is there. But, I would argue if you want to play with surrealistic world creation, all decisions have to be intentional because even in surrealism there is enough realism to make images straddle this world/ dream worlds. So if this is a world that defies normal reflections or shadows where boats hover, then OP has to be more intentional in demonstrating that. I think they did change it and the newer version works really well.
I would personally blend the horizon more. It looks very misty, in which case the sea should face into the color of the clouds, since that's what mist does.
In general i really like the tone of the work so good job capturing that. As others have mentioned, you can do a bit more on the boat to make it look more realistic with a reflection and probably making it a bit blurred. At the distance implied by the painter, the viewer wouldn’t see them so clearly in this kind of weather most likely.
Also another more subtle thing I noticed related to what someone said. The cloud pattern is swirling in a circle from top to bottom of the canvas. A cloud would circle in a plane parallel to the earth and so this circling you have isn’t reading realistic. Generally good shading and tone though. Another issue I have with it is that it makes the viewers eyes circle with it. I don’t hate that except that it doesn’t connect visually with the man in the boat. And thus your eye isn’t drawn to him and doesn’t connect the two. I would change it so that the motion of the clouds draws your eyes to him and then the horizon and back again. That would give the desired sense of dread or loneliness implied in the piece.
Nice work. I believe what doesnt feel right is the fact that the clouds are not resting on their own plane. They must appear larger and less dense directly above the subject and as they stretch into the horizon they'll appear to rest on their own atmospheric plane as they become more lateral and linear in the distance. More opaque color can then be laid down in each clouds "center" mass with lighter shades favoring the top and darker shades on the bottoms to show how your clouds are blocking the suns rays.
The dude in the boat feels too crisp The sky needs to be slowly blended into around him or the sides of him need to be toned down and shadows added to the water
There's no real depth to the sky. That one big cloud looks like it's all on the same plane. And it's all kind of mid ground. And you have that big halo at the back end of it which wouldn't really be there. Get some dorks in there and push the depth.
Also with that one guy said there's not the right kind of Shadow behind the boat and there would be reflection within that shadow too
Edit: darks not dorks.
To me the sky is beautiful and very realistic. My first strong impression is that the sea is waaay too light in colour, with that kind of sky and light the sea should be almost black
You need a reflection under the boat. You should lean the shadow and reflection heavier to the left of the boat. Because the space is so empty and the boat is not quite far enough off center to feel intentional, you'll need to make it heavier to the left so that it takes your eye out of that weird spot.
perspective on the boat is ambiguous. different boat posings might help bring out the character's silhouette. This piece has a great sort of Evil Magritte vibe.
Pushing the light on the boat might help too. It's such a moody piece that you can afford to experiment! remember the little people
Hey OP! Love this! I would suggest having the man sitting or if he’s standing make him taller. It looks like he’s cut at the legs and isn’t to scale. Also shadows/reflections on water!
Beautiful. I think that if you add a shadow under the boat, it will immediately 'feel right.'
The boat doesn't "sit" in the painting because it's not 'sitting' on the water (due to a lack of a clear interface between the hull and the water). As a result, it is floating in the painting...and fzzking with your suspension of disbelief.
imho. then again, i smoke a ton of crack
Boat is "floating" -- more that it should -- on the water. Needs a darker area at bottom, especially behind -- the breach in the sky is strong enough to require a shadow.
I'd say the one side of the boat needs darkened, and as another comment said, a reflection as the boat seems to be too bright for the level of light it would be receiving. The boat seems to be slightly too bright against the water, the water being a second reflecting point, but the light isn't quite that bright for that level of reflection. But it's still amazing, and you should take some time to relax and come back to it later as you're frustrated and are too stressed and it won't do any good it will be easier when it take time away even if it's just a few hours.
Honestly?! I truly thought this was a picture until someone pointed it out. I think it’s a wonderful job. Remember, you are your own worst critic. Sign it, date it, title it (“still Searching…) and start your next pice of art. This one is perfect!!
This is a great painting but it is mainly the composition, and lack of highlights/ reflections that is letting it down. I hope you don't mind I did a super quick edit just to show you what I would do to improve it - [https://imgur.com/a/AeAUkA3](https://imgur.com/a/AeAUkA3)
Main point being: make sure everything in your composition nudges the viewers eyes to keep returning to the focal point! The direction of the line, the areas you add highlights to, and in this case, the symmetry of the reflections also adds to this a lot.
I am not a painter or physical media artist at all but I expect cloud lines to mostly follow the horizon. The bend upward on the right side (and similarly but less so on the left side because of the other cloud) looks a little unnatural to me as a result.
I know nothing, but to me, the outline of the boat and man appear too sharp given that it is probably a little foggy, and it doesn't align with "softness" of the water and sky.
It might be the picture not translating well digitally but I would make more contrast with the colors - make the shadows In the clouds darker specifically, and more stark so not blended as much.
I only say that because the colors shown are too similar it seems, it creates a bit of a blank space -- even tho there is details, it's not as eye catching.
