Research Point 4.3.0: Landscapes: Surreal / Emotional / German Expressionists / Symbolists
The results of my findings for this Research Point can be found by clicking here.
Exercise One: Creating Mood and Atmosphere
For this exercise, I was asked to consider earlier pieces I had made and how I could have created them better. I knew instantly that the piece I wanted to consider again was the one of the bench next to the path. I was unhappy with the finished piece and for some reason, it just did not sit right with me. The colours were too bold and bright, leaving the piece looking rather ineffective in my opinion. I decided that this time I would create a piece with an earthier colour scheme and a more wintery feel and to deepen the separation between the grounds. I began in the same way as I did previously, however, I then began introducing touches of different colours to the brown I was using to create a sense of colour within the piece, yet on a much more muted scale to give the piece a warmth and to help create a unity between the colours used throughout the piece.
Stage 1 
Stage 2 
Finished Piece
Overall, I feel this is a much better attempt than my previous one and that the grounds are somewhat clearer than before. The path still concerns me as it seems to just suddenly stop, so perhaps I could have created a bit of a curve to the right, taking it out of view as the fact it dips there is not very clear. Regardless of this, as a painting exercise to create mood and atmosphere, I feel I have been rather successful and actually really enjoy this way of working. Whilst the piece itself may not be perfect, I feel I am fine tuning my techniques with every exercise I carry out.
Rachael's OCA Blog: Painting One: The Practice of Painting 