Invasion

#1

Looking for critique. Thanks!

#2

The composition looks pretty balanced, and the warm/cool color contrast is effective. I think the fortress can be raised higher in the composition so it’s not nearly level with the figure–this would create a stronger sense of awe–that it is a destination high up and challenging to get to (I don’t know if that’s what your narrative is about though. Can you tell us?).

The readability of some areas is a bit vague and looks odd, such as how the foreground figures are holding their swords. The figure at the right doesn’t seem to have the sword placed properly in his grip–it’s a bit too high. The figure behind him has the hand painted a bit too transparent and lacks a sense of solidarity.

The brushwork is a bit coarse IMO. I know you’re going for a painterly look, but there are different types of brushwork, and expressiveness isn’t limited to that coarse style. How you use different brush types to match the surface property and the rate of turning of form can make a huge difference in the aesthetic sensibility of your entire image. There are hard-edged brushes, soft-edged brushes, bristle marks, speckled marks, flat strokes, gradated strokes, banded strokes, broad strokes, etc, and they all produce different looks, and some suit certain situations better than others. When you study master painters, you’ll see how they deploy different brushwork for different situations, and that is one of the reasons why advanced painters’ work looks very different from those who haven’t learned to use brushwork effectively.

#3

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