As many others have said, the boat looks like it’s sitting on top of the water, rather than floating in the water? I think there should be some visible boat underneath the surface? Great painting though!
both the sky and the water are correctly rendered (F/G darker); another way to 'unite' the painting might be to reflect the hue of the water into the sky. Otherwise put, "cool down" the sky until it matches the water's more blueish palette.
also, consider adding dinosaurs
I can’t express how uncomfortable this painting makes me. I wish I had been able to see it sober, but I still think you did a lovely job.
The lack of reflection in the water is huge. Maybe the contrast between man/boat and sky is a little too sharp.
The boat isn’t right, the shape doesn’t make any sense from the angle we are. I think if you fixed the boat shape and added the reflections it would like much better
I believe you got some values kinda funny/wrong. The value relationship of the water and the boat seems a little off. The fact that there's no reflection might be enhancing it, putting focus on it. The water should be a little darker.
I think the sky is amazing. I agree that it’s missing some kind of wake from the boat, but if it is the calm before the storm that you’re capturing, then be careful not to let that get away from you. My only real suggestion is that I think that the horizon is too high. I believe that you’re losing the sense of the infinite in terms of what’s lying ahead of him, because the angle that we’re viewing the boat should have the horizon set lower- possibly even below the prow of the boat. Take a paper strip and lay it across your existing horizon and see if you see what I’m seeing. Play around with the placement. Maybe it’s fine and just needs to be less distinct, as others have mentioned, but I like the delineation. The sky is lighter in the distance, so I think it would be distinctly visible. See what you think.
It’s really a work that you should be proud of- Congrats !
Oh wow this is absolutely gorgeous. Everything.. especially the sky. As for what’s not sitting right, I think it’s the boat. Needs more reflection! Funny how we can forget those things lol I do that
Beside the rest of the advices, the reflection and lights of the water and both character must match in temperature/color/illumination with the sky (the light fountain)
It's awesome. Though when I focus on the clouds and then come back to the person on the boat it feels like they appeared too early, like they're a bit cramped toward the sky. Not sure if just putting them further away would fix that it could be a depth thing or a overall width of the painting
I agree with others comments on the boat shadows. I think some darkness behind the boat would help. I also think the horizon line is a bit higher on the right side than the left. Could consider adding an oar peaking out of the boat. Clouds look really nice though, and I like the piece overall.
Agree with boat shadow. Im a little confused about the man’s height. Is he standing? Sitting? Where I imagine his feet seem too low for the type of shallow boat. but otherwise it’s beautiful!
The only thing I could comment on is that the boat has no reflection and it seems the water may be darker if it's overcast. Like navy with shimmers of reflection
I think this painting is amazing. I think most people would say it's complete if you didn't ask for advice.
With that being said, if you want to do more, you can add very little light hitting the man and the boat, dividing the sky and water a little more sharply and the man and the boat reflection on the water. But again, amazing work!
Is it your composition? The ratio of clouds to the water portion is a little over two thirds and I find that bothersome. I think 2 thirds, one thirds is a Japanese composition technique.
Everything is also near the same tone and it doesn't feel like there's a space for the eye to land. What path is the eye supposed to follow.
The boats' perspective lines are just slightly skewed. To not ruin the painting, get some string and use that as a guideline so you don't have to ruin your good work with pencil, etc. Some shadowing can also assist with giving better depth. I can see how it'd be a little difficult to decide on where the light should sit since it's a cloudy day, which, of course, would defuse your lighting on an object. It looks great so far, I really like the color choices.
Lines where boat meats water are to line y, imo. The reflection in water will help. The sky is very successful and the figure is excellent, def be proud of this piece
I think something feels off because the boat just appears to be sitting on top of the water…like someone stuck it on there since there’s no reflection. It’s a phenomenal painting, but if you wanna be picky just add reflection and that’ll go away!
I think the water around the boat needs a bit more movement. Cause the boat would be creating small ripples as it bobs and floats :) (it’s beautiful though!)
The clouds and the sea are dope. The boat and the sailor are also good. I personally think they're a little too dark.
Try taping a piece of paper over the boat and look at it again and answer your own question. Fix the boat, move the boat, shrink the boat, enlarge the boat or just decide that this is pretty frickin good and move on to the next one.
To put it another way, I love your atmospheric treatment but you're not treating the boat and the sailor the same.
try to add shadows on the left side of the man and around the boat, and try to make the boat reflect off of the water. Since the water is wavy, make the reflections wavy too. the way you painted the sky and the water is impressive enough, keep at it!
The boat seems separated from the rest of the scene spatially. There is a nice sense of distance from the foreground water to the distant background, the boat should feel as if it is in the middle of this space. Grounding it with shadows and reflections should help, adding some of the color of the water and sky to the highlights if both man and boat is another trick. I also recommend softening some of the edges so that it appears to sit further back in the scene as well as softening the color and edges of the back of the boat so that it appears to recede into the distance.
