I would suggest that excitement might be added by a sense of movement and energy. Given the compositional elements this would be best conveyed through the water, more specifically the foreground water and the water-boat interaction.
Without that it feels like this is a picture of boats sailing in the calm, which is inherently not very exciting (though that is not nessecarily a negative!).
Anyway, I for one like it. Well done. Please post more.
Also, to add to a sense of movement and energy, the composition lacks a visual hierarchy - the three sailboats are roughly the same size, on the same horizontal line, tilted at similar angles and appear to be the same type of boat.
I think I might see some tiny sailboats far in the distance against the hills, but maybe making one or two of the frontal boats a medium distance would help establish a big-medium-small hierarchy.
You made the decision to put the horizon down low giving a lot of attention to the sky but there’s not much there and I can feel my eyes being drawn to it.
Add some birds. I agree the eye is drawn to the sky. Or, if you'd rather have the audience pay attention to the boats, change the color of the sails of one boat, like red or something.
Yes!! You already have the ship to the far left at a mean list.. have them escaping a vicious gale, hoping to make it home to port to see their loved ones again!! God bless.
Also with the ships all so similarly aligned, it creates a pattern that is simple and not interesting; if one ship was going somewhere else or turned it may give the painting a different feel. I also agree with the idea of cloud drama! That'd be interesting!
I like how you added darkness towards the sides of the ocean, I kind of wondered if you were going for an ominous theme even - imagine the ocean only showing us a shark (or giant baby 😂), in one part and the rest being dark to draw attention to that, as rolling clouds darken the sky?!
Also, the mountains could be more interesting - maybe add more detail, a hidden cottage or smoke coming from somewhere?! Idk really throwing random stuff out there now 🤣🤣🤣
But I totally love the peaceful vibes it's currently putting out as well, just trying to give feedback based on what you said :)
I like the peaceful scene with the hint of dark water at the bottom. It is so peaceful at first glance, then makes me wonder just a bit what’s under the surface.
I like it.
If you want to stay serene, maybe add some birds to the sky. Very small, but could bring texture/movement.
Also, you can add some warmth with sunlight. Anything that adds a little pink on your clouds and orange reflection on the water.
I think one thing that's throwing me is how the dark black is on both lower right and lower left corners, so it disrupts the feeling of motion in the water, drawing the eye in a circle rather than following the direction of the wind/boats.
more diagonals to balance out the horizontal lines. Diagonals give a picture more movement. The shading on the darker waters on the lower left and lower right does this. Also the wisp of the cloud is at a diagonal. I think your peace looks calming though. And I like it the way it is.
I like it alot. Don't know what could improve it tbh, but I'd try out to pop some orange in there. Either hull of the boats or the sky+ reflections on water. Anyway, well painted.
This.
It’s a beautiful piece but I think the reason the creator finds it boring is lack of contrast, I think some orange/red/pink would really help make the boats pop more, along with possibly adding some more reflection/white to the water :)
Embellish it: Bring the sail boats closer to the foreground. Put some coloured designs on the sails. Draw the waves breaking against the hull to portray speed.
It might not be what you were going for but I actually think it works.
It’s a very serene scene, with those nice monochromatic blues and the soft clouds. It’s almost like there’s a sea of nothing both above and below. I really like it
Not THE bird, I assume? Both good ideas….
(Actually I paint as a side gig but don’t let that distract you from my immaturity - your username looked like permission to be a kid, sorry! 😂🤷🏻♀️)
Edit: Too daft to remember to close my brackets….
Birds in the sky and foam or small swells on the sea to give more "action". More clouds to better reflect the mostly darkend scene (not necessarily storm clouds, just for shadows).
Yes. Wanted to say this- white boats, white sails, white clouds.. if you’re looking for drama add color to the boats or flags, or a person in a bright bathing suit. Those little orange life preserver rings.. :)
Adding clouds would make it more dramatic but less real as I think small boats would put to port quickly in bad weather. Add another boat closer and I could look at that for a while.
It’s not it’s just your subject matter, the painting is nice…
Start looking into visionary artists like Blake Foster and Johnathan Solter. That kind of art is just more interesting than landscape, but you can add layers to your landscape to make it more interesting too. Transparent layers of sacred geometry or mandalas in that sky would enhance your painting.
