Critique and comparisom requested.

[squbrigg]

Hi folks,

I need your help, or at least your opinion. As many of you know, I enjoy doing sea scapes of sailing ships. I have chosen to do them in Basswood and burn in some effects, and have been fine tuning them as I do them, over the years. I was challenged to try some variantions on the carvings, to help me improve on my work and I appreciate the effort that a fellow member took to help me take it to the next level in my scenes.

The suggestions were to carve some clouds into the scene and to burn the seas darker in the troughts (low spot between waves) and lighter on the crests (high area of a wave) of the seas.

I have just finished an attempt at incorporating these suggestions into a carving, and would like some opinions on the results. Actually, a comparisom between two scenes, image A incorporating the suggestions, and image B, carved in my usual fashion.

1: I would like suggestions, on how to improve either carving?
2: I would also ask, which carving is more pleasing to your eye?

Any and all feedback is greatly appreciated. I am looking to improve here folks, so please be free with your criticism.

Bob

[Eddy-Smiles]

Bob... I've done many woodburning projects but only a few relief carvings so my opinion is subjective at best. Personally I prefer the clouds in your original work and the sea in your enhanced work. To me, the clouds in B over power the ship. And the the darkening of the waves in B makes the ship stand out.

[Mark Dellinger]

Bob,

I have to agree with Eddie. I love the new effect in the water really looks great, but the clouds are over powering. I'm not sure that I can explain myself but I'm going to try. The scene is in rough water during a storm. You have captured that in the detail in the water. I'm thinking the clouds need to be darker as the water and more on the horizon behind the ship. I'm not a sea type person, but it seems like from the vantage point that we are seeing it from, that the clouds would consume the back ground and not be so dominant in the fore ground. Hope I made sense. I can see what I'm saying just can't say it.

Safe carving and God Bless,

Mark

[Dileon]

Ok this is just my opinion, and feel free, to trash can it, as you have the right to take opinions and not take opinions, always go with you gut feeling. OK? When you do clouds, they are not one mass. They are more light and airy....I would carve the clouds but not burn them. Look at your clouds, they are all the same shape and in the corner which attracts attention, I understand that you are trying to do a storm but storm clouds have a whispy feel, get lots of pictures of clouds, I do it via search engine and then print them out. The same with your water, do not repeat in size and shape, in the ocean their are big waves and little waves. although I like the burning as it makes them stand out. And continue you are really getting the hand of it!

[toycarver]

I am with Di, I don't know woodburning, but those clouds do not look like clouds to me.

[Tom Ellis]

Bob, I like the effect of the white caps in A, but I agree that the clouds are just too stark of a line across the carving. Your old style still looks great, and I know you will get this perfected.

Tom

[William]

Hi Bob,

I'm reluctant to make suggestions because your work is so good.

Photography is another hobby and many of the things can be applied to carving, one of the things is the "rule of thirds" and that would apply more to image "A". In photography it's generally better not to have the focal point in the center (but not always). Christina and I were just talking about this with her dragon and I'm going to show her dragon because it's such a good example of the rule ( hope she doesn't mind).

I think the ship should be the main focal point with the clouds and waves being the other thirds.

Art Rule of Thirds -- Art Composition Rules and the Rule of Thirds

Bill
^v^

[Soggy]

Well Bob first let me say both carvings are so far ahead of anything that I could produce that I shouldn't be commenting................but I will .
Overall I prefere carving "A". In my opinion the ship is as it should be . I like the waves , but maybe they should increase in size as they approache the foreground, thus giving the scene more depth.
As for the clouds; . Something just doesn't look right about them, it (to my eye) looks as though the ship is sailing in under a cliff, or possibly an iceberg. I think Di's suggestion is the idea that you should go with.
Regardless of which way you choose to go, they are still very nice carvings
Wayne ( A landlubber who only lives by the sea)

[Thor]

Hi Bob,
You certainly know ships, and the sea, and I always marvel at the information and knowledge in your carvings. I suppose a sailor never loses his passion for the sea.
William, I don't mind using my carving as an example at all. I'm kinda flattered.

I think the design could use the rule William is explaining. You did put the ship slightly off center, and you put your horizon lines about 1/3 from the bottom. I think the shading of the burning could accent that more as a gradation to the distance.

An excellent artist to study would be Winslow Homer's works.
Winslow Homer - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Between "The Gulf Stream" and perhaps "Breezing up" you can see how that horizon line can really be used to bring you eye to the space.

Uniform wave shapes and shading kind of flatten the carving where variation of hue or shading can sink that horizon line back into space.

Just things to think about for the next ones. I like these two very much. Both have qualities that will combine into even better pieces.
Christina

[Merle Rice]

Hi Bob, I agree with what has been said and like B the best. Merle