Week 8: what an astonishing array of creativity

Enjoy the ever burgeoning fruits of your labours guys, these are terrific!

Anne: this is going really well. The close dark toned colours inside the large canopy are excellent. You can use this as your guide/reference for all the other tones as this is the darkest area. The whole painting needs to be dark so that there is maximum contrast with the small triangle of sunset.

Pat: well done on your first completed project in the group, this is fantastic.  Skillful technique giving rich surface textures. For your next project look for a subject that gives you the opportunity to build on the same skills, use of colour, blending to consolidate your learning.

Christine: love the palette that is emerging and the depth of colour. Think how you can further develop the treatment of "bars" on the horse's back as discussed and how you might develop a stronger palette for this area.

David: this is a really good start. Love the colours and the blending on the horse. In the sky areas think about how you might have shapes within the blue perhaps in different shades of blues and light purples? Try to build up more layers of pastel on the paper to strengthen the colours if you can.

Janice: wonderful close tones in a rich velvety coloured palette. Bottom right corner works so well now with its close, dark tones. Look again carefully at the white diamond on the horse's nose and see if you can find any other, subtle, colours. 

John: super treatment of the horse's flesh and colours. Continue working on the rectangular area of the grass. To make it a more unified shape make even your bright greens darker so it is becomes hard to distinguish where green shapes end and the more earthy brown shapes begin - close tones.

Linda: excellent steady progression. It's good to see even at this stage you are controlling the tones of the colours so the contrast is kept more subtle. When all the remaining large white areas of unpainted paper are covered you will get a better measure (eye) and understanding of the overall palette (potential).

Margaret: great to see you enjoying this challenge and having a right good go at it. Keep adding colours on top of those already there and blend them thoroughly. We will take stock when you get back. Looks like it will be another good one.