[Socar MYLES]

This is another picture that took me ages. I painted the background several times (couldn't get just the right feel at first)--the request was for something...magical...but a beach scene, because this dog loved to find shells. So I tried to make it look somewhat noble, somewhat heavenly...I have stared at it so long now, though...I don't know if I came close or not.

[ May 04, 2002: Message edited by: Socar MYLES ]

[Light]

Painting technique is excellent. The painting itself is pretty boring and looks like something you'd find on a post card.

You need to work more on sketching, composition, uncertainty, and complexity (ie. interest) in your pictures.

.. as a small study though this is really great but as a painting..

[Socar MYLES]

Maybe I'd better clarify, before I get all the world and his wife telling me to do more interesting paintings--this was intended only as a simple portrait of someone's pet...it's not supposed to be an amazingly ground-breaking painting, at all. For the client, the point of interest IS the dog...and that's pretty much it.

So...boring? Maybe. But it's really intended to please one person--the dog's owner.

P.S. - I'm not saying this to devalue your critiques, Light--just to make my intentions a bit clearer...I think I might've made the intent seem a little more grandiose than it really was in the description.

[ May 04, 2002: Message edited by: Socar MYLES ]

[Fate]

I don't think it's boring at all!

Love everything about it, the composition, the colors, the mood, so peaceful.

[Twice]

I think it is damn great..... It's a exellent portrait.

The composition is also very good. I always find my own drawings rater mmm... "tillting" but this one balances very good, with the dog on the right side and the moon making it stabile on the other.

As I see it, you might be one of the last persons I think need more work on sketching. Hehe... well, we all need to work on our sketching. You are truly one of my favoutit illustrators, and I hope to see much more of these animal portraits comming from that little swedish town.....

[Light]

It is a nice painting given your objectives.

I'm sure the owner will be pleased. It is a bit difficult to critique things when one doesn't know the objectives in mind. I generally critique works on how they compare to "wall paintings" or basically work that is meant to be looked at over and over.

But.. if someone does a great character sketch and I say it has no artistic value then they will be upset.

A good picture is not a good painting. But, not all good artwork needs to be paintings.

I think part of my problem with the image comes from the size. I, also, feel the dog is slightly generic looking. I would have prefered to see a more variety in the types of edges in the painting.

But yeah good work.. the composition is balanced just not balanced on my monitor. =0

[Trance-R]

Whoa.
I love the way you rendered the sky!
And the mood definitely comes through.

May I suggest adding some object at the dog's foot. Maybe a shell? Might be a bit high for a shell to be there, but.. it would make it more interesting and tie in with what you want to do. In addition, you might want to make the highlight in the eye stand out more.

[visualsiege]

actually there is a shell at the dogs feet ;P

think maybe the shell could stand out more though, maybe adjust the values on it.

GREAT PAINTING THOUGH!

[bellie]

hey hey good work socs.. my only crit is that the dog's left foot (the one ontop of? the shell) looks like its stumped? looks a bit short.. i think`` maybe its just me.. but apart from that good stuff
``

[Kari Christensen]

I like the color and the composition. The face on the dog is really nice. My only crit is the legs on the dog needs some reference. They don't seem to be working.
Great job. Your animals are always really well done. What medium did you use? It has a good texture.

[CyberLink]

2 Socar:

Don't listen to those telling it's boring. It's great. Remembers me all my dogs :-) But the picture mood seems to be a bit sad. And the same for another your dog paintings :-)

[Mindsiphon]

I think it's very good. I really like the way you've painted the sky and water.
What's the original resolution?

The whole image reminds me of a tribute to the dog's life.
Kind of like an "in memory of" type of painting.

Is this for someone who's lost their dog?

[jeromoo]

the doggie looks nice

I think the sky at the right side of the painting should be deeper blue to show depth as well as to emphasize on the moon and the stars.

I find the background behind the dog a bit awkward.... perhaps some small faded seagulls (its at a beach, after all) flying overhead in the sky in a strategic quatercircle manner...

I like the concept! Do your best!

[cheney]

Very nice.

The dog is great, but the sky is utterly fantastic. Outstanding work.

[Eric Pommer]

I too like the composition, but I have a question: why did you brighten the sky so much around the dog? To me, that seems to make the dog stand out less. I would have gone with a darker blue to give the dog more contrast, but I don't really have much faith in my own instincts when it comes to backgrounds. I assume the lightness was a conscious choice...can you explain your intent?

[eyewoo]

Boring...??? Not at all. It has drama, great lighting and excellent rendering... and the dog looks like the King... As Mel Brooks said, "It's good to be the King!"

[Shiro_tengu]

Noble = yes
majical = yes
heavenly = yes
shells=yes
dog=yes
all in all you achieved your goal and very well too!!:> )

[Lightbringer]

I would say that the light to dark was done to capture the "dreamlike" feel he was going for. Day juxtaposed with night in the same scene with the blends occuring softly is very evocative of daydreaming or the shifting states of a dreamscape.