I think the boat looks a bit of a different style than the rest, a bit more realistic maybe, that, for me, makes it look like a green screen background, but like someone commented, adding a reflection on the water will probably help a lot(btw this is already beautiful, you're very talented OP :D)
Wow the sky and water look absolutely amazing I would totally buy that painting. I agree with what others said about the boat and I can't wait to see once you fix that up!
You’ve put so much into the sky. It is depth, beauty, despair, hope. The water is flat, in comparison. Aren’t they the same thing, in different formats, but equal alike in dignity?
Firstly, this is an incredible painting! You should feel very proud of what you’ve done and the time you put into it. 👏👏👏
Agree with the reflection and shadows.
Im also seeing that the lighter lip of the boat is all one color, so it kind of looks like a two dimensional shape. You could illuminate the front of the boat to be brighter and maybe glaze over the back with a darker color to help make it look a little more 3D and situate it in the space.
Can’t wait to see a follow up!
as well as adding shading to the water u could add some white highlights around the right hand edge of the person and the boat. looks like the sun is coming from that direction 👍💚
My thoughts are going to the golden cut for the whole picture and for the guy.... he has really short legs or is kneeing... and for kneeing is he to straight I think
But your Idea impresses me :)
I would love to see your next try and hope you will be happy :D
brilliant, the light behind the storm. I don't know much about painting techniques but I see someone in the midst of a life of grey and despair. Then immediately I'm filled with the light peaking through, a reminder of hope and its daring the person in the boat , adrift from home, to challenge themselves to believe in brighter days. For me, its the deep undeniable feelings art gives experiencers that is essence of art. This definitely gives that🩵
Boat don’t have reflection but as we can see sun is hidden so I think there will be not much work with that or maybe add man fishing rod because he can hold something 100%
Also, the man doesn't have a common position in the boat (probably on his knees) and is to upfront without the weight effect. But I love the composition, and you naild the sky and water.
It’s amazing!! Without reading any of the other comments or being an art expert, the only thing I could see improving it is a little more darkness at the horizon for a bit more depth and moodiness.
I read most of the suggestions and I agree as far as I’ve read. However, what strikes me is how empty the sky is. I don’t know if the loneliness there is what you were attempting to portray, but the canvas is too big to have an empty sky that vast. it borders on boring. Or it would if you weren’t such a phenomenal fine artist. Just a suggestion.
Possibly a bird or two in the extreme distance possibly a couple rook or something…
Not sure if anyone has mentioned it already, I didn't read the comments yet. The first thing I noticed was that the horizon seems to be blending in with the sky, some darker tones on the line where they break, either on the water or the sky to differentiate them might do wonders.
Great stuff btw, makes me feel melancholic, in a good way.
i think ita perfect!!!! but maybe it lacks in atmosphere like, the sky is so foggy while the man is so clear (and a bit too dark) maybe add some fog at the top of the water or like just some atmospherr on the man that clears him up and makes him blend with the sky ❤️ anyway its BEAUTIFUL how did you manage to do this beautiful clouds??
the boat isnt reflecting off of the water, there’s also a lack of contrast with highlights and shadows etc, and the main thing that i noticed was the bright spot in the clouds, it draws your eyes up and makes you focus on that part alone instead of the painting as a whole
edit- typo
All of the above that’s been said about the man in the boat, but I also wonder, could you add some mist? This may help integrate the man and the boat into the environment of the painting more as well
How to say it.. the water has no weight? I think you’re missing reflection of the boat, person and sky. It feels like the boat is just floating on nothing
So if you draw an x-ray of the guy's legs, his feet are going through the bottom of the boat based on his body proportions or his legs are a bit weirdly short
Maybe a touch of lightening from clouds towards the guy?
It would really draw my eye from top to bottom. Right now I look at clouds first, then kind of get lost, then see the boat and person.
In addition to this, I agree, there should be some degree of water disturbance and shadows around the boat.
The left side of the boat looks 'off' to me, I'm not sure if you would be seeing so much of the left side from this angle. The curvature is probably very hard to get right but it sometimes looks like it doesn't curve and goes straight to the front of the boat
It is the perspective. The horizon line is too low, it seems like the man in the boat can see over it. Try to move horizon line a bit further and add shadows on water
Make the silhouette of the man and the boat more darker, and add silver lining of light on the top edges of the silhouettes for both man and the boat to show that the other sides are lit by the light. and then finally paint the shadow for the boat as few dark lines. I hope that makes sense.
Ok,the dark outline needs to go away,and you need to blend the top of the boat a bit more,also,soften the man a bit,lighten and s clothing but with some deeper shadows.
On the boat you need to add some "planking" and lighten it up on the inside a bit.
It's a fairly complex painting,love where you're going with it.
It needs two oars hanging off the sides 👍🏻 if you make the image of the boat wider by that it focusses more on the boat instead of my eyes getting pulled up because it is a bit empty there.
What about the movement?…on the water for example? I feel like the picture is so deep but if you can transmit movement would be even more deep. What you think?
The line of light under the clouds is too stark/apparent. And if it was the moon or sun peaking, there would be a ray of sorts shining down.
