27 x 18
We return to our now-familiar diner and truck. It's not a road painting, but I see it as belonging to the same series. It's a road trip series now, and you can't talk about road trips without talking about diners!This one was done from a photo reference (see below) and as you can see, I moved some things around to build my composition.
The painting right now is 27 x 18 and so far has taken me about eight or nine hours, with at least six hours invested in the sky, the least complicated part of the picture. I just couldn't get it right!
Getting the sky to read as sky isn't so hard. Because my palette is limited, color harmony wasn't a problem. But the sky has such a dominant effect on the overall mood of the painting that every little decision I made in the sky seemed to change everything!
I tried more blue, less blue, more clouds, more atmosphere, less, more smog and dirt, more clarity, different types of clouds... I must have repainted the entire sky at least a dozen times. And each time, the trees had to be reshaped, too.
Oh I had color studies, but when I scaled up, what worked at the little size was overwhelming at the larger size, and I had to abort my plan.
I'm still not satisfied. I think the colors are getting close - the mood is finally how I envisioned it, but pictorially I want a little bit more defined shapes (sharper edged) to the thunderheads, and I'm having some trouble making that work with the rest of the picture.
...And then I had this thought; I'm obsessing over the part of the picture, while extremely important and influential to the overall mood, is neither the visual nor the conceptual focus. Do I really need that much sky? Let's try cropping it out a bit.
I have to be able to frame this painting in a ready-made size frame, so with that in mind, I tried several cropping options in Photoshop;
24 x 18
This is 24 x 18. I like it better already. See how quickly the overall effect changes? I always marvel about that when I explore cropping after the painting is (more or less) done.
16 x 20
18 x 18
18 x 18. Got to think about the balance of visual weights of the different elements. Unequal distribution of visual weight is much more preferable.
14 x 18
14 x 18. I've cropped out the blue part of the sky, so it's no longer clear that we have thunderheads in the distant sky. I love thunderheads as a seasonal visual cue. Although it isn't really applicable in the part of California where I live, in many parts of the world it's a familiar signifier of a hot August afternoon.
12 x 18
12 x 18. Not a ready-made frame size, but I happen to have a frame this size in my studio so what the hell. Try it out. The sky is now a very minor player.
8 x 18
8 x 18. I don't have a frame this size, but we've come this far, let's try taking out the sky altogether. Hmmm... interesting. I like the lack of contrast in the truck compared to the diner. I would push that direction in another painting and make the diner more dominant.
8 x 18 w/chair
Just for fun, I took out the little table thing in the extreme right and placed a chair in the "area of maximum contrast" in Photoshop. Now I have a more definite focal point. We have a very different story / mood from the original 27 x 18 painting, don't we? It usually bugs me when I have to deviate from the original concept or story due to the undeniable fact that I wasn't able to communicate an idea–to me, that means I lacked skill. Stumbling across a new idea during the struggle is, nonetheless fascinating and if the new story is a good one, I might even be excited about it and try and do a fresh canvas so I can do it properly. I think this is one such case.
I'm curious to know what you think of the different croppings. Which one is your favorite and why? What kind of feeling do you get from the one that works for you, as opposed to the ones that don't? Is it a purely technical, design-based response, or does your emotional response change as well?
Vote on your favorite cropping in the sidebar, and let me know why in the comments!!
I'm curious to know what you think of the different croppings. Which one is your favorite and why? What kind of feeling do you get from the one that works for you, as opposed to the ones that don't? Is it a purely technical, design-based response, or does your emotional response change as well?
Vote on your favorite cropping in the sidebar, and let me know why in the comments!!
21 comments:
Terry Miura,
I find that the square format works and "balance of visual weights of the different elements" is the reason. The sky becomes a little player with small details so balances well with details throughout the composition. But, it is rare that a square painting can pull this off. So I'm drawn to this as it is unique and unusual.
12 x 18. It's cropped in just enough to be intimate in the setting, yet it shows just enough of the sky and background to be mysterious and barely there... Plus I like how the horizontal and vertical lines frame the composition...
I liked the 14 X 18 - It gave me a feeling it was about the diner - liked that the parking stripes remained (once again - giving me the drive-in feel). The truck was integral to the feeling , but most of all the tiny condiment table just out of the edge and the intriguing shadow it casts completed the atmosphere for me.
I DID like the sky pictures but then it turned into a landscape with trees (and not so much the diner feeling).
24 x 18. strangely, I was looking at the sky before I looked at the rest of the painting thinking how beautiful. but to me the larger size says "road trip" better than anything. Plus the shape of that tree is perfect and beautiful. you really get a feeling for those dusty old diners out in the middle of nowhere on a hot day and that tall, unmanicured kind of tree that you find when you're driving out in the country.
I will stay with the original 27"x18, i dont like when the paintings are cut off in the top, the sky makes me breeze,and as they say, if it is good why to change it.when you stop painting and you start thinking you loose the freshness of the act of painting.
I'm with Jesus on this one. I prefer the original 27x18. At the very least, it'd be a shame to crop off that great sky and atmospheric perspective. The inclusion of the sky really helps to bring a sense of place to the diner and tells more of the story.
27x18 All your strong verticals read best in this format. The rhythm of the verticals & horizontals form a better design with the other supporting elements. Its always about design first everything else second....
