Art Critique

Tried mixing up different color combo's, and I like the way it turned out (⁠｡⁠･⁠ω⁠･⁠｡⁠)

Done 3 so far. What do you think?

Need more Ideas to make it 6 or 8.?

Thinking of Doing a setis of these..What do you think? Got to think about what adventure s they could get up you

This is “Elephant Majesty,” a colored pencil drawing of an elephant on Fabriano Artistico paper.

I’d really appreciate specific critique on:

• Do the values (lights/darks) feel strong enough, or should I push contrast further?

• Does the texture of the skin read as realistic, or are there areas that look flat?

• Any suggestions for background or composition changes that could elevate this piece?

All levels of critique welcome – feel free to be detailed and honest. Thank you in advance!

Hi everyone! I’m Taru, an artist based in Fremont, California. I work primarily in colored pencil, focusing on wildlife and nature – everything from delicate songbirds and flamingos to elephants and peaceful Buddha imagery.

I’ve been slowly building my portfolio and selling through Etsy, and now I’m looking to push my work further by getting more thoughtful critique. I’d especially love feedback on:

• How I can improve realism and depth in fur/feathers and textures

• Composition choices (cropping, backgrounds, focal point)

• Anything that would make my pieces feel more “gallery ready” and professional

I’m very open to honest, constructive criticism, and I’m happy to offer feedback on others’ work as well. Looking forward to learning with you all and leveling up together!

I'd love to get some feedback on this image of a moose grazing in a stand of trees...hence the shadow and very close-in focus on the head. Like, don't like, what would you/should I do differently in terms of processing? Do you know anyone who would put it in their space...I'm not asking for referrals....just wondering if it is marketable.

The weekend is over, and today is day four of shooting in manual mode only.  And what a weekend it was for spectacular failure.  

This weekend, I am reminded that people perpetually insist on being complex in new and exciting ways, which is why I both love and sometimes avoid them.

I had two social gatherings lined up, which felt like the perfect time to graduate from photographing made up of bricks and leaves. However, unlike trees, people move. A lot, as it turns out. Erratically. With no regard for my learning curve.

Just as I thought I was getting the hang of this photography thing, I remembered why I almost rage-quit a few weeks ago.

At the outdoor gathering, nearly every photo was blown out. The day before, indoors, we might as well have been cave spelunking. You wouldn’t have been able to tell anyway. Every shot came out as a dark, mottled splotch, despite the light not seeming that dim to the naked eye. (Or an iPhone, for that matter.)

I corrected the shot slightly (attached to give you an idea.)

In both situations, I could tell something was off in the preview, but the frenetic energy of a large gathering took over. I found myself overwhelmed, scrambling after my quarry and thumbing through different setting combinations mid-shot.

Even the two concepts I thought I was beginning to understand (aperture and ISO) suddenly felt more complex in tandem with everything around me on the move. It turns out knowing something in theory and using it in real time aren’t the same thing.

Ultimately? I walked away with one or two salvageable shots and learned some new cool editing tricks in Adobe that helped me fake it. But this time, editing, which is usually my favorite part, felt like icing a stale cake - not the cherry on top.

That said, this weekend wasn’t a total loss. My friend’s husband, an acclaimed product photographer, showed me that aperture changes depending on the lens and even how far you’re zoomed in.  Mind blown.

Final thoughts? I might need to heap a photography class in alongside my Italian lessons. With just 41 days until Italy, I’m determined to get this right.

If you want to follow along as I figure this out, in real time and with varying degrees of success, you’re very welcome here. And if you have photography tips, I want to hear them!

This is a ICM image that I tweaked. Thoughts....good, bad, indifferent?

Went to one yesterday, and wanted to express the lively crowd that was there, as more and more people go there with the arrival of spring :⁠-⁠)

I created a small series of stencil art. this one I added a lot of details. I have two images of it, one for prints and one for original. It looks freaky and scary. I like dark art, it illustrates life, just as a beautiful landscape evokes some type of emotion.

Masks, hide but they also can reveal a persona you keep hidden. Carl Jung had a lot to say about Masks, and the shadow persona. Sometimes my art is about what I read about, and the feeling I get from that.

Creativity is flexible, has no rules, no reason and no purpose. To me it is amazing another person connects with something I do. It makes me feel less isolated, and confirms I am part of the human race. Its an intimacy of the spirit shared, a nod to each other's sense of connectiveness.

I'd appreciate your honest critique.

What do you think about this portrait?

Let me know witch one is your favorite.(⁠^⁠^⁠)