Not everything goes according to plan. If I ever forget this, all I have to do is sketch something.
My plan for this sketch (another view from the back of our condo) was to make the telephone pole the center of attention. I thought framing it with the flowers and planters we have on our deck would help with that. Unfortunately, I think the foreground objects have taken over instead of retreating to the background.
I think the single biggest mistake I made in this regard is that I made the plants too colorful, and added too much contrast. I think if I had made them more sillhouetted, that would done the trick nicely.
Or, I could have cheated, and just done a strategic crop. But what would that have proven?
I’m also not happy with the how flat the background buildings came out. I wanted to push them to the background, so I knew I had to leave details out and avoid putting too much emphasis on their color and structure. Unfortunately, I think I went too far the other way.
Oh well, they can’t all be winners. Plus, I learned something as a result. And hopefully, I won’t have to make the same mistake a hundred times before I finally learn how to deal with it.
Perhaps this doesn’t fit your initial vision, but it’s still charming. Both the flowers and the foreground plants do distract from the pole, but every sketch is a learning process, don’t you think?
I actually love the mix of colors and realisms which you’re trying to do with the electrical pole I think, and it turns out really good, as there’s enough details on the pole for people to be oggling at, and there’s this cheerful color just to keep the eyes relaxed a little, overall… it’s a great piece!
Maybe it’s not what you wanted to do, but it’s a really nice drawing anyway! Love the unique composition : ) , the details and the colors!
I hadn’t noticed anything until you pointed them out. But the telegraph pole is excellent ! (and so is the title) It’is always after the event that you realise the implications of some extra lines/colour. But then again sometimes those extra additions are the things that make it a special picture.
Jeff, thanks for the comment on my recent Tour post. I was visiting your site and thought I’d add my “two cents worth”. I actually think you accomplished your goal of the telephone pole being the center of interest. For these reasons: it has the greatest value contrast and the most detail rendered. One thing about our eyes is that they are drawn to value contrasts BEFORE color. In your colored areas there is not enough difference in the values of the colors to compete with the telephone pole. And they are fairly flat, like your background buildings so as to make the pole where your eye is pulled to. So, well, there you have it, my “two cents”…nice sketch, keep up the good work! Your bottle opener is really strong!