Man,that's a whopping difference between I & II! Deeper values, stronger colors, and of course the red shirt create a much improved version. Way to go, Frank.
September 19, 2008 at 6:53 AM
Anonymous said...
The red shirt really swings it into a sharper focal point- I really love the way your " mass " of goats has a definition, even in its' vagueness.
The subtle geometry of those green fields and how it drops off on the right plays up the depth of that field.
It's always interesting to me when I see how other painters can step away from a piece they've already done and recognize that there's an element that needs a change.
What I love so much about your work is how your masses suggest detail and your detail is so light of hand.
Hi Frank, this is another beautiful piece! the composition, the colors (I like the red shirt) and particularly the goats. Perfect balance! it's always a pleasure visiting your blog and a great learning experience... inspiring!
-anthony
September 19, 2008 at 6:48 PM
Anonymous said...
i like BOTH paintings. amazing how the same scene can evoke vastly different "somewhere over the rainbow" sensations! such different terrains and paths and horizons, not to mention vastly different foregrounds and TREE! - but, somehow the goatherd and the goats seem content in both. maybe a better way of saying that will come to me, but for now, this'll have to do. i like BOTH paintings! solveg
Taking out the goats II....what a beautiful painting. I admire the fact that you have done three to get to the one. Your "less is more" style is very inspiring...!
great composition...gotta say, although i like them both, the red shirt one really jumps to me. the color of the shirt seems to have a more cohesive existence with the surrounding landscape...must be all the warm colors.
Hi Christine. I think the red works well on one level and the blue on another. I was thinking of a post by Qiang Huang where he talked about focal points being warm not cool. I am still not sure that I totally agree with that theory, but I thought I would give it a try.
i think some of it has to do with the color preferences of the viewer. i prefer warm colors, i'm drawn to the red shirt painting, someone who prefers cool colors, would probably prefer the blue shirt painting. i think you can have 20 people look at the painting and each choose differently. red is a strong color and draws attention outright, but some view it as representing anger (i work with patients in art therapy setting)...so they may shy from that painting. i don't think there is a right answer.
Good point. I think people's color preferences always come into play. The red shirt painting also has a warm under painting, which warms the whole tone of the piece. The blue shirt one does not and has a cooler overall feel.
September 24, 2008 at 10:27 PM
This one was finished up a few months ago, but I never got around to posting it. I did a 14" x 18" version of this, but in that one, the guy has a blue shirt. I wondered how it would look if I changed it to red. I'll post the blue shirt one below too, in case you don't want to click over to compare them.
Below is a detail of how I massed the most of the goats into one big shape. The silhouette tells the story along with a few single goats along the edges.
""Taking Out the Goats II""
18 Comments -
Man,that's a whopping difference between I & II! Deeper values, stronger colors, and of course the red shirt create a much improved version. Way to go, Frank.
September 19, 2008 at 6:53 AM
The red shirt really swings it into a sharper focal point- I really love the way your " mass " of goats has a definition, even in its' vagueness.
The subtle geometry of those green fields and how it drops off on the right plays up the depth of that field.
It's always interesting to me when I see how other painters can step away from a piece they've already done and recognize that there's an element that needs a change.
What I love so much about your work is how your masses suggest detail and your detail is so light of hand.
September 19, 2008 at 12:21 PM
Great mood and feeling of the moment.
September 19, 2008 at 2:28 PM
Lovely! You caught the spirit of the land as well as the goats and their herder. I like the composition, too.
September 19, 2008 at 3:40 PM
Hi Frank,
this is another beautiful piece! the composition, the colors (I like the red shirt) and particularly the goats. Perfect balance!
it's always a pleasure visiting your blog and a great learning experience... inspiring!
-anthony
September 19, 2008 at 6:48 PM
i like BOTH paintings. amazing how the same scene can evoke vastly different "somewhere over the rainbow" sensations! such different terrains and paths and horizons, not to mention vastly different foregrounds and TREE! - but, somehow the goatherd and the goats seem content in both. maybe a better way of saying that will come to me, but for now, this'll have to do.
i like BOTH paintings!
solveg
September 19, 2008 at 8:18 PM
Oh yes, wonderful!
I'll take the red please :o)
September 20, 2008 at 8:06 PM
Hi Frank, I like both versions. The one with the blue shirt everything is so much softer. Color sure sets the feeling of a painting.
September 21, 2008 at 10:16 AM
I like the red shirt best but both are wonderful. The addition of the red shirt really creates a focal point.
September 21, 2008 at 10:11 PM
I like them both, but the red shirt adds the pop to the picture. Goat mass is beautiful.
September 23, 2008 at 7:43 AM
Wow! Wonderful painting.
Paz
September 23, 2008 at 7:06 PM
Thanks Dean.
Thanks for those comments Bonnie.
Thanks Diana.
Thanks Dianne.
Hi Anthony, thank a lot.
Solveg, thanks.
Hola Ali. Thanks.
Thanks Barb.
Thanks Rhonda, I agree.
Thanks Mary.
Hi Paz... thanks!
September 23, 2008 at 9:44 PM
Taking out the goats II....what a beautiful painting. I admire the fact that you have done three to get to the one. Your "less is more" style is very inspiring...!
September 24, 2008 at 8:33 AM
great composition...gotta say, although i like them both, the red shirt one really jumps to me. the color of the shirt seems to have a more cohesive existence with the surrounding landscape...must be all the warm colors.
September 24, 2008 at 11:46 AM
Hi Theresa, thanks. It was just the two, the long one is a detail of the bigger painting.
September 24, 2008 at 10:10 PM
Hi Christine. I think the red works well on one level and the blue on another.
I was thinking of a post by Qiang Huang where he talked about focal points being warm not cool. I am still not sure that I totally agree with that theory, but I thought I would give it a try.
September 24, 2008 at 10:13 PM
i think some of it has to do with the color preferences of the viewer. i prefer warm colors, i'm drawn to the red shirt painting, someone who prefers cool colors, would probably prefer the blue shirt painting. i think you can have 20 people look at the painting and each choose differently. red is a strong color and draws attention outright, but some view it as representing anger (i work with patients in art therapy setting)...so they may shy from that painting. i don't think there is a right answer.
September 24, 2008 at 10:19 PM
Good point.
I think people's color preferences always come into play.
The red shirt painting also has a warm under painting, which warms the whole tone of the piece. The blue shirt one does not and has a cooler overall feel.
September 24, 2008 at 10:27 PM