Folio One Section One Final Developed Painting Critics
Before commenting on your final painting, critically analyse your development paintings so far, referring to your use of techniques, colour and compositional choices. You can include comments from your peers.
1) How would you describe the atmosphere / mood in your paintings and how did the painting techniques you used help to achieve this?
Development 1 – In this first piece I wanted to convey the idea of a cold and windy landscape. The brush stokes of the water help to convey the movement of the water. I feel that the use of a roller and a sponge for the sky help to convey the look and movement of the sky and the use of cold colures; blue, white and grey help to convey the cold and wintery atmosphere.
Development 2 –The atmosphere in this second piece is cold, sad and possibly depressing due to the use of cold colures; blue, white, grey and skin tone. The use of the dark earthy tone under and around the eyes indicate that I am tired. The use of light cold tones for the face, shoulders and chest area indicate that I may be cold. I tan well in the summer, so it’s clear that I haven’t been in the sun due to my skin tone which can indicate that it is winter which can be a depressing time for some people.
2) What emotional impact does your colour palette produce in each painting?
Development 1 – The first piece creates a very dull and cold atmosphere, which is created through the use of cold colures. For example, the use of blue and white in the sky and water indicate that it is a cold winter or autumn day.
Development 2 – The second piece creates a very cold and depressing atmosphere. This is created through the use of cold colures i.e blue, grey and white. The cold colures used for my skin indicate that I am cold. I am laying in the bath with my eyes closed which indicates that I am thinking about things. Almost about to go under the water which could indicate that I want an escape or quite and relaxation. The use of cold colures helps to convey this atmosphere.
3) What is your chosen composition and content communicating to the viewer and how?
Development 1 – My chosen composition is nature. This particular painting is a landscape of the water at the Erskine Bridge on a cold winter’s morning this is conveyed by the bare trees in the foreground and background along with the dead grass.
Development 2 – My chosen composition in this piece is human form, there isn’t a link between my first piece and second piece however in my final piece I am combining the two to focus on human intervention within a natural landscape. The cold colures, pose and facial expression convey that the figure is thinking, relaxing and is possibly depressed or going through a lot.
4) What connotations are beginning to emerge in the work as you have developed the paintings? List them. (Another way of thinking of a connotation is “Something that doesn’t necessarily appear in the painting but is suggested or implied”)
‘Connotation’ (noun) an idea or feeling which a word or image invokes for a person in addition to its literal or primary meaning: A possible connotation of “home” is “warmth, comfort, and affection”.
Development 2 – The idea that the figure (me) is in a bath conveys warmth. A bath is known for warmth, comfort and relaxation. However, the facial expression conveys sadness, thought processes and possibly depression. A bath or shower is also know for a space where people tend to think a lot possibly overthink things and get emotional.
5) From this reflection on your paintings so far, what do you want your final painting to communicate and how will you achieve this? Make a plan of action.
For my final piece I want to combine nature and human form to focus on human intervention within a natural landscape. I will achieve this by using the same references photo of me for the human figure and I will use a combination of landscape pictures to incorporate into the final piece. For example, I will have branches and leaves across the face and chest. I would like to create a cold and depressing atmosphere and I will continue to use cold colures and warm colures to achieve this.
