It doesn't lack structure, I think it's lacking a bit more depth. I actually like your composition more because it has more air and a calmer feeling to it.
Depth in this case comes mostly from aerial perspective. That means the colors in the distance should become cooler, softer, less saturated and less contrasted, while the colors in the foreground should be warmer, more saturated, more contrasted and more detailed.
Right now, the foreground in your painting becomes a bit desaturated, while the middle ground carries the stronger colors, and the background is already cooler. Because of this, the depth hierarchy gets mixed up a little and the painting starts to feel flatter.
So the color intensity from the middle ground should move more into the foreground, while the middle ground itself should become slightly quieter and softer. The background already works nicely because it feels cooler.
There is also the question of texture and brushwork. In the foreground we see these light textures and brush marks, but their size and sharpness stay very similar in the middle ground as well. This again flattens the image. In a painting, the foreground usually needs larger, clearer and more defined textures, while the middle ground should have smaller and softer brushwork with less visible texture.
If the same brushstroke size appears both in the foreground and in the middle ground, the painting starts to lose spatial separation.
So if you slightly saturate and strengthen the foreground, reduce the saturation and texture definition in the middle ground, and keep the background cooler, the painting will gain much more depth.
Compositionally, I actually think your version is much nicer than the reference. You opened up the space more, added more air and atmosphere, and the image feels lighter and more poetic. In many ways, I think the painting already has a stronger mood than the photo itself.
Thank you! I'll keep this in mind in my next studies! I should distinguish foreground and background not only by values but by softness of colors and brush textures.
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u/Overall-Bird2121 8d ago
It doesn't lack structure, I think it's lacking a bit more depth. I actually like your composition more because it has more air and a calmer feeling to it.
Depth in this case comes mostly from aerial perspective. That means the colors in the distance should become cooler, softer, less saturated and less contrasted, while the colors in the foreground should be warmer, more saturated, more contrasted and more detailed.
Right now, the foreground in your painting becomes a bit desaturated, while the middle ground carries the stronger colors, and the background is already cooler. Because of this, the depth hierarchy gets mixed up a little and the painting starts to feel flatter.
So the color intensity from the middle ground should move more into the foreground, while the middle ground itself should become slightly quieter and softer. The background already works nicely because it feels cooler.
There is also the question of texture and brushwork. In the foreground we see these light textures and brush marks, but their size and sharpness stay very similar in the middle ground as well. This again flattens the image. In a painting, the foreground usually needs larger, clearer and more defined textures, while the middle ground should have smaller and softer brushwork with less visible texture.
If the same brushstroke size appears both in the foreground and in the middle ground, the painting starts to lose spatial separation.
So if you slightly saturate and strengthen the foreground, reduce the saturation and texture definition in the middle ground, and keep the background cooler, the painting will gain much more depth.
Compositionally, I actually think your version is much nicer than the reference. You opened up the space more, added more air and atmosphere, and the image feels lighter and more poetic. In many ways, I think the painting already has a stronger mood than the photo itself.