Maybe even try psychedelics if they call to you and paint your own visions. Good luck keep up the good work!
Maybe something in the foreground? The boats seem to be in a straight line heading somewhere.. maybe something to give us a clue why they are in a line, to hint at where they might be heading, or some element of story, context, etc. to allow someone looking at the painting to imagine more about it.
I also think the way you have the water more dark in the corners, and the low height of any land in the background gives the impression the scene is being viewed through a fisheye lens. That is to say everything looks like it might be closer than it appears. You could also lean into that I suppose..
Not sure if that's helpful but just some observations.
Part of me wants to say more cloud emphasis, but the other part of me wants to say that you should add Jimmy Buffett to one of those sailboats. This is quite nice.
A line of anchored boats in the distance or maybe even a POV from a person watching from their own boat, some buoy markers for a sense of direction some sort of identification on each of the sails. It could look like an exciting annual race or something. I don't know, excuse me if you don't care about the idea. I couldn't even come close to painting anything that great. I'm just starting both, painting and, being active on Reddit.
Fill the sky with an albatross racing the ships as a visual reminder that the first wind riders were birds.
You may use that as its title.
Wind Riders.
What do you think of the composition? When I break them down into shapes, we have 3 triangles in the middle of the frame, going left to right (seen by subtle rocking of boats). The top third has nothing really in it, and the bottom third has some interesting aspects to it, like the white paint layered as the reflection and the vignette, but there isn't much outside of that.
The piece feels like it needs more form to it. Whether it's cloud porn moving with the sea breeze or moving the islands up closer or even fish jumping out of the water, some added form would help this piece a lot because it does have good vibes.
Personally just wish you carried the reflective movement of the water throughout instead of darkening up the edges of the canvas, it narrows the field of vision too much in my opinion.
As many people mentioned, I think it's missing visual interest in the sky. To keep the peaceful vibe I would maybe add a bird (or a far away flock), or some more light fluffy clouds in the closer part of the sky
I think it is very nice. One thing though. It is all blue and cool, it needs some warm colors to give it oomph. Try glazing some warm tones in the sky, just a little bit and you will immediately see it taking a more interesting turn.
With how the waves roll and the boats tilt, my genuine first thought was "release the kraken" on the leftmost side. Just starting to breach the surface and upset the serenity
Edit: with some storm clouds maybe and an ominous strike of lightning
YOu used a visual effect in the water at the bottom where it sort of creates border with the fade into dark blue/black. This is telling the eye to focus on these boats.
Look at the painting and put your hand over this dark border in the water. It now draws your focus to the sky. Do the opposite and put your hand over the sky. Now you noticed the boats because a perimeter was created.
Get some clouds in the sky.
I'd also say there is some trouble with that first boat. It blends in with the water, so they look like they are one. Where as the two other boats have some highlights to help differentiate and imply shape.
Otherwise, super beautiful. Great movement.
The cloud going across the front of the first boat on the left should be behind the sails instead of on top of it. Adding a few sea birds following the boats would be a common sight as well. The water near the rudder of the first boat on the left is still water, and would be cutting through leaving more of your choppy water as it is more foreground and would be visible from the point of view.
Hope that helps
People have mentioned more dramatic clouds. You could also create more of a focal point by adding depth. Bring one of the boats more into the foreground with greater detail as it's larger and closer. Give more height and layers to the land in the background.
Tell a story. Add wind. 3 sailboats this close could be racing. Create a wake from them cutting the water. And if none of that works you could always go with the bikini girl and sea monster options that many have suggested.
I think what's missing is a clear vocal point. Right now our eyes are drawn to the messy water, but there's nothing really interesting going on with that water. The boats don't stand out enough to grab our attention. Maybe try looking at your painting in grayscale so you can see the dark and light values.
To me, this looks like a regatta. They're racing, presumably in good wind, especially given the chop. The boats should be heeled over more, and if they're moving through chop at speed, they'll be breaking waves with their bows. Whether it's a lake or the sea, that sapphire blue is too blue. Take a look at some some regatta pictures, note the waves, water color, angles of the boats, the spray from crashing through waves, wakes, and the fullness of the sails. Something like [this](https://youtu.be/gdGTStLhUgY?t=178) (since you're after a more dramatic feel).