Although I like the 27x18, I think the light became more dramatic with the 24x18. The tall trees on the left became more dominant. It was easier to follow the tall trees left to right, then down the clouds, to the dark trees above the diner, then back to the left following the diner awning to the truck. This made the diner (for me) dominant, over the truck, due to the higher contrast plus an easier, perhaps quicker, flow for the eye. The closer you crop in, the more the truck and the diner fight for importance. I think either object are intricate to any road trip, and any crop you choose will still fit with the road trip series. But I believe the diner should win in this particular painting. You gotta eat too!
Driving through California's Central Valley, I'm always enthralled by the enormity of the sky and the haze that lies between it and the farmlands below--in the original painting, you've captured this perfectly. It gives me a sense that Nature is out there just waiting to reclaim everything, and in the first painting, it feels like the truck is halfway there as it's visually joined with the trees behind it, contrasting nicely with the blindingly fresh white paint of the diner. The croppings change that, feeling more and more airless, and instead switching the focus to just the truck and the diner, which for me is just not as interesting.
I like the way the 24X18 tree dominates the diner and truck, and I think helps make said truck and diner the focal point. That's my 2 cents!
I see your zooming in on a subject from the ref photo. So from that I see the 27 x 18 is not bad but, I'd choose the 24x18. It fills the canvas plain and simple. The subject(Tree and building) touches at least three boarders which makes it nice. The old truck plays a minor role I think and adds to the enjoyment of looking around the picture. The others although some are good just don't sing with me as much as the 24 x 18 crop, just right.
Although I'm wondering if changing the design to make the Tree, truck and store connect. This I mean moving the truck towards the foreground more and then move it to the right so its more in front of the side of the building. Also making sure that the tree is connected to the truck(Truck covers part of the tree). Might work better, maybe some sketches?
~Kirby
I prefer the 24 x 18.
As a kid coming from New Jersey to Southern California, I was most impressed with the the big blue skies and the Eucalyptus trees. Those trees and their scent dominated the southern "historic" 101 and the scenic interior roadways of the state. So for me, keeping the full tree is a nostalgic necessity that matches the "antique" truck.
I like the 14 x 18 size, Terry. I think because it leaves just enough sky left to set the mood for the type of day, which also lends to the story. I like how you mentioned that the various crops kind of change the story. Cutting out so much of the surrounding area makes me hone in on a small diner that could be set in 1940's or 1950's south...('Course, the old truck and old architecture lend to that feeling...) But you can almost sense time standing still and the old ways still in place...Lazy days of summer and old timers gathering to discuss weather, crops, and town gossip over coffee...Just images I love!
It's great to see such dedication to and exploration of one subject matter. I really like the original 27" x 18" format. I think it provides a great contrast between the expanse of nature (in the vast sky and towering tree) and relative minute nature of our journeys and lives as we make our road trips. I find it quite humbling, as I do most road trips.
I find the smaller, more square or cropped versions too cramped. The sense of freedom is lost for me somehow.
I agree with everyone who likes the 24 x 18" crop. Great interpretation/manipulation of the reference--thanks for showing that.
The 24 x 18 looks best to me, composition-wise. Leaving in all the sky (in the original) lets us go off the top edge too easily. The heavily cropped versions look claustrophobic and maybe a little fussy. The chair is too obvious; the bit of table is great. The 24 x 18 looks like a nice stop for a lemonade after a rather dusty, hot and sweaty ride in the old truck; I hope there's AC in the diner.
Given a choice, I prefer the 18"x18" crop. Chris Bungart's insightful analysis works for me. I would simply add that the square presentation adds mystery to all the objects in the painting. The large Eucalyptus, the diner sign, the truck, the diner, and the table are all partially shown. The viewer is challenged to complete the story(s). Yet, the lighter value of the diner makes it the main event.
Glad to have found your blog...wonderful paintings.
The smaller the image gets, the more the white post on the left divides the painting into two equal parts. The table on the right is too nice to lose, plus it keeps your eye in the painting. I agree with Kirby that moving the truck to the right to connect it to the diner might be something to explore. This is another beautiful Terry Miura painting, but the 24x18 feels split down the middle to me. You've got the tree and truck vs. the sky and diner. In my opinion, the sky at the top of the 27x18 unifies the painting more than the cropped versions, so that's my vote!
Almost any except the 18x18 works for me. If I blur my eyes on the square one, the verandah post and roof look like clock hands meeting almost dead centre. I guess you could call it "half past two" :)
I don't do the technical "reasons why" something works. My own compositions tend to be more intuitive - they either work or they don't. That's great when they work and a real pain when they don't. I don't envy you this task - especially if the time comes to take a saw to it.
If I had to choose, I'd go 24x18, just because.
14x18 = I'd like to eat at that place and I'm hungry. Quite intimate and local feeling
27x18 = Road trip and feeling free and in an unfamiliar place where your senses are more aware of your complete surroundings.
Thanks for posting all the different options. It's a good lesson in composition.
Hi Terry,
I enjoyed your cropping experimentation. I think all the sizes except the 8X18 is great. Each really evoked in me a different mood and feeling. Although I knew before the importance of cropping yet your showing it in sequence ad how it was changing my feelins was just exciting and amusing...really I was amused. I am excited to do this cropping experiment in my amateursish paintings...thank you for sharing.
Post a Comment