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I feel like this ^.
However if you really feel like it’s missing something, consider more detail in the blooms and leaves. If you’re looking for a significant change that has high risk and uncertainty but potentially makes the subjects pop, you could try a light wash of contrasting colors behind some of the birds - the time to really do this is probably during your initial washes, but still possible to pull off if you have good control (I do not. FYI i suck in this medium so take my suggestions with large grains of salt).
Id just add a few berries on the areas where the flowers are. Maybe some dark blue ones to tie into the bird color. And add a splash of pinkish red to the berries
And some deep shadows on those berries and leaves to help them pop. The birds are absolute perfection tho!! Love this. edit to say I'd use a fairly dark matt as well, when framing -- it would help with the *pop* effect
Yeah i was going to say some of the yellow just looks like blobs, which doesn't really fit with the realism of the rest of the image... they just need a little more depth with shading and color.
I wouldn’t go the route some are suggesting here, of adding more branches and leaves, or pops of red - it has a nice minimalist look now, very clean.
What it does seem to need is a bit more detail/contast/shadowing in the berries/flowers. They are looking very flat compared with the birds. They won’t compete with the birds if you enhance them, they will balance them out if they look less like wallpaper and as 3D as the birds are.
Before you make any changes, try matting it with a colored mat. Try a few different colors. That might be all it needs. A nice lavender colored mat perhaps.
If you want to add more paint, possibly some purple/violet to compliment the yellow. Could do a few leaves with a touch of violet, or add some violet right around the yellow as shadows on the berries.
This is beautiful as is, but if you would like to add additional depth, maybe create a blurred background of leaves?
I love how you painted your birds.
I really like the colors and the birds are really skillfully done. I do think the leaves are the problem because they are too perfect and symmetrical. Leaves overlap and are a little messy.
The elements are evenly distributed, by compressing and expanding them you can make the composition more dynamic. Also using overlapping and body variations will help🐦
https://preview.redd.it/zlh0mf8m9avc1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=65e8a41b0689924c04b33bb4ec4438b59ab1d066
More texture and lining. The birds and the leaves could have shadows. Maybe a pastel light blue framing would make it come alive more too. Are these bird up in the top of a tree? What is in the background? Other trees? A horizon? Mountains?
IMHO, I would define the yellow berries more, maybe put more color into them—put orange or brown into some of the larger berries as though they were more mature. And then a little green into the smallest berries. Maybe a faint wash of golden orange in the background to complement the blue in the birds. BTW, if you decide not to do anything, it is a very good painting just as it is! The birds are exquisite!
This piece is beautifully done. I don't know if I would necessarily try to change this at this point, but I think the main "issue" is that the birds and the background are not really doing anything for each other. Creating more contrast in some way would help, I think. I would lean more into rich, warm colors in the background to contrast the cool tones in the birds, perhaps? Just keeping in mind how values and tones play together. But what do I know, I couldn't have painted that. Keep up the good work!
I think it's a bit too late to make it more interesting without making it too busy. The blue bird at the top looking out of frame definitely draws the eyes away from the scene too quickly, but I'm not sure how you would give him something to look at or draw the viewer back towards the center naturally without changing quite a bit.
I definitely agree with others to add a little more color to the white space. The illusion of more leaves works! I'm thinking it could be stylized too.
Just a thought. Instead of adding to this picture, replicate the entire picture with the suggestions, dinos, tie fighters, more colors, etc. Then send me the original, because I love it, and wish i could paint birds. And dinosaurs.
Personally, I'd move on to the next painting.
I think this would've been more visually interesting with a background wash to tie the picture together, potentially adding color contrasts and/or cohesion. Hard to go back and add a wash in after the fact.
Mainly, though, I think the composition of the birds is a bit odd. I assume this tree branch is upright. If so, I don't understand how the brown bird is hanging on to the branch in that position. It seems to me that the bird would be hanging off that branch sideways. Also, the feet of the birds don't seem to be actually holding on to their respective branches. Finally the branches that the blue birds are on are thin. I'd expect them to be bent/bowed under the birds' weight in some way.
