Megan" Still life #1" --20"x16"

Critique of Megan's Painting by Sarah ...BCC Student

Different brushwork techniques would enhance this piece greatly, as the majority of the brushstrokes are similar and very smooth. Perhaps up close they differ, but from the picture they all look alike. This would add more texture to the background, making it more interesting, although I do like the different shades of colors, giving the illusion of light to dark. The fruit looks rather cubist. Perhaps more detail in the fruit would give it a more realisitic feel. I'm not too fond of the composition as I favor more of the objects in the painting rather than most objects being cropped off. It is evident that the fruit is the focal point, but I think that by either painting one additional whole element would show the relationship better between the objects. To enhance the illusion of light and shadow, more highlights on the violin and the fruit would be beneficial, as well as more shadow on the underside of the lemon and upright pear. To enhance the relationship of colors, more red can be brought into the background or cloth in the foreground, instead of just incorporating the red into the apple and the upright pear. Either that or bring some purple from the background into the fruit. To enhance to sense of form and volume in the painting, more detail in the violin or lion would benefit the painting as a whole. Some more detail in the lemon would also make it look more like a lemon. It is obvious that it is a lemon because there are other fruits surrounding it, but without those fruit, it would be hard to identify. To suggest more movement and rhythm in the painting, bolder brushstrokes in the background can be implemented. To the artist, I realize that time was an issue, and I'm sure you would've made more changes that you thought necessary to improve the painting. I do like how the yellow of the lemon and the purple of the background complement each other nicely.