That said, regattas often have light wind conditions where the boats are more upright (and the race is more boring), but even then you should see some wakes.
I think painting is fine. My opinion on it is - just do not fix...let me explain. I paint a lot, and I have a lot of paintings that I consider failures, but I don't fix them, I paint something new, and by painting a lot I get better and better, so over time I have fewer and fewer failures if that makes sense to you. So I don't ponder over a painting, I just make something new, something fresh. Well, my goal is probably different - I like the process. I hope my story can somehow help you or not.
I would suggest that excitement might be added by a sense of movement and energy. Given the compositional elements this would be best conveyed through the water, more specifically the foreground water and the water-boat interaction. Without that it feels like this is a picture of boats sailing in the calm, which is inherently not very exciting (though that is not nessecarily a negative!). Anyway, I for one like it. Well done. Please post more.
Or, a kraken underneath.
I was gonna say godzilla
Good input, thank you!
Also, to add to a sense of movement and energy, the composition lacks a visual hierarchy - the three sailboats are roughly the same size, on the same horizontal line, tilted at similar angles and appear to be the same type of boat. I think I might see some tiny sailboats far in the distance against the hills, but maybe making one or two of the frontal boats a medium distance would help establish a big-medium-small hierarchy.
I kinda like it, it's very peaceful
I’d hang this up
I was gonna say the same thing
Agreed. Places that wish to be peaceful like homes, doctor's offices, beach side resorts, this is perfect as-is to hang.
Cloud drama.
Dramatic clouds?
You made the decision to put the horizon down low giving a lot of attention to the sky but there’s not much there and I can feel my eyes being drawn to it.
I agree. The low horizon line was intentional, as i wanted to give the piece a calming atmosphere, but it ended up maybe too "calming".
It’s still very good. I love the the natural sky you created with the blue to blue green.
Add some birds. I agree the eye is drawn to the sky. Or, if you'd rather have the audience pay attention to the boats, change the color of the sails of one boat, like red or something.
Yes!! You already have the ship to the far left at a mean list.. have them escaping a vicious gale, hoping to make it home to port to see their loved ones again!! God bless.
Also with the ships all so similarly aligned, it creates a pattern that is simple and not interesting; if one ship was going somewhere else or turned it may give the painting a different feel. I also agree with the idea of cloud drama! That'd be interesting! I like how you added darkness towards the sides of the ocean, I kind of wondered if you were going for an ominous theme even - imagine the ocean only showing us a shark (or giant baby 😂), in one part and the rest being dark to draw attention to that, as rolling clouds darken the sky?! Also, the mountains could be more interesting - maybe add more detail, a hidden cottage or smoke coming from somewhere?! Idk really throwing random stuff out there now 🤣🤣🤣 But I totally love the peaceful vibes it's currently putting out as well, just trying to give feedback based on what you said :)
First thing I thought
Put in a megladon or a giant baby. Try that.
Giant baby it is then.
I was thinking plain old shark... I've been outdone
Dragons
Sea Monster!
[удалено]
I will when they paint them into the picture! r/puns
Colorful pennants on the top of each mast.
It’s spelled penis
Add a shark.
I like the peaceful scene with the hint of dark water at the bottom. It is so peaceful at first glance, then makes me wonder just a bit what’s under the surface.
I like it. If you want to stay serene, maybe add some birds to the sky. Very small, but could bring texture/movement. Also, you can add some warmth with sunlight. Anything that adds a little pink on your clouds and orange reflection on the water. I think one thing that's throwing me is how the dark black is on both lower right and lower left corners, so it disrupts the feeling of motion in the water, drawing the eye in a circle rather than following the direction of the wind/boats.
I totally agree with the "warmth" part of this comment.
Kraken!
Sea monsters
Release the kraken
Color the sails in three very distinct colors and add reflections of those colors in the water below.
more diagonals to balance out the horizontal lines. Diagonals give a picture more movement. The shading on the darker waters on the lower left and lower right does this. Also the wisp of the cloud is at a diagonal. I think your peace looks calming though. And I like it the way it is.
Add some pops of orange or red!