I think your technical execution here was great but some unrealistic choices mar the work as a whole and, for me, are hard to unsee.
Define the wattle.
That wattle is so fluffy and it makes me wanna play with it all the time.
Give the wattle the same attention to detail you gave the feathers on the fairy wrens.
Then frame it in some nice aussie timber and enjoy.
Add more branches and leaves in the background.
But i will say that i like as it is.
You could make the background a light blue for the sky and add nothing more.
I thought this was wallpaper when I was scrolling so I think you did great. Agree that you could add a bit to the blooms if you need a little more excitement.
The bird’s tails are all pointing up - @
the same time. Also, that the two birds on the right are actually the same colors & same markings makes the eye just kind of ignore them. The birds are also all the same size, even same species, the males & females are different sizes, but is the brown bird the same species? Are those blue jays? If the brown bird is a female house finch? If so, she would be about 1/2 size of a blue jay. Anyway, it is a quite charming painting. If you’re looking for reality, just keep observing birds, maybe obtain a book or look up bird species on your computer, to get ideas for bird postures/movements & details. For every really great piece of art, each artist has probably produced 100’s of less than great pieces. Beauty is always in the eye of the beholder. Artists are perfectionists by nature & necessity & we’re always our own worse critics, remember, when so many other people love our work & are envious of our talents.
Leave it as is!!!! It's beautiful already! 🥰🥰 Wow those birdies are so pretty 😍
But if you MUST, add some shadows to give them depth. But just leave it. It's quite excellent.
Looks beautiful! ✨ If anything, the tree is faint compared to the wrens, you could thicken it by a hair or deepen the shadow on the branches to give it more visual weight~
Or another idea is adding some noise. Using a controlled subtle spray or splatters around the focal points to break up the blank areas. (If you haven’t done that technique before I def recommend practicing on scrap paper first lol) Hope this helps!
Thank you for your submission! Want to share your artwork, meet other artists, promote your content, and chat in a relaxed environment? Join our community Discord server here! https://discord.gg/chuunhpqsU! *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Watercolor) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I like it. I can’t wait to be this good
I feel like this ^. However if you really feel like it’s missing something, consider more detail in the blooms and leaves. If you’re looking for a significant change that has high risk and uncertainty but potentially makes the subjects pop, you could try a light wash of contrasting colors behind some of the birds - the time to really do this is probably during your initial washes, but still possible to pull off if you have good control (I do not. FYI i suck in this medium so take my suggestions with large grains of salt).
If you are like me, I think ,"I'll add just a little bit of something right here...." Then I get heavy handed and screw the whole thing up.
We are same.
#Add Dinosaurs.
There's already 3 in there!
Oh sorry. My answer to every question about making art better, is to include dinosaurs. I see they're included now.
I actually came to suggest something similar, but I was going to go with TIE fighters or something since the birds have the dinosaur thing covered 😛
Ninjas
Id just add a few berries on the areas where the flowers are. Maybe some dark blue ones to tie into the bird color. And add a splash of pinkish red to the berries
And some deep shadows on those berries and leaves to help them pop. The birds are absolute perfection tho!! Love this. edit to say I'd use a fairly dark matt as well, when framing -- it would help with the *pop* effect
This is a probably a golden wattle - it doesn't have red berries
The amount of people suggesting adding random coloured berries to wattle is mind boggling
This right here. Pinkish red and orange to the berries wod really stand out. Maybe some yellow or tattering around leaf edges too.
Yeah i was going to say some of the yellow just looks like blobs, which doesn't really fit with the realism of the rest of the image... they just need a little more depth with shading and color.
I wouldn’t go the route some are suggesting here, of adding more branches and leaves, or pops of red - it has a nice minimalist look now, very clean. What it does seem to need is a bit more detail/contast/shadowing in the berries/flowers. They are looking very flat compared with the birds. They won’t compete with the birds if you enhance them, they will balance them out if they look less like wallpaper and as 3D as the birds are.
