Friday, July 31, 2015

July Sgraffito Challenge (#4 or4)

The final July Sgraffito Challenge has arrived!
Today's Challenge should offer you some peace after working so hard on last week's figures.
This photo is by John Stewart, and it offers a lovely look at reflections. 
 (Guess what we're drawing this week?)

It's nice composition isn't it?  Here are 3 reasons why:

1. It utilizes a full range of value (lightest light to darkest dark)
    This makes for an interesting level of contrast.

2. The focal point (the sun and its reflection) are slightly off center
     both vertically and horizontally.

3. It follows the "Rule of Thirds".

     The 'rule of thirds' in a nutshell...  When dividing your subject photo into thirds using a grid overlay (like a tic-tac-toe board), interesting things should happen at the intersections and along the grid lines.  This particular photo is heavier on the bottom two thirds, compared to the top third.  When working on landscapes, it's helpful to begin by deciding where the emphasis should be- on the sky or the land. This way, the viewer's eye is settled since you've already decided for them what is most important to look at.  Tricky! 

This landscape by Elaine Cross is a good example of how images become 'reversed' in reflections.  This is a great brain exercise!  Also pay attention to the space between the actual trees and the water... the line where the land meets the water is almost always dark.

Your challenge to end the month of July (#4 of 4) is to create a drawing in powdered glass that shows a reflection.  You can use these photos as reference or come up with your own, make it as simple or complex as you like.  Add your photo link below when you finish your drawing so we can all enjoy it too!


Also, I'm working on something BIG for the month of October, so keep watch... Details coming next month... I'm so excited!

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