Cloud Castle

Ethereal and benevolent, this piece harkens to a tranquil beauty. With tremendous vision and detail to atmosphere, this is a piece that brings a sense of cool warmth and stye to mind.The subject matter as a whole is very appealing, and the use of perspective and lighting are well done. Atmospherically the piece draws you in and brings a sense of scale and wonderment.

The use of pastels and light are a wonderful choice which adds a subtle blending of cool and warm to the piece. With the creamy hues of