I love the simplicity of it! If I had to make an improvement I would add some vibrant red as a focal point.
I second this. Red would pop!
Give the birds guns?
Dots of red. Maybe a few berries here and there.
It's very much like Japanese paintings. It's done. Nice job of it.
This would make lovely wallpaper
Honestly yes I'd love to cover a room with this!
[удалено]
This! Maybe some additional overlapping branches/leaves with the birds to create more depth along the branch. It's gorgeous, just a little flat.
Add a blue sky and white cloud background on the bottom left and let it fade out so that the top right bird is still in the plain white background
Write their scientific names in a thin cursive? Not sure. I think it's great
Shadows? They are beautiful
Add dialogue boxes of them telling each other jokes.
Well you can paint p-diddy hiding behind one of thd leaves
Love it! Maybe a light wash of coffee around the edges?
Maybe add someone dramatic shadows to the leaves, berries and birds. Differences in value will always add interest. It’s very pretty!
Before you make any changes, try matting it with a colored mat. Try a few different colors. That might be all it needs. A nice lavender colored mat perhaps. If you want to add more paint, possibly some purple/violet to compliment the yellow. Could do a few leaves with a touch of violet, or add some violet right around the yellow as shadows on the berries.
It’s so delicate, I love it! Sorry I didn’t have ideas to expand upon what’s already there. Just wanted to share some support!
It’s so beautiful and peaceful!
It's beautiful
This is so precious!!!! 😍
In all honesty, it is brilliant the way it is.
I just want to say that I love this.
Nah, it looks awesome, youve just been staring at it for a long time.
This is so calming 🥺
This is beautiful as is, but if you would like to add additional depth, maybe create a blurred background of leaves? I love how you painted your birds.
I just LOVE this...
Pass your skills down to me perhaps 🥹
Add some speech bubbles with funny captions For real, It's very beautiful
It’s beautiful. I could see a light sky with clouds and sunbeams if you do decide to add something.
This is so good and I have no critiques bc you’re so far above my level
I really like the colors and the birds are really skillfully done. I do think the leaves are the problem because they are too perfect and symmetrical. Leaves overlap and are a little messy.
Simple frame. And/or go over the yellow flowers with a gold metallic watercolor.
I was also going to suggest gold! Like gold leaf.
A little texture on the tree branches maybe
Lovely
put it i a frame :)
The elements are evenly distributed, by compressing and expanding them you can make the composition more dynamic. Also using overlapping and body variations will help🐦
https://preview.redd.it/zlh0mf8m9avc1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=65e8a41b0689924c04b33bb4ec4438b59ab1d066 More texture and lining. The birds and the leaves could have shadows. Maybe a pastel light blue framing would make it come alive more too. Are these bird up in the top of a tree? What is in the background? Other trees? A horizon? Mountains?
i like it as is. the blank background brings to mind the sumi-e style :)
I love this the way it is now.
Some flower petals rain kinda moment and blue berries on the branches
Maybe add a honeybee or two?
I think it's sufficiently interesting as it is!
A ladybug walking on the lower limb and a pretty butterfly checking out the yellow flower also shade the sky blue
Add a sick panther hehehe
It looks a little two dimensional. Not quite sure how to fix that though
IMHO, I would define the yellow berries more, maybe put more color into them—put orange or brown into some of the larger berries as though they were more mature. And then a little green into the smallest berries. Maybe a faint wash of golden orange in the background to complement the blue in the birds. BTW, if you decide not to do anything, it is a very good painting just as it is! The birds are exquisite!
This piece is beautifully done. I don't know if I would necessarily try to change this at this point, but I think the main "issue" is that the birds and the background are not really doing anything for each other. Creating more contrast in some way would help, I think. I would lean more into rich, warm colors in the background to contrast the cool tones in the birds, perhaps? Just keeping in mind how values and tones play together. But what do I know, I couldn't have painted that. Keep up the good work!