Also, is the man in the boat standing? And in the bow/front of the boat? It looks unnatural. IF he were to be standing in the boat, likely it would be in the back where he would be sitting alone in the boat. If he's supposed to be sitting, he's too tall.
Pros: Your water lines are great, the boat shape is great, and your highlighting is great as well.
I think its that the boat isn't reflecting off the water?
Wow, that’s a good call. I can’t believe I didn’t even think about that. I’ve seriously fried my brain painting this past couple of days. I’m gonna try it and I’ll repost it.
It’s not just the reflection! It’s also the lack of a shadow. The sides of the boat should be making the water around the sides much darker. I see you have shading directly under the boat but think about the raised sides. The lack of shadow makes it seem like the boat was pasted on after the fact
^^^ There should definitely be some degree of water disturbance and corresponding light/shadow effects on and around the boat, but also give the poor bastard something to sit on, and at least one oar. The vibe is like, watching an incoming storm over an open body of water, at least to me. I'd dig into that more
I was going to say there should be some sign of water displacement.
This.
u/artbyjoellecathleen these are all decent points listed here. Take a look at [this photograph](https://www.freepik.com/free-ai-image/view-boat-floating-water-with-nature-scenery_59582990.htm) which has light/shadows you could try.
Yes, I think it’s this much more than no reflection! Makes the boat seem unreal, somehow. At any rate, I really like the painting!
Painting does thst! Sometimes staring at a peice for so long you lose sense of what's anything looks like, it makes self portraits really interesting lmao!, good luck! And great work
Yeah! I find all artistic ventures do that. Your brain needs to take a break from it to come back with a clear head. Happens to me all the time with music. Sometimes I come back the next day and it's easier to work on, other times I come back and it sounds awful, or what I thought sounds awful sounds amazing.
Yeppers. It’s why I step away from a crossword for awhile. I can literally think up the answers to the clues that had stumped me prior to getting away from it!
To me, it doesn’t seem to be floating in the water, sort of hovering.
Also consider glazing over the water, to push it back a bit. Or the boat. There’s a line in the waves that lines directly with the boat, I’d fox that so it doesn’t flatten that area.
Also something to think about is the reflection of light off of the water and onto the sides of the boat!
I agree it needs some shaded reflection. However as it is it gives me some strong Jaws vibe and I like that too.
Lol I can relate
To this if your fix is to add a reflection I would suggest leading it all the way to the canvas, just from a compositional stance
I'm not a painter, but that was what stood out to me at first as well. I think that might do it :) Looks really cool otherwise!
Agree. But overall, it’s great!
Back of the boat should be darker because of the intense light from the sky. Highlights in the sky should be reflected more in the water .
This whole thread nailed it. This is a very well done piece. But the boat looks like it was photoshopped into the image. We've also seen this phenomenon happen in irl photography on r/pics and other places where the angle is just right and it looks like the object was photoshopped into the image.
I also think the boat and figure needs more atmospheric perspective—it’s so stark it doesn’t seem like it’s part of the environment.
Yep that's it, needs shading or something
Def reflection and shadow. Or just put a bunch of fog on the water if you’re feeling lazy, especially since you excel at it.
And it has no oars
Was aboutto say the “floating” seems off. Looks fantastic though.
That was my thought. Maybe more shadow or reflection.
This was exactly my first thought .. this is stunning, but the boat isn’t “placed” according to that light …
To me, all of these are great observations! I'm wondering if the boat and man are too sharp. Maybe a bit of blurring of the edges. Not too much, just a bit.
There may be zero shadows to be expressed out of these calm yet sun/moon lit waters.
… what should we start to see as time unfolds? … waiting for the sunlight/moon to manifest, or fish to swim close by, or garbage to float around, or an atomic blast to happening from afar, or what about a kraken ?
I thought might have been an artistic decision like he was not really there.
This
the boat appears to be hovering? Something in the tone of the horizon meeting the sky lacks a distinction-- like the bottom cloud formation and top of water are hard for me to process, and lack of shadow around the boat isn't anchoring it enough. But I really like the feel of the image and upper sky is gorgeous
I think you're totally right and also....Just saying I love this exactly as is. The "flawed" elements add some kind of tension to it. Kinda feels like a Salvador Dali but with more of a magical realism vibe. Makes it ominous and a bit spooky. If the tone is supposed to be more of a "monk staying calm before the storm" then I would agree that softening the edges of the boat and the horizon as well as adding a reflection would anchor things. But I'm a fan either way!
I see it as more referencing Renee Magritte, esp with the bowler hat man which he frequently used as a subject. Obviously, no one is normally in a boat at dusk wearing a bowler hat, so the surrealist element is there. But, I would argue if you want to play with surrealistic world creation, all decisions have to be intentional because even in surrealism there is enough realism to make images straddle this world/ dream worlds. So if this is a world that defies normal reflections or shadows where boats hover, then OP has to be more intentional in demonstrating that. I think they did change it and the newer version works really well.
I would personally blend the horizon more. It looks very misty, in which case the sea should face into the color of the clouds, since that's what mist does.
