Problem Solving for Oil Painters

Idea

Is There a Good Abstract Idea Underlying the Picture?

What Details Could be Eliminated to Strengthen the Composition?

Does the Painting “Read”?

Could You Finish Any Part of the Painting?



Shapes

Are the Dominant Shapes as Strong and Simple as Possible?

Are the Shapes Too Similar?



Value

Could the Value Range be Increased?

Could the Number of Values be Reduced?



Light

Is the Subject Effectively Lit?

Is the Light Area Big Enough?

Would the Light Look Stronger with a Suggestion of Burnout?

Do the Lights Have a Continuous Flow?
Is the Light Gradated?



Shadows

Do the Shadow Shapes Describe the Form?

Are the Shadows Warm Enough?



Depth

Would the Addition of Foreground Material Deepen the Space?

Does the Background Recede Far Enough?

Are the Halftones Properly Related to the Background?



Solidity

Is the underlying Form Being Communicated?

Is the Symmetry in Perspective?



Color

Is There a Color Strategy?

Could a Purer Color Be Used?

Do the Whites Have Enough Color in Them?

Are the Colors Overblended on the Canvas?

Would the Color Look Brighter if it Were Saturated into its Adjacent Area?



Paint

Is Your Palette Efficiently Organized?

Is the Painting Surface Too Absorbent?

Are You Using the Palette Knife as Much as You Could?

Are You Painting Lines When You Should Be Painting Masses?

Are the EdgesDynamic Enough?

Is There Enough Variation in the Texture of the Paint?