The Member's Minute: Episode 568
A Vibrant and Engaging Critique
In this episode of “The Members’ Minute,” instructor Matt takes a close look at a striking and highly detailed painting by Tünde. From the very beginning, Matt notes the visual impact of the piece, emphasizing its energetic composition and rich use of color. The painting is filled with intricate elements—flowers, vines, a fence, and a hummingbird—all working together to create a lively and engaging scene. While the complexity adds charm, it also presents opportunities to refine the overall composition and strengthen the focal point.
Understanding the Focal Point and Composition
Matt begins by analyzing the composition, focusing on the clarity of the focal point. Although the hummingbird appears to be the intended focal point, it becomes slightly lost due to the busyness of the surrounding elements. Interestingly, this isn’t entirely a drawback. The viewer’s eye is first drawn to areas of strong contrast—particularly where greens in the foreground meet the oranges and blues behind them—before eventually discovering the hummingbird. This delayed discovery creates a sense of visual exploration.
However, Matt suggests that the focal point could be strengthened. For future compositions, he recommends adjusting the placement of the hummingbird slightly upward and to the right, aligning it more closely with the rule of thirds. This adjustment would improve balance and create a more dynamic visual flow without sacrificing the painting’s complexity.
Balance, Movement, and Visual Rhythm
The painting demonstrates strong movement, guided by vine-like shapes that lead the viewer’s eye across the surface. Matt also highlights the effective use of repetition, particularly in the fence slats, flower shapes, and recurring colors. These repeated elements create rhythm and cohesion, helping unify the many details within the composition.
Additionally, the placement of elements near the edges—such as the dream catcher and lower corner details—helps balance the visual weight. These components prevent the composition from feeling too heavy in one area, contributing to an overall sense of harmony.
The Importance of Value and Contrast
A major focus of the critique is value—the lightness or darkness of color—which Matt describes as the most important element in creating the illusion of light and form. While Tünde’s painting includes a full range of values, the strongest contrasts are concentrated in the lower right portion. This naturally draws the viewer’s eye but leaves other areas, particularly the upper left, feeling less developed.
By temporarily removing color, Matt reveals that some areas lack sufficient value contrast, especially between the sky and the fence. Increasing contrast in these regions—either by darkening the fence or adjusting the sky—would enhance depth and clarity. He also suggests refining shadow shapes to create more gradual transitions and improve realism.
Color Relationships and Artistic Voice
One of the painting’s greatest strengths lies in its bold and vibrant color relationships. Matt points out the effective use of complementary and near-complementary colors, which create strong visual contrast and energy. The interplay of blues, oranges, greens, and red-purples gives the piece its dynamic quality.
Importantly, Matt reassures Tünde that the bright blue background—initially a concern—is actually a unifying element that holds the painting together. Rather than muting it, he encourages embracing this bold color choice as part of the artist’s emerging style.
Final Thoughts and Suggestions
To further improve the painting, Matt recommends enhancing contrast around the hummingbird to make it stand out more clearly. This can be achieved by adjusting surrounding values or subtly shifting color. He also suggests ensuring consistent paint application across the canvas, as variations in thickness can make areas feel unfinished.
Overall, Matt praises the originality and expressive quality of Tünde’s work. While technical refinements can elevate the piece, its vibrant color, rhythmic repetition, and unique voice already make it a compelling and memorable painting. The critique ultimately encourages continued exploration and confidence in developing a personal artistic style.
Founder of The Virtual Instructor, artist and teacher. Matt makes learning art easy to understand and enjoyable.
Hello Tunde,
What a wonderful piece of artwork. I really like how dramatic yet soft it is. I hope this makes sense to you. i am thankful that you shared your artwork with us.
Though you questioned the blue sky behind the fence I thing it adds a real nice pop in your painting. I do think that Matts suggestions of the values on or around the hummingbird could make the humming bird stand out more.
Personally I like the color of the hummingbird so making the fence a little darker so it stands out more near the blue of the sky
would be real nice. I do think that glazing is a way that would be an easy way to enhance the values of the colors.
I know that is something difficult to do with a finished piece, at least in my artwork it is for me, but the times that I have applied Matts suggestions I was always pleased, for the most part with the results.
But wow, I think that the rhythm, the colors, and the uniqueness makes your artwork dynamic and I could sit and look at it for a really long time, and discover all of the different parts of your artwork. If I were to see your artwork in a exhibition or museum it would definitely catch my eye.
,Again thank you so much for sharing your artwork with us and I hope you will share more in the future.
Teri (Artsy)
Matt. what a wonderful critique. I really appreciate all of your suggestions as it was helpful for all of us to see how to improve our colors, values, movement, etc. Also thanks, for doing a critique this week when you could have easily skipped it. Have a wonderful time with your family. Teri (Artsy)
Hi Teri,
Thank you for your kind words.
It means a lot to me. Sometimes I just lose confidence and go back and forth in my mind trying to push myself to keep going. I appreciate all the constructive criticism I can get. As a self thought artist I know that I have areas I have not mastered properly.
Thank you again for your comment.
Tünde
Hello Tunde,
I read your comments to Matt. Something I did when I first joined the Virtual Instructor was go back and watch all of the critiques. I found that the helpful advice that Matt gives every week alone was worth the membership.
Like you, I did not study and my first paintings I keep around so I can see how far my artwork has come. If I may, even if you are more interested in painting, the first lesson I would recommend is the Secrets to Drawing course.
And if it works out for you there is a new live class on Mondays called Boot Camp 2.0 and it is all about the basics of drawing to get a knowledge of the elements of art. It is a small group and we are like a family.
We also post our artwork on the forum. If your not a member it is worthwhile. We post the different courses and classes and at the same time encourage each other and if someone asks we will give simple critiques.
I do look forward to seeing you around and want to tell you that you are a very good artist.
Teri (Artsy) – On the live class Wednesday nights and the Monday’s class I go by Artsycrochet – nickname as there are many Teri’s and Theresa’s in the chat box.
Thanks Teri, I will definitely look into it.
Hi Matt,
Thank you so much for choosing my painting. I honestly appreciate all that you said. I will make the changes. Yes, you pronounced my name right, I was actually impressed. People find it very difficult to say it.
When I found this site I was so excited that I sent the painting with only few words.
It is an acrylic painting. 16″x20″ and this is a piece that I sent in to Paint Ontario but of course I was declined participation.
I was on a deadline and with my busy life I was running on last seconds that’s why, and it clearly shows, the upper left side of the painting was rushed through. The lower right corner is my favourite point of the painting. I added the dream catcher, the triskelion and the bird as symbols of positivity, freedom and connection between different life stages. The various ages of flowers would suggest youth, maturity, old age and death all perpetually unfolding on the vine that keeps growing, the bird that suggests the freedom of the mind and the spirit, the dream catcher that filters out all the negativity if we so desire and finally the triskelion that binds it all together body, mind and spirit. It was more an intuitive painting.
I didn’t plan it out properly and definitely didn’t think of the focal point and values when I did it. I could feel that something was off. I did want to change the blue in the background as I thought it was too bright but I forgot.
I do like it with the darker fence. I can’t move the bird but I will definitely keep it mind for the future .
I have never studied Fine Arts and that is one of my regrets in life, all I can do now is learn as much as I can and enjoy the process. And I have already learned so many things in just one week since I joined your school. I can call it a school, right? I love it and thank you for creating it.
Tünde