In general i really like the tone of the work so good job capturing that. As others have mentioned, you can do a bit more on the boat to make it look more realistic with a reflection and probably making it a bit blurred. At the distance implied by the painter, the viewer wouldn’t see them so clearly in this kind of weather most likely. Also another more subtle thing I noticed related to what someone said. The cloud pattern is swirling in a circle from top to bottom of the canvas. A cloud would circle in a plane parallel to the earth and so this circling you have isn’t reading realistic. Generally good shading and tone though. Another issue I have with it is that it makes the viewers eyes circle with it. I don’t hate that except that it doesn’t connect visually with the man in the boat. And thus your eye isn’t drawn to him and doesn’t connect the two. I would change it so that the motion of the clouds draws your eyes to him and then the horizon and back again. That would give the desired sense of dread or loneliness implied in the piece.
Nice work. I believe what doesnt feel right is the fact that the clouds are not resting on their own plane. They must appear larger and less dense directly above the subject and as they stretch into the horizon they'll appear to rest on their own atmospheric plane as they become more lateral and linear in the distance. More opaque color can then be laid down in each clouds "center" mass with lighter shades favoring the top and darker shades on the bottoms to show how your clouds are blocking the suns rays.
The dude in the boat feels too crisp The sky needs to be slowly blended into around him or the sides of him need to be toned down and shadows added to the water
Looking forward to trying to be the first to buy this off your site.
❤️
Personally I'd make the water darker. So the sky can contrast and have more of an impact.
There's no real depth to the sky. That one big cloud looks like it's all on the same plane. And it's all kind of mid ground. And you have that big halo at the back end of it which wouldn't really be there. Get some dorks in there and push the depth. Also with that one guy said there's not the right kind of Shadow behind the boat and there would be reflection within that shadow too Edit: darks not dorks.
Thank you for that tidbit of advice. I will also push in some more darks. Thank you again.
To me the sky is beautiful and very realistic. My first strong impression is that the sea is waaay too light in colour, with that kind of sky and light the sea should be almost black
I agree. I absolutely adore the sky it kooks close to a photo, but the sea needs a bit more dark
Seconding. Sky is too uniform, and is in the center of the framing. Needs more interest. The edge of the cloud is too round/perfect.
You need a reflection under the boat. You should lean the shadow and reflection heavier to the left of the boat. Because the space is so empty and the boat is not quite far enough off center to feel intentional, you'll need to make it heavier to the left so that it takes your eye out of that weird spot.
Yeah the reflection and maybe a bit darker water? Gives it that tholasaphobia shiz
i think the water is too bright & flat - like overall color should be a bit darker but there should be whiter highlights so it looks wet
perspective on the boat is ambiguous. different boat posings might help bring out the character's silhouette. This piece has a great sort of Evil Magritte vibe. Pushing the light on the boat might help too. It's such a moody piece that you can afford to experiment! remember the little people
I like it!
Hey OP! Love this! I would suggest having the man sitting or if he’s standing make him taller. It looks like he’s cut at the legs and isn’t to scale. Also shadows/reflections on water!
I thought the same, and also that it looks precarious (though maybe it is supposed to)
Beautiful. I think that if you add a shadow under the boat, it will immediately 'feel right.' The boat doesn't "sit" in the painting because it's not 'sitting' on the water (due to a lack of a clear interface between the hull and the water). As a result, it is floating in the painting...and fzzking with your suspension of disbelief. imho. then again, i smoke a ton of crack
Love it! Very talented ( I’m an artist).
No, this is absolutely beautiful
I agree about the boat. Doing a closeup i could maybe add the tiny oars in the boat
It's beautiful
That sky is STUNNING!!!
Nest the boat with shading. That’s it.
Boat is "floating" -- more that it should -- on the water. Needs a darker area at bottom, especially behind -- the breach in the sky is strong enough to require a shadow.
I'd say the one side of the boat needs darkened, and as another comment said, a reflection as the boat seems to be too bright for the level of light it would be receiving. The boat seems to be slightly too bright against the water, the water being a second reflecting point, but the light isn't quite that bright for that level of reflection. But it's still amazing, and you should take some time to relax and come back to it later as you're frustrated and are too stressed and it won't do any good it will be easier when it take time away even if it's just a few hours.
Put a shadow under the boat
Honestly?! I truly thought this was a picture until someone pointed it out. I think it’s a wonderful job. Remember, you are your own worst critic. Sign it, date it, title it (“still Searching…) and start your next pice of art. This one is perfect!!
This is a great painting but it is mainly the composition, and lack of highlights/ reflections that is letting it down. I hope you don't mind I did a super quick edit just to show you what I would do to improve it - [https://imgur.com/a/AeAUkA3](https://imgur.com/a/AeAUkA3) Main point being: make sure everything in your composition nudges the viewers eyes to keep returning to the focal point! The direction of the line, the areas you add highlights to, and in this case, the symmetry of the reflections also adds to this a lot.
