Oil Painting: View from the window

[Jan Klosowski]

http://www.republika.pl/jankgallery/images/Jan_Klosowski_View_From_The_Window_2004.jpg

"View from the window" (2004)
Oil on canvas.
160x160cm

Jan Klosowski

[savii]

Wow, this is amazing. I really like the pieces composition and its use of light. The figure in the foreground is obviously the star of the show and it shows compared to the background figure, which is my only real crit about this piece.

The figure in the back looks great, and I can see what you were trying to do with him, but it looks like he is ever so slighty off balance, only slightly. Also I think his right hand side leg looks a bit off, but I dunno why, its puzzling. Also his feet give the same feeling, something looks a bit odd, but cant put my finger on it. Don't get me wrong though, I still really love this piece, the womans face rocks my world totally, love it.

How long did it take? Keep it up!

[USER777]

wow! great realism achieved on the figure in the foreground!
nice work on the cloth, the face and the hands.
The character in the background imo ruins the pic.. it doesn't fit the mood and isn't very well worked out (only in comparison with the foreground girl)..
his feet aren't connected with the ground and this way he seems to be floating a bit above the ground..
nice work anyway!

[Denart]

a very unique and beautiful painting. Extremely interesting.

I really love the clear difference between the fore figure from the back figure <3

May I ask why you dressed the man like that? Any reasons behind it? It's effective!

[DRESDEN]

WOW. Really beautiful painting. The background figure doesn't seem to be totally finished. But other than that, it's amazing.

[Elwell]

55% beautiful, but the background figure kills it. It looks like it was painted by a different person.

[Skank]

beautiful work on the forground! great edges and use of color on the skin <3

but, as has already been stated, the background figure detracts greatly from this piece. its obvious you used a great refference for the forground, and it seems that you didnt use one for the background, and it throws it off. the colors in the background are nice however, but the figure needs alot of work.

please post more, and if you update this piece, please show us!

;)

[Blackwell]

Wow, this is really amazing. Great detail, even down to the vaccination scar on her shoulder.

Interesting compostion. Is the figure in the background a mannequin? The pose and random clothing indicate that. Any story behind this one?

[demeter_luna]

Wow this is great. As some people have already mentioned, the backgroud figure doesnt quite fit in this picture.
But then, it actually might be the reason you put him there, to throw the viewer off balance, to shatter the sense of serenity. It realy is awesome :)

...... And totaly gorgeous!
And you have a lot of patience to add all the little prints on the dress :$

[el coro]

great forground figure. your paintings are beautiful. gotta say i agree with the masses about that background figure tho. i would really be inclined to take another pass or paint it out eintrely. great stuff tho overall. nice to see some oils!-c36

[Denart]

lol, are Savii and I the only ones who actually likes the back man? :$

even the great frazetta does it in this painting (http://frazetta.ragnarok.no/images/frank_frazetta_thebarbarian.jpg)

[el coro]

well, the frazetta is a different case altogether. regardless of the detail, the brushwork and rendering style is consistent throughout. the thing that stands out on Jan's painting is that the forground figure is rendered in a very realistic way, where the background figure isnt. and not just in terms of the brushwork, but also the values and color choices are too different. they just dont tie together as well as they could. as an oil painter i can certainly sympathize with the descision not to spend a ton of time on the background figure, since it would take alot of work to get it up to par with the girl in the forground. but if the time were spent, it would greatly benefit the picture. again, great work Jan, BRAVO!-c36

[Elwell]

I understand why the background figure is there, and I have no objection to it conceptually. But right now it's drawn and painted so poorly compared to the rest that it's distracting. If the forground figure were painted the same way it wouldn't be getting as many ooh's and ah's, but it would be a stronger piece because it would hold together and be internally consistant.

The selective focus that Frazetta uses is something totally different.

(EDIT: damn you Coro, you beat me to it!)

[Jan Klosowski]

Hm, background person is controversial I see.

Well, I was trying make some kind of painting perspective: background is not so perfect like foreground, even a little frustrating crooked. It was part of my idea. Wide angle and deep of view make it stronger.
Maybe now on a screen it looks like you said. But it's not illustration but paintings and people looking at canvas don't have those objections so often.

Thanks for your critique.

JK

p.s. This painting is completely finished. I really like what people feel looking at this even if it doesn't looks so perfect as I want.

[Boom]

wow. excellent piece.

I can understand what you say about perspective effect you tried out on the background figure. And it works perfectly. When i focus on the girl by the window the figure in the background melts in very, very nicely. Giving the paiting more depth than if everything has been painted with same level of detail.

bravo!!!

[Joachim]

Great painting !
But, I agree with what the others have said. Honestly I don't think you inerpret the feedback correctly, because I can understand that you wanted to have the background differently etc.. But, what really bothers me is that you can obviously see that you've used photo reference for the girl, but not on the character behind. And, therefor it also comes really clear to the viewer that the painter behind this piece does not have the amount of knowledge to paint the background character with the same value and lighting detail as he has used from the reference on the front figure. I can understand that partly this was your intention, but somhow because of the extreme differences you feel that the front is a photo and the background is made by a painter that needs to study more, so personally I would really consider taking a couple of photo references to get the surface shading and light values to look somewhat real on the male figure.
Sorry if this sounds harsch, but I think this is so close to a great painting, but the quality differences kind of kills the picture a bit...and it's not to late to fix it.

[Jan Klosowski]

There was only one photo (based on earlier sketch) considered both persons (second with big DOF). I think that value of colors and posture of background person is correct but offcourse it could be painted much better - I'm still not a pros.

I understand what others said: structurally you're right but now this painting is living its own life and this imperfection has become its integral part.

[Denart]

well, the frazetta is a different case altogether. regardless of the detail, the brushwork and rendering style is consistent throughout. the thing that stands out on Jan's painting is that the forground figure is rendered in a very realistic way, where the background figure isnt.

yeah, I was somewhat thinking about that when I posted my previous reply. Thanks for reinforcing it Coro! ;)

[defcombeta]

bloody good stuff, the forground is fantastic, the blurring of the rear character looks odd the lack of detail also clashes with this strong foreground element.

still worlds ahead of me so what do i know :bashful:

john mac

[Chingwa]

heh... kinda like a vermeer, yet... not :D Love the painting though. Gives me kinda a creepy feeling, like she really shouldn't be opening up the window. Nice job!

[Capt. Fred]

only real problem with character in the background as I see, are the feet which aren't in perspective. The whole picture is in perspective apart from those feet.

I still love it. It's beautiful.
I think it's the dress which does it for me.