Portraits v. Landscape v. Still Life?

[Nicola Scott]

Hiya and welcome
I really like your paintig of the woman with her hands on the edges of the canvas.Great idea

[Linda Brandon]

Mikael, your "Nocturne" is extremely beautiful and haunting, thank you for posting it. I hope you'll get a chance soon to post examples of your figurative works in process, I'll be watching for them.

[Chris Saper]

Dear Mikael,

Just a note to let you all know that I have moved your "Work from Rome" to this section of the Cafe, where members post non-portrait work.

I have to add my compliments on these lovely drawings, great composition, and fresh style!

[Allan Rahbek]

I believe it

[Linda Nelson]

It's funny how so many of us suffer from the same affliction! I have always struggled with landscapes. I've always thought I suck at them (sorry for the bad language, but it's basically the right description). Well this winter I took some time off from the portraiture stuff, and tried my hand at "fine art". I did figuratives/landscapes. I find I really like doing landscapes as long as someones in the painting. It's like, for me, when there's just trees I don't have a subject to focus the painting around. But I tried a true landscape and did think it went well. So I showed all of it to some galleries, and they are carrying the work!

it inspired me to start a second website with the work -
www.LindaNelsonStudios.com

And then one connected me with Winn Devon Artist Publishing, and they actually like the landscape I did enough to ask me to submit a series of landscapes for their latest audition. I did 8 paintings in 2 weeks. It was exhausting, but I learned alot about what kind of landscape artist I want to be. It was exhilarating.

I won't hear til July about whether they like it enough to offer me a contract, but I'll be thankful either way that I had the experience.

So I got even more gutsy and landed some appointments to show my artwork to some major corporations. Medtronic bought a giclee, and Fair Issac actually commissioned me for a 4 x 6 foot landscape.

Unbelievable beginners' luck.

I also through this discovered Richard Schmid's work all over again. I ordered all his instructional stuff and am really impressed. I haven't had a chance to apply anything, but he really is a great landscape ans still life artist.

[Mikael Melbye]

Love the Sunflowers,
That's the looseness I'm talking about...super!

You must have done them a while ago though, I know the weather is lousy in Denmark at the moment.

Best of greetings from

Mikael

[Allan Rahbek]

Dear Mikael,
How nice to hear that the sun shines somewhere......but no problem....... the rain is a splendid excuse for me to stay home and paint. The sun has shone in my heart to day.

My best "looseness" shot is to consider the negative shapes as important as the positive.

Many painters seams to concentrate only on the positive....the thing....and pay no attention to the rest. That way the head, house, tree or what ever the motive is, will be isolated and be a closed form with nothing around it.

To make a painting loose you have to make the transitions between the forms as open as possible, so that your eye and mind can drift around and find equal pleasures in looking at the shadow of a cloud or the tower of the church.

In a painting every stroke has equal importance because they add to the whole.

As you see in my sunflowers( sorry, but they were at hand) I have painted the shapes from the outside as much as the flowers shapes itself, if you understand.

Another advice is to paint it all with the same two colors, try

Best of luck, Allan

[Mikael Melbye]

-yes, I see your point with the negative spaces. However, in motives where you want a specific item to stand out, you must put emphasis on this item somehow. Richard Schmid for instance will be extremely loose for most of the painting, and then a single person is painted meticulously accurate. This always intrigued me. I think my main worry is to loose my way if I'm not careful (and it often turns out to be too careful).

The thing about two colors - could you elaborate a little on what you mean. Are we talking "monochrome" or "grisaie"?

All the best

Mikael

[Mikael Melbye]

That's fine, I'm sorry that I put it the wrong place, but be patient with me...I'l learn.

I'm glad you like the painting (or I should say beginning). I'll be putting on the last two days of work tomorrow for you to see.

All the best

Mikael