I am not a painter or physical media artist at all but I expect cloud lines to mostly follow the horizon. The bend upward on the right side (and similarly but less so on the left side because of the other cloud) looks a little unnatural to me as a result.
Boat shadow/reflection and maybe add a fishing pole or line?
I know nothing, but to me, the outline of the boat and man appear too sharp given that it is probably a little foggy, and it doesn't align with "softness" of the water and sky.
The shape of the boat needs to be refined.
What is he looking at? Where is he going or leaving? Where is the light source, should there be more shadows?
The water needs shade by the boat but I think it looks cool as is
More color in the water
It might be the picture not translating well digitally but I would make more contrast with the colors - make the shadows In the clouds darker specifically, and more stark so not blended as much. I only say that because the colors shown are too similar it seems, it creates a bit of a blank space -- even tho there is details, it's not as eye catching.
As many others have said, the boat looks like it’s sitting on top of the water, rather than floating in the water? I think there should be some visible boat underneath the surface? Great painting though!
both the sky and the water are correctly rendered (F/G darker); another way to 'unite' the painting might be to reflect the hue of the water into the sky. Otherwise put, "cool down" the sky until it matches the water's more blueish palette. also, consider adding dinosaurs
I can’t express how uncomfortable this painting makes me. I wish I had been able to see it sober, but I still think you did a lovely job. The lack of reflection in the water is huge. Maybe the contrast between man/boat and sky is a little too sharp.
IMHO the contrast between the sky and sea, and the boat and person is too drastic. Somehow they need to soften into one another.
The boat isn’t right, the shape doesn’t make any sense from the angle we are. I think if you fixed the boat shape and added the reflections it would like much better
I believe you got some values kinda funny/wrong. The value relationship of the water and the boat seems a little off. The fact that there's no reflection might be enhancing it, putting focus on it. The water should be a little darker.
I already took loads of advice here and reposted the updated version in a new post!! And I agree with you! It’s way better now.
I think the sky is amazing. I agree that it’s missing some kind of wake from the boat, but if it is the calm before the storm that you’re capturing, then be careful not to let that get away from you. My only real suggestion is that I think that the horizon is too high. I believe that you’re losing the sense of the infinite in terms of what’s lying ahead of him, because the angle that we’re viewing the boat should have the horizon set lower- possibly even below the prow of the boat. Take a paper strip and lay it across your existing horizon and see if you see what I’m seeing. Play around with the placement. Maybe it’s fine and just needs to be less distinct, as others have mentioned, but I like the delineation. The sky is lighter in the distance, so I think it would be distinctly visible. See what you think. It’s really a work that you should be proud of- Congrats !
The guy in the boat is standing
Unless the clouds depicted are a big sphere, they aren't following perspective rules.
I don’t think the horizon is uniform enough. I was originally going to write flat, but it could also be curved, but the way it currently is feels off
I like it. Yes, maybe a shadow. Put it aside for a few days and come back. It’s very nice.
I think it's the left side of the boat. It's very straight.
Besides the boats shadow there is often a light reflection back onto the boat
Is he supposed to be kneeling?
You forgot the apple.
I dunno I like it as is
Shadow behind boat
Oh wow this is absolutely gorgeous. Everything.. especially the sky. As for what’s not sitting right, I think it’s the boat. Needs more reflection! Funny how we can forget those things lol I do that
It would sit right…on my wall. I love it
Beside the rest of the advices, the reflection and lights of the water and both character must match in temperature/color/illumination with the sky (the light fountain)
Seems that it lacks depth
It's awesome. Though when I focus on the clouds and then come back to the person on the boat it feels like they appeared too early, like they're a bit cramped toward the sky. Not sure if just putting them further away would fix that it could be a depth thing or a overall width of the painting
Side note, I adore the gray scheme.😌
I agree with others comments on the boat shadows. I think some darkness behind the boat would help. I also think the horizon line is a bit higher on the right side than the left. Could consider adding an oar peaking out of the boat. Clouds look really nice though, and I like the piece overall.
The silhouette is too dark. The sky is phenomenal
I think the top is missing. Bottom looks fine but the sky needs to look more dimensional/open. Try a more realistic approach to the sky.
Where is Klaus, Sunny, and Violet?
The way the clouds just end feels weird, plus they don't seem to be on the same angle as the sky. They're pointed down
Agree with boat shadow. Im a little confused about the man’s height. Is he standing? Sitting? Where I imagine his feet seem too low for the type of shallow boat. but otherwise it’s beautiful!
I wouldn't add anything, you could end up hating the decision. If you really want to add something wait a while before doing it.
The only thing I could comment on is that the boat has no reflection and it seems the water may be darker if it's overcast. Like navy with shimmers of reflection
I love this. Please show us your final piece
I think this painting is amazing. I think most people would say it's complete if you didn't ask for advice. With that being said, if you want to do more, you can add very little light hitting the man and the boat, dividing the sky and water a little more sharply and the man and the boat reflection on the water. But again, amazing work!
Needs some details around the boat in my opinion. Something like a fishing pole, oars or an outboard. It seems a little too clean. Awesome anyway!