I love just about everything about this painting. Having owned a Jack Russel Terrier myself (which is the breed that dog most resembles to me) I would say the painting captures the adventuresome and somewhat whimsical attitude of that type of dog. The only comment I would make is that the sea shell does not stand out against the sandy background. Richening the red/pink tones slightly (if even only in the shadow of the shell) will make it stand out without making it feel unnatural.

[ May 07, 2002: Message edited by: Lightbringer ]

[sirstudlymodugal]

beautiful.... just a few puppy anatomical issues.

[visualsiege]

ummm. that paintover makes the doggy look like he's trying to hump the poor innocent rock. BAD DOGGY! BAAAAAAD DOGGY!

[Kaete]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Light:
I think part of my problem with the image comes from the size. I, also, feel the dog is slightly generic looking.

---

Hi, Light. While it's wonderful that you're giving no-nonsense, honest critiques. They can be tough to swallow, but often they help more than "Ooh, dat's purty!"

Still, I think it would *really* helped if you learned how to tone down the condescension a wee bit.

As to the points I quoted: the size of the picture is probably small because she is considerate to the dial-up users in our crowd, and didn't try to stuff the huge rez version into a post. Or is it the long width/short height that bothered you?

As for the dog --- it was pretty obvious from the first statement that someone asked her to make a picture about their dog. And if she's doing a picture of one dog in particular, she can hardly make a funny little terrier into a big dramatic wolf-hound without upsetting the client.

Anyway, my only crit for the painting is that the little guy has some odd anatomy going on in his back. It almost looks like he's turning into a human or something. Sir studly's over-scribble really seemed to help.

[ May 07, 2002: Message edited by: Kaete ]

[Socar MYLES]

Hehehe...I always know I've made a bit of a mistake somewhere when I get more than 5 replies on Sijun! Thanks for the comments, everyone, and especially for the crits. I can't really change much now, because the client is very pleased--although I will be adding some markings to the dog's stomach, and changing the shape and position of the tail.... In the reference photo, this dog was lying down, and it just never occurred to me to ask if its WHOLE body was white...ha, ha! Anyway, though, I still appreciate any and all critiques, because I've got many more of these to do.

Fate - Thank you! I'm glad you don't think it's boring!

andskj - Thanks! Although, I'm with Light on this one...after all, who doesn't need to work more on sketching? Sometimes, if I am in a hurry, I don't do much of a sketch at all--I just put a circle and square for, say, a dog's head and its body, and write "brown" or "white" to remind myself what goes where, and that is a HORRIBLE way of working...anyway, yeah...I'm rambling...but thanks for your compliments!

Light - Pardon my saying so, but...is there ever really much point in saying something has no artistic value? Sorry, but I just can't see the point of such a critique. If it's a good character sketch, it's a good character sketch, period. Not every drawing/painting/etc. is intended for gallery or wall display. I'm with you on the size thing, though...sorry about that. It is very small. But some people have small monitors and bad connections, so...I try to keep it small. The thing I did find useful here was the comment about more variety in edge types--that, I can use. I often use the same sort of brushstroke all over a painting, and I'd never considered that it could look boring. Thanks.

Trance - Thanks! There's a shell by the dog's foot, in fact...hehe...I guess it does not stand out enough.

visualsiege - I might do that, in fact--I have a few minor revisions to do, anyway.

bellie - Hm...maybe so. I'll look at it again in full-res...I have trouble telling at this size.

Kari - Thanks! The medium was Photoshop 6.0--it's just digital. Part of the problem with the back legs, I figured out now, is the tail, which seems to be part of one leg. Oops. I'm going to be changing that, so hopefully it will look more convincing.

CyberLink - Thanks...I hadn't really thought it looked sad, myself, but maybe you're right....

mindsiphon - It was 4000 X 1700, or something like that. I can't remember exactly. Yes, it was for someone whose dog had passed away.

jeromoo - Thanks for the comments! Seagulls would actually have been a good idea--who ever heard of a beach without seagulls, anyway? I wish I had thought of that.

cheney - Hey, thanks! I appreciate the compliment!

Eric - Eh...I was having trouble with getting the right "feel" into the background--at the end, I was going bonkers trying different things. The very light sky was just an experiment--I thought it would call more attention to the dog's dark face...and I ended up going with it. Maybe not one of my more successful experiments, eh?

eyewoo - Thank you! I'm glad you like it!

Shiro_tengu - Thank you--I'm glad the picture gets across the intended feeling to you!

Lightbringer - Thanks for the comments! This dog is, indeed, a Jack Russell. You're right about the seashell, and I probably WILL tweak that a bit, since several people have mentioned it now.

sirstudlymogal - Thanks for the paintover...I'm not sure that was QUITE the pose I had in mind, but I think I see what you meant....

visualsiege - Oh, dear... *ahem* Was the paintover a joke at my expense, maybe?

Kaete - Don't worry--I see what Light's driving at, and am not in the least offended by him. After art school and my mother, I've heard much worse. *G* I had to smile at the wolf-hound comment, because I was thinking about how much easier it would be to get some drama into a picture of a bigger, more ferocious-looking dog while I was painting this.... I'll have another look at the anatomy on those back legs there--this is the first small dog I've painted in a standing position, and I guess it shows a bit, hm?