Snow Fall Watercolor Painting Critique

[Rob Smith]

@Lee-White Thanks for the advice and ideas. Here is the repaint. I was up late last night and just couldn't find my way through the snow covered trees or the mood that I want to set. This is the third repaint! I need to work on more snow covered trees like these.

Through the magic of the edit button I added a top image. This one reflects the changes made to the actual painting such as the kids are now seen sticking their tongues out to catch the snow flakes.

Comments and critiques please. Thanks all for your input so far!

[Dulcie]

@Rob-Smith It's a huge improvement For what it's worth I loved the colours in your original piece, with the pinks added...but the new one is much more accomplished, big difference with the trees. They must be really difficult to paint! I love the turquoise fading out across the page and the snow trails look more natural with the broken lines. I prefer the more saturated version of the latest piece personally (love the saturated turquoise). I don't really have any suggestions, though the one thing I'm not sure about is what the children are doing? (are they looking up in wonder at the falling snow?) Anyway it's beautiful work

[Rob Smith]

@Dulcie I made some changes digitally per your suggestions. Thanks for your input!

[Naroth Kean]

love your watercolor work as always and yes it looks much better, but for some reason I really want to see at least those character expression even very subtle.

[Lynn Larson]

Gorgeous work Rob! Can i send you my snow when it gets here? hehe

[Rob Smith]

So far, here in the Northwest we have only seen rain the past couple of weeks. I appreciate everyones comments.

[Nancy Gormezano]

I love the new colors, and the idea of the kids sticking their tongues out. However, if you hadn't said that's what they are doing, I'm not sure I would have know. Maybe I would have? When I expand to a larger view I see it. Perhaps a slightly different angle on the kids heads might make it more readable? And perhaps the poses for the 2 kids could be less similar

But overall a Very very lovely, appealing and charming piece!

[bharris]

I love the color you've given the snow!

[Rob Smith]

Thanks all for your suggestions. I think what I will do is repose the kids to make their actions clearer. I will do this on a new sheet and then scan it and add it digitally to the image.

[Charlie Eve Ryan]

This is so pretty Rob, and the colors in your revised piece are really nicely handled. I agree that the tongue, though cute is not reading well and I think a side pose would be much stronger for that particular action.

[Rob Smith]

Here is an updated painting. I repainting everything including the sledders.This time I painted the scene on 140 lb Hot Press Arches watercolor paper. I scanned the figures in separately and merged the images in Photoshop. Is this image reading better? Thanks again!

[Leontine]

Nice work Rob! winter is a great time for beautiful snow paintings...There's one small thing, the threes in the front don't have snow?

[Lynn Larson]

Ooooh, this one is best by far! Such beautiful colors! Leontine is right about the snow though hehe

[Charlie Eve Ryan]

Love the postures here, gives a really nice sense of movement. The colors are wonderful, it's such a hard medium and you are working it well!

[shinjifujioka]

For me, there's a wonderful feeling of childhood in this piece

[Dulcie]

@Rob-Smith again great work…your skills are so good The children are so much better, seeing their faces is much more engaging. I like the colour drift from pink into yellow from the trees, leads your eye down to the children. I also like on this one, the light white highlight on the snow trail in the top corner, small detail but I like it. The one thing that bugs me a bit, not meant to be criticism just a thought…but I did like the way you painted the trees on the second piece…the way you could see the trunk, a few branches, and the snow highlights so precisely painted. I wonder if maybe the middle blue tree on this last piece could use just a couple more snow highlights, a bit like the second piece…might also help to emphasise the light from the right hand side…but it is beautiful work…I think this last piece is the best overall especially in terms of the values and composition…. (zooming out it has good impact at small size)…. and the way it leads your eye across the page

[Rob Smith]

I took everything that you guys pointed out and made some corrections. Thank you!!! Here is the updated painting.

[MOO]

@Rob-Smith

It looks more lively and a bit lighter-or brighter. I thought your first one was great-loved the colors but this one does feel more light and active.

[Naroth Kean]

now that is very lovely!