The Conversation

Italy - just saying.

Ha! *lol* Partially. How's that for an answer! *smile* Brian

Love it already Brian! The conversationalists are lit up beautifully.....looking forward to the outcome.

Hey! Thanks, Fiona, for the great comments. I'm experimenting so anything could happen. Brian

Nice tonal work Btyan..

Don't know what happened to your name Brian, would certainly have confused your students!

Great sketch will look forward to the painting.

Hi Brian, I've painted a fair few street scenes, a couple of London etc (all on my gallery). This will make a good composition with a rather recognisable tower in the distance. My issues on your mono version is the direction of light and the tonal values. It would have more impact if you introduced much stronger tones, darkest nearer the foreground with the tower in the distance being much lighter in tone. (aerial perspective). Also try and be accurate and positive with the shadows, people cast shadows! If you are working from a photo, use it as a guide but add your own creative input. The colour version needs to have these same tonal values. nothing changes in value just because it's colour. I hope you don't mind me making these observations, I know you haven't asked for critique. If you wanteded me to do a quick tonal study to show what I mean, just let me know. (It would be later on today or in the morning).

Great sketch. Look forward to seeing the painting Brian.

Thank you very much Guy, Sandra, Alan and Rachel, for the encouraging and most useful comments. Appreciated. Not to worry about the name, Guy. I have a different one altogether in my gallery. *grin* I'm going to start on the oil today, Sandra. It's a small canvas to experiment with so hopefully I'll be finished later. Alan! I don't mind critique at all, not in the least, quite the reverse actually. I'm a great believer in constructive critique, be it negative or positive, viewing it as a gift to the writer/painter/chef etc. Your observations are great and very useful, and I'll have them close to hand when painting today. I checked your gallery and enjoyed SO many of your paintings, AND they DID help. Thanks for that. A tonal study would be absolutely great, Alan! If time presses, no worries. I'm dipping my toes in the city scene, Rachel, so I'll do my best with the oils today, but don't hold your breath. "Nothing ventured", as the saying goes. *smile* Best to all Brian

Thanks Brian, glad that was of some help and my advice was useful. A busy day today visiting and restaurant lunch etc, with the family. I will try and knock-up a quick tonal sketch later for you in ink, a ten minute job!

A great sketch Brian, I look forward to the finished painting

The sketch already looks great, can't wait to see your finished version 😀

Brian, I've done a quick tonal sketch but I can't post it on here, no facility. I'll pop it on my blog page. I hope it helps.

Thank you very much Margaret and Linda, for the very encouraging comments. I've spent most of the day finishing a landscape and adding some details to the bigger version of this painting, but I intend to have a bash at it tomorrow or maybe later today, although my eyes are a bit tired now. Anyway, I appreciate the kind words. Much obliged, Alan, for the very generous support. Thanks a lot for taking the time to help out and I'll nip over to your blog now. I hope lunch went down well. We eat late in this house so my tummy is still grumbling. Best to all Brian