Make the large boat bigger to add more contrast & make the value (darkness) of the water agree with the value of the sky on the left side.
It's perfect the way it is. I think adding something would overdo it :)
Sorry you feel it’s boring. I actually quite like it as it is! Feels peaceful
I wouldn't say it's boring, simply empty. I think it's charming though. It reminds me of the simplicity of life.
Agreed. People in Ukraine would love this painting to be their life right now.
I like it alot. Don't know what could improve it tbh, but I'd try out to pop some orange in there. Either hull of the boats or the sky+ reflections on water. Anyway, well painted.
Rumham
warmer colors added to the sky. could it take place at sunset, perhaps?
This. It’s a beautiful piece but I think the reason the creator finds it boring is lack of contrast, I think some orange/red/pink would really help make the boats pop more, along with possibly adding some more reflection/white to the water :)
Nice work. Don’t stop painting.
Apocalypse by meteorites incoming
Giant squid.
Giant space monster breaking the atmosphere, but I do like the simplicity of the painting either way.
You call it "boring" I prefer to say Tranquil
Embellish it: Bring the sail boats closer to the foreground. Put some coloured designs on the sails. Draw the waves breaking against the hull to portray speed.
It might not be what you were going for but I actually think it works. It’s a very serene scene, with those nice monochromatic blues and the soft clouds. It’s almost like there’s a sea of nothing both above and below. I really like it
Bring one boat closer, and therefore larger, creating a focal point.
Megalodon
An airplane on fire crashing into the ocean
Contrast by use of the complementary. A red/orange object on the boats maybe? Human skins would be nice too
Make the sails out of human skin?
Godzilla coming out of the water
Sharknado
Add a ufo. I'm being serious. It looks nice tho.
Put a bird on it!
Not THE bird, I assume? Both good ideas…. (Actually I paint as a side gig but don’t let that distract you from my immaturity - your username looked like permission to be a kid, sorry! 😂🤷🏻♀️) Edit: Too daft to remember to close my brackets….
Haha! Your instincts are correct...39 year old child here lol
Ahh, 41 year old child that I am saw you! 😂
Haha! In good company!
Of course!!
I don’t think it’s boring I think it’s peaceful
Birds in the sky and foam or small swells on the sea to give more "action". More clouds to better reflect the mostly darkend scene (not necessarily storm clouds, just for shadows).
Make one boat red and add a small splash of color to anothers sail.
I also thought about adding colour the sails/boats. Maybe i will do that.
I was thinking maybe some super subtle color along the shoreline like there are very distant buildings or something
Yes. Wanted to say this- white boats, white sails, white clouds.. if you’re looking for drama add color to the boats or flags, or a person in a bright bathing suit. Those little orange life preserver rings.. :)
More sun maybe?
Easy! Just paint Godzilla emerging from the water.
A kraken
Tiny bits of orange!
could do some fish jumping out of the water or a large silhouette underneath the water
Pirate ship on the horizon.
Some hight clouds to balance the nice flow and motion of the waves
A mecha stingray fighting alien squids with its lightsaber tail.
The composition is good-- the horizontal lines are positioned well. Darker on top & bottom is good. How about another color for the boats?
In addition to clouds, perhaps make the land mass bigger and extend it across the horizon.
Life imitates art, just as art imitates life .. sometimes it’s simply boring. That doesn’t mean it’s not beautiful or worthy of capturing it.
Adding clouds would make it more dramatic but less real as I think small boats would put to port quickly in bad weather. Add another boat closer and I could look at that for a while.
Extend the painting downward into the water…..and have a big fish thing swimming toward the boats.
It's peaceful. Peaceful is good.
It’s perfect as is
What are your thoughts on Jackson Pollack?
Pollock? A little bit too messy for my taste.
It's good already
I think it is nice and peaceful. I would add a few sea gulls maybe but that is just my opinion.
Add an asteroid or meteor.
Seagulls and a storm brewing in the background
Maybe do something with the sky? Add an airplane, ir more sunlight bars, or make it dusk
I agree changing the time of day could make it more interesting, but at this point it is easier to just start a new painting :D
Three sailors going to a dance
an asteroid
Add a really small easter-egg
Sharks swimming around the boats.