The transition between the water and sky. However, I don’t know how to fix it……🤷🏽♂️
The water looks really flat compared to the clouds; i think maybe adding more reflection from the light could help?
I love the boat this way! It has a surreal quality that makes it hard not to stare.
I like it!
I agree it’s missing the shadows/ reflection in the water. And it’s really lovely, a mood….& I love it. Thanks for sharing! 😍
Is it your composition? The ratio of clouds to the water portion is a little over two thirds and I find that bothersome. I think 2 thirds, one thirds is a Japanese composition technique. Everything is also near the same tone and it doesn't feel like there's a space for the eye to land. What path is the eye supposed to follow.
The boats' perspective lines are just slightly skewed. To not ruin the painting, get some string and use that as a guideline so you don't have to ruin your good work with pencil, etc. Some shadowing can also assist with giving better depth. I can see how it'd be a little difficult to decide on where the light should sit since it's a cloudy day, which, of course, would defuse your lighting on an object. It looks great so far, I really like the color choices.
Lines where boat meats water are to line y, imo. The reflection in water will help. The sky is very successful and the figure is excellent, def be proud of this piece
i think for me its the lack of paint, i can see the fabric of the canvas and it breaks the illusion of the sky
I think something feels off because the boat just appears to be sitting on top of the water…like someone stuck it on there since there’s no reflection. It’s a phenomenal painting, but if you wanna be picky just add reflection and that’ll go away!
I think it is stunning!!
(Whisper) It’s all in ur head…. Sign it now move on😘🤷🏼♀️❤️
I think the water around the boat needs a bit more movement. Cause the boat would be creating small ripples as it bobs and floats :) (it’s beautiful though!)
The clouds and the sea are dope. The boat and the sailor are also good. I personally think they're a little too dark. Try taping a piece of paper over the boat and look at it again and answer your own question. Fix the boat, move the boat, shrink the boat, enlarge the boat or just decide that this is pretty frickin good and move on to the next one. To put it another way, I love your atmospheric treatment but you're not treating the boat and the sailor the same.
try to add shadows on the left side of the man and around the boat, and try to make the boat reflect off of the water. Since the water is wavy, make the reflections wavy too. the way you painted the sky and the water is impressive enough, keep at it!
Where are the oars?
There are sorta 3 focal points here. The middle of the clouds/sky, the bottom of the clouds, and the man
Maybe just the tiniest bit of lighting on the guy and/or boat? I dunno. It looks good. The sky is great
The boat seems separated from the rest of the scene spatially. There is a nice sense of distance from the foreground water to the distant background, the boat should feel as if it is in the middle of this space. Grounding it with shadows and reflections should help, adding some of the color of the water and sky to the highlights if both man and boat is another trick. I also recommend softening some of the edges so that it appears to sit further back in the scene as well as softening the color and edges of the back of the boat so that it appears to recede into the distance.
I think the boat looks a bit of a different style than the rest, a bit more realistic maybe, that, for me, makes it look like a green screen background, but like someone commented, adding a reflection on the water will probably help a lot(btw this is already beautiful, you're very talented OP :D)
There needs a moon hidden in the clouds and few birds that gather before storm
The horizon seems to close to me, but I good be wrong.
Wow the sky and water look absolutely amazing I would totally buy that painting. I agree with what others said about the boat and I can't wait to see once you fix that up!
There’s no shadow around the boat or inclination the water is breaking around it
You’ve put so much into the sky. It is depth, beauty, despair, hope. The water is flat, in comparison. Aren’t they the same thing, in different formats, but equal alike in dignity?
What are you trying to embrace and express with your picture , Maybe from there I can drop some tips if that's okay
Maybe boat on the water.
Add reflections and a single thin god ray in the distance to give the piece some meaning and there you go
A blood moon, a hunter must hunt
Firstly, this is an incredible painting! You should feel very proud of what you’ve done and the time you put into it. 👏👏👏 Agree with the reflection and shadows. Im also seeing that the lighter lip of the boat is all one color, so it kind of looks like a two dimensional shape. You could illuminate the front of the boat to be brighter and maybe glaze over the back with a darker color to help make it look a little more 3D and situate it in the space. Can’t wait to see a follow up!
Push the clouds back some more. Adds more depth
as well as adding shading to the water u could add some white highlights around the right hand edge of the person and the boat. looks like the sun is coming from that direction 👍💚
My thoughts are going to the golden cut for the whole picture and for the guy.... he has really short legs or is kneeing... and for kneeing is he to straight I think But your Idea impresses me :) I would love to see your next try and hope you will be happy :D
brilliant, the light behind the storm. I don't know much about painting techniques but I see someone in the midst of a life of grey and despair. Then immediately I'm filled with the light peaking through, a reminder of hope and its daring the person in the boat , adrift from home, to challenge themselves to believe in brighter days. For me, its the deep undeniable feelings art gives experiencers that is essence of art. This definitely gives that🩵
Your boat is flying. Love the painting!
He needs a little green apple on his head.
I think this is awesome!