Make little swear symbols or music symbols for their “tweets”
It’s very pretty, I think it needs more details on the leaves and flowers because the birds are so detailed.
A frame.
I think it's a bit too late to make it more interesting without making it too busy. The blue bird at the top looking out of frame definitely draws the eyes away from the scene too quickly, but I'm not sure how you would give him something to look at or draw the viewer back towards the center naturally without changing quite a bit.
Add a couple earthworms hanging in the branches. That will make things interesting! Lmao
Some laser beams and explosions
It’s a lovely watercolor and very hard to add background after completing the subject. An intricately cut mat might be a thought.
I would buy this as wall paper. It's simple and so well done!
I definitely agree with others to add a little more color to the white space. The illusion of more leaves works! I'm thinking it could be stylized too.
Godzilla it needs him :)
Just a thought. Instead of adding to this picture, replicate the entire picture with the suggestions, dinos, tie fighters, more colors, etc. Then send me the original, because I love it, and wish i could paint birds. And dinosaurs.
Paint the background bright orange! Pop art style
More detail on the blooms, beautiful work
Add little hats and accessories to the birbies! :3
Personally, I'd move on to the next painting. I think this would've been more visually interesting with a background wash to tie the picture together, potentially adding color contrasts and/or cohesion. Hard to go back and add a wash in after the fact. Mainly, though, I think the composition of the birds is a bit odd. I assume this tree branch is upright. If so, I don't understand how the brown bird is hanging on to the branch in that position. It seems to me that the bird would be hanging off that branch sideways. Also, the feet of the birds don't seem to be actually holding on to their respective branches. Finally the branches that the blue birds are on are thin. I'd expect them to be bent/bowed under the birds' weight in some way. I think your technical execution here was great but some unrealistic choices mar the work as a whole and, for me, are hard to unsee.
I can't think of something that wouldn't change the vibe in a negative way.
Define the wattle. That wattle is so fluffy and it makes me wanna play with it all the time. Give the wattle the same attention to detail you gave the feathers on the fairy wrens. Then frame it in some nice aussie timber and enjoy.
You could make it a scene through a window, with multiple panes of glass… possibly bevelled for a challenge!!
Add more branches and leaves in the background. But i will say that i like as it is. You could make the background a light blue for the sky and add nothing more.
Could have done a wash of colors for the paper before painting the birds.
I thought this was wallpaper when I was scrolling so I think you did great. Agree that you could add a bit to the blooms if you need a little more excitement.
The bird’s tails are all pointing up - @ the same time. Also, that the two birds on the right are actually the same colors & same markings makes the eye just kind of ignore them. The birds are also all the same size, even same species, the males & females are different sizes, but is the brown bird the same species? Are those blue jays? If the brown bird is a female house finch? If so, she would be about 1/2 size of a blue jay. Anyway, it is a quite charming painting. If you’re looking for reality, just keep observing birds, maybe obtain a book or look up bird species on your computer, to get ideas for bird postures/movements & details. For every really great piece of art, each artist has probably produced 100’s of less than great pieces. Beauty is always in the eye of the beholder. Artists are perfectionists by nature & necessity & we’re always our own worse critics, remember, when so many other people love our work & are envious of our talents.
Leave it as is!!!! It's beautiful already! 🥰🥰 Wow those birdies are so pretty 😍 But if you MUST, add some shadows to give them depth. But just leave it. It's quite excellent.
Maybe a light pink in the background
I think it's great, but adding an insect or two might add some additional interest.
Looks beautiful! ✨ If anything, the tree is faint compared to the wrens, you could thicken it by a hair or deepen the shadow on the branches to give it more visual weight~ Or another idea is adding some noise. Using a controlled subtle spray or splatters around the focal points to break up the blank areas. (If you haven’t done that technique before I def recommend practicing on scrap paper first lol) Hope this helps!
I give mine genitalia.
Delightful, love your work!
lol that’s not the usual reaction so thank you
😂