This was the client’s reaction to the seascape sketches:
“I really like the 1st place painting – almost everything about it – some clouds but not over bearing to ruin the sky, the colour of the sky, the reflection in the water (of the sea and boat) , the type of boat is great as well.”
Good to know that he agrees with my selection and aims for the painting. His second comment was the following:
“Having said that I also like 5th place!! What was it about it that made you put it at number 5? I can see that the clouds perhaps are too much… so perhaps 4th is better?! Perhaps I like these because the boat is in the position where i imagined it (not to say I necessarily want it there!) ”
It wasn’t so much that I liked it the least, but the clouds were quite strong in the 5th painting and the sky very orange. With the 4th painting, I liked the way the brightest part of the sky is just behind the sailing boat, making the sail glow rather than being in silhouette.
Overall these two paintings are very vivid and I am looking to create a softer, more serene scene. I too had thought the boat would probably be placed here, at the focal point, but having painted these preliminary pieces I feel it’s more pleasing to look towards the focal point then ‘read’ from left to right, taking in the boat. This area also has the least detail, therefore by positioning the boat here, allows for it to be slightly closer and with more detail.