In the July issue of The Artist, Paul Talbot-Greaves set readers the challenge of painting from a photograph with the aim of creating hard, soft and ragged edges.

Of the reader versions sent in, Paul selected the work of Matthew Sewell (see below) for critique saying: 'A great attempt at the challenge Matthew. I can see how you have used softer, cooler greens in the distance and this really pushes them back. You have also achieved some nice variation in your edges with the hard edges and ragged edged shadows. I think the trees work, but could be bettered by adding a dark value to bring in the range of light/mid/dark. Also, use bigger blocks of colour with damp into damp value changes, as opposed to too many stippled hard-edged marks that make the trees a little too busy. To do this, try to paint through half closed eyes as this will help you to consolidate a lot of those smaller marks.'

Of the challenge Matthew said: 'This is watercolour on Langton rough, 305x229mm, incorporating hard and soft edges, washes and broken colour; wet-into-wet and wet on dry'.'

You can see all of the reader versions of Paul's challenges in the PaintersOnline gallery by clicking here.

More challenges from Paul continue in the summer, August and September issues of The Artist - click here to purchase back copies.