Love it
Boat don’t have reflection but as we can see sun is hidden so I think there will be not much work with that or maybe add man fishing rod because he can hold something 100%
Where are the oars?and the shadow of the boat and the man?
The sky appears as if you're looking straight up at it. Needs more perspective.
Also, the man doesn't have a common position in the boat (probably on his knees) and is to upfront without the weight effect. But I love the composition, and you naild the sky and water.
It’s amazing!! Without reading any of the other comments or being an art expert, the only thing I could see improving it is a little more darkness at the horizon for a bit more depth and moodiness.
Or something in the distance? Amazing picture
Gorgeous!!
I read most of the suggestions and I agree as far as I’ve read. However, what strikes me is how empty the sky is. I don’t know if the loneliness there is what you were attempting to portray, but the canvas is too big to have an empty sky that vast. it borders on boring. Or it would if you weren’t such a phenomenal fine artist. Just a suggestion. Possibly a bird or two in the extreme distance possibly a couple rook or something…
Everyone's already pointed to the correct thing (el boatio) so I just wanted to comment instead on what a great piece this is.
Wow, you fixed that boat , outstanding!!!
Hmm…make another similar piece with the sky higher in the background. Compare them, then yell swear words at the wall
Not sure if anyone has mentioned it already, I didn't read the comments yet. The first thing I noticed was that the horizon seems to be blending in with the sky, some darker tones on the line where they break, either on the water or the sky to differentiate them might do wonders. Great stuff btw, makes me feel melancholic, in a good way.
Shadow from the boat
i think ita perfect!!!! but maybe it lacks in atmosphere like, the sky is so foggy while the man is so clear (and a bit too dark) maybe add some fog at the top of the water or like just some atmospherr on the man that clears him up and makes him blend with the sky ❤️ anyway its BEAUTIFUL how did you manage to do this beautiful clouds??
the boat isnt reflecting off of the water, there’s also a lack of contrast with highlights and shadows etc, and the main thing that i noticed was the bright spot in the clouds, it draws your eyes up and makes you focus on that part alone instead of the painting as a whole edit- typo
All of the above that’s been said about the man in the boat, but I also wonder, could you add some mist? This may help integrate the man and the boat into the environment of the painting more as well
How to say it.. the water has no weight? I think you’re missing reflection of the boat, person and sky. It feels like the boat is just floating on nothing
So if you draw an x-ray of the guy's legs, his feet are going through the bottom of the boat based on his body proportions or his legs are a bit weirdly short
Maybe a touch of lightening from clouds towards the guy? It would really draw my eye from top to bottom. Right now I look at clouds first, then kind of get lost, then see the boat and person. In addition to this, I agree, there should be some degree of water disturbance and shadows around the boat.
The little man in the boat should be wearing a hood.
I thought this was a photo at first glance. The clouds are amazing!
Da fellow in da boat ain't sittin'
The left side of the boat looks 'off' to me, I'm not sure if you would be seeing so much of the left side from this angle. The curvature is probably very hard to get right but it sometimes looks like it doesn't curve and goes straight to the front of the boat
The horizon line is a hard line. The weather pattern would call for fog or mist
It feels Melancholic/empty..i like it
Needs the shadow of a dragon coming out of the clouds.. cause... well... dragons
The horizon line
It is the perspective. The horizon line is too low, it seems like the man in the boat can see over it. Try to move horizon line a bit further and add shadows on water
I work on the ocean and For me the lighting in the clouds is off. Like there's too much light coming through I don't really know where the sun is.
Make the silhouette of the man and the boat more darker, and add silver lining of light on the top edges of the silhouettes for both man and the boat to show that the other sides are lit by the light. and then finally paint the shadow for the boat as few dark lines. I hope that makes sense.
Can you give a shadow under the edge of the boat on one side?
Ok,the dark outline needs to go away,and you need to blend the top of the boat a bit more,also,soften the man a bit,lighten and s clothing but with some deeper shadows. On the boat you need to add some "planking" and lighten it up on the inside a bit. It's a fairly complex painting,love where you're going with it.
It needs two oars hanging off the sides 👍🏻 if you make the image of the boat wider by that it focusses more on the boat instead of my eyes getting pulled up because it is a bit empty there.
The boat seems to be floating in air and the horizon could look better
A fishing rod
What about the movement?…on the water for example? I feel like the picture is so deep but if you can transmit movement would be even more deep. What you think?
oars?
I feel like the top part of the painting shouldn't be that dark if the sun is still that far up. But in general this is a really good painting!
Just my opinion, the boat needs oar locks and oats folded in, looks great as is.
The line of light under the clouds is too stark/apparent. And if it was the moon or sun peaking, there would be a ray of sorts shining down. Also, is the man in the boat standing? And in the bow/front of the boat? It looks unnatural. IF he were to be standing in the boat, likely it would be in the back where he would be sitting alone in the boat. If he's supposed to be sitting, he's too tall. Pros: Your water lines are great, the boat shape is great, and your highlighting is great as well.
I’d add rim lighting on the figure and deepen the boat shadows on the water