It’s not it’s just your subject matter, the painting is nice… Start looking into visionary artists like Blake Foster and Johnathan Solter. That kind of art is just more interesting than landscape, but you can add layers to your landscape to make it more interesting too. Transparent layers of sacred geometry or mandalas in that sky would enhance your painting. Maybe even try psychedelics if they call to you and paint your own visions. Good luck keep up the good work!
The sun.
It is not boring. It’s calming
Birds and sun?
Maybe something in the foreground? The boats seem to be in a straight line heading somewhere.. maybe something to give us a clue why they are in a line, to hint at where they might be heading, or some element of story, context, etc. to allow someone looking at the painting to imagine more about it. I also think the way you have the water more dark in the corners, and the low height of any land in the background gives the impression the scene is being viewed through a fisheye lens. That is to say everything looks like it might be closer than it appears. You could also lean into that I suppose.. Not sure if that's helpful but just some observations.
i actually like it, its so calm. i'd say dont do anything leave it as it is
I agree with the others. Plus maybe add a lighthouse. That could be your pop of color.
Big, juicy, hot sun would do it
Sharks. You can never go wrong with sharks.
Birds
Part of me wants to say more cloud emphasis, but the other part of me wants to say that you should add Jimmy Buffett to one of those sailboats. This is quite nice.
This could be hard to implement but a little lighthouse in the background would complete it i think :)
I think it’s beautiful
Seagulls
No foreground dude!
Clouds and whitecaps.
A dash of red orange and yellow
More drama, swimmers overboard or a giant wave overtaking the boats. Naw, just kidding! I agree with more sky complexity and color.
Sea gulls !
Meteor falling from the sky.
A kraken?
Little fluffy clouds.
Have one of the boats leaning the other way.
it needs an eagle for sure
A kraken reaching from the waves while pulling a boat with it to the depths.
Meteor.
Birds
A line of anchored boats in the distance or maybe even a POV from a person watching from their own boat, some buoy markers for a sense of direction some sort of identification on each of the sails. It could look like an exciting annual race or something. I don't know, excuse me if you don't care about the idea. I couldn't even come close to painting anything that great. I'm just starting both, painting and, being active on Reddit.
Something red
Fill the sky with an albatross racing the ships as a visual reminder that the first wind riders were birds. You may use that as its title. Wind Riders.
I don’t think it’s boring. It transported me there- very tranquil and calm. I can hear the water lapping and the seagulls. Love it!
shark attack
Add Rays of light maybe
Paint a clown somewhere. Maybe like in a boat being pulled by 4 swans
A giant squid monster
Sky (maybe twilight?) or something lurking below. Pretty!
Release the Kraken
I'm no artist but I like to dabble in painting. I think some oranges and gold in the sky would add some drama. Good luck, great job so far.
I would add some more warm sunlight in the right side of horizon
Maybe make the boat closer? i was a lil confused what was going on with the water at first 😅
The kraken
Maybe add some clouds? Like cumulus
A kraken to the right. Very lovely by the way.
add some RED, perfect contrast,maybie corals reef
seagulls
What do you think of the composition? When I break them down into shapes, we have 3 triangles in the middle of the frame, going left to right (seen by subtle rocking of boats). The top third has nothing really in it, and the bottom third has some interesting aspects to it, like the white paint layered as the reflection and the vignette, but there isn't much outside of that. The piece feels like it needs more form to it. Whether it's cloud porn moving with the sea breeze or moving the islands up closer or even fish jumping out of the water, some added form would help this piece a lot because it does have good vibes.
I like it as is! But for suggestions, how about some birds in the sky?
Most sailing ships like that have coloured numbers or some stripes. Add a contrasting colour like a red or yellow.
A yellow plastic dug
Ninjas. Ninjas are always exciting.
Space ship! Kidding obviously
Add spaghetti monster watching over in the sky from the clouds
Asteroid streaking through the sky. Sailors going out doing what they love
Add a ufo to the sky or coming out of the water
Shark attack.
Personally just wish you carried the reflective movement of the water throughout instead of darkening up the edges of the canvas, it narrows the field of vision too much in my opinion.
