Thursday, August 13, 2009

Fail Book 4 - Another Burial at the Bus Graveyard

(click to embiggen)

I'm a bridge geek so I made Hubby stop so I could take photos of the underside of this huge bridge over the river. It wasn't as interesting as I had hoped, but there was the most interesting collection of abandoned busses, campers and trailers under there. Cool! Serendipity.

I really liked this particular old relic with its curved humpiness. A 1940's model perhaps?


Question:
I went back and forth on whether or not to add color to the bridge. It is white stucco, so not much going on with it as far as actual color, but I could have added shading where there is now hatching.

Hubby said no, he liked it stark. I decided no because it would detract the eye away from the bus, but it seems unfinished. I think it's because there is so much inked detail but no color.

What would have been the optimal solution for a finished, balanced painting? Leave out the bridge altogether? Only include a few lines to suggest the bridge is there? Color the bridge? Color the trees too?

What would you have done?

4 comments:

john.p said...

I like it as it is. There's a lot going on there. The curve of the bridge frames the bus roof line. The 'new' of the bridge is a nice contrast to the old bus. And yet they are both related by transportation. And, from Kate's class I can see that the cool colors in the sky and concrete are a nice contrast to the warm colors of the bus. So there! It may mean something if I knew what I was talking about.

Speck said...

Thanks John. It wasn't until after it was finished that I noticed all the contrasts. It came out pretty cool in spite of me. Now I wish it wasn't in The Fail Book. But of course I didn't know it *wasn't* going to fail when I started.

Watercolor Sunday said...

Wow, I love this. Love old school buses, especially agree with your description of it. Those are my favorites too.. rounded humpiness. There is something about that orangy-yellow that brings back the odor of crayon. Love the school paper lines through it too.

Speck said...

Watercolor Sunday - Thanks! I hadn't thought of the tie between the school paper and the school bus. That's kinda neat.

I love the smell of crayons. This time of year I want to buy big basketloads of school supplies. Sigh. I want to be in third grade again.