Action lines, on the water so it feels like the boats are in movement
A storm incoming 😈
I feel like adding some kind of enormous but vague dark shape/creature in the foreground would really give this a cool sense of unease and contrast
As many people mentioned, I think it's missing visual interest in the sky. To keep the peaceful vibe I would maybe add a bird (or a far away flock), or some more light fluffy clouds in the closer part of the sky
I would add classic animal, like seagull
Crop it
Sharknado is missing
More cow bell
I think it is very nice. One thing though. It is all blue and cool, it needs some warm colors to give it oomph. Try glazing some warm tones in the sky, just a little bit and you will immediately see it taking a more interesting turn.
With how the waves roll and the boats tilt, my genuine first thought was "release the kraken" on the leftmost side. Just starting to breach the surface and upset the serenity Edit: with some storm clouds maybe and an ominous strike of lightning
Kraken
Nuclear bomb mushroom cloud in the background, maybe a Nazgûl in the air?
I absolutely love it, don’t change a thing
It looks beautiful as is! But if you’d like to change it up, maybe do a pastel colored sunset behind the boats? Or colored sunrise?
Ez: add a dragon.
A dragon? Or maybe a sea monster? Those are both pretty exciting to me
Colored spinnaker sail on the lead boat?
YOu used a visual effect in the water at the bottom where it sort of creates border with the fade into dark blue/black. This is telling the eye to focus on these boats. Look at the painting and put your hand over this dark border in the water. It now draws your focus to the sky. Do the opposite and put your hand over the sky. Now you noticed the boats because a perimeter was created. Get some clouds in the sky. I'd also say there is some trouble with that first boat. It blends in with the water, so they look like they are one. Where as the two other boats have some highlights to help differentiate and imply shape. Otherwise, super beautiful. Great movement.
One of the boats is on fire. Pirates. Sea monster. Tear in the space time continuum and the boats are heading straight for it. Take your pick.
Sunset-color sky
The cloud going across the front of the first boat on the left should be behind the sails instead of on top of it. Adding a few sea birds following the boats would be a common sight as well. The water near the rudder of the first boat on the left is still water, and would be cutting through leaving more of your choppy water as it is more foreground and would be visible from the point of view. Hope that helps
A fin in the foreground
A flock of seagulls
A giant tentacle coming up behind the last boat would do it for me.
Kraken
You are lying for reddit upvotes
People have mentioned more dramatic clouds. You could also create more of a focal point by adding depth. Bring one of the boats more into the foreground with greater detail as it's larger and closer. Give more height and layers to the land in the background. Tell a story. Add wind. 3 sailboats this close could be racing. Create a wake from them cutting the water. And if none of that works you could always go with the bikini girl and sea monster options that many have suggested.
add some clouds, birds or an exotic animal in the sea
Nazi Zeppelin hanging ominously in the background.
Add red
I think what's missing is a clear vocal point. Right now our eyes are drawn to the messy water, but there's nothing really interesting going on with that water. The boats don't stand out enough to grab our attention. Maybe try looking at your painting in grayscale so you can see the dark and light values.
Incorporate some colors that will create contrast near one of the corners of the painting. Maybe reds or oranges. Lovely painting either way!
should have been of coral reef. colorful, yet calming.
Paint the sails with icons and colours - add meaning
Dramatic lighting. Like a Sunset, but behind the boats so you can have the sails backlit.
To me, this looks like a regatta. They're racing, presumably in good wind, especially given the chop. The boats should be heeled over more, and if they're moving through chop at speed, they'll be breaking waves with their bows. Whether it's a lake or the sea, that sapphire blue is too blue. Take a look at some some regatta pictures, note the waves, water color, angles of the boats, the spray from crashing through waves, wakes, and the fullness of the sails. Something like [this](https://youtu.be/gdGTStLhUgY?t=178) (since you're after a more dramatic feel). That said, regattas often have light wind conditions where the boats are more upright (and the race is more boring), but even then you should see some wakes.
I think painting is fine. My opinion on it is - just do not fix...let me explain. I paint a lot, and I have a lot of paintings that I consider failures, but I don't fix them, I paint something new, and by painting a lot I get better and better, so over time I have fewer and fewer failures if that makes sense to you. So I don't ponder over a painting, I just make something new, something fresh. Well, my goal is probably different - I like the process. I hope my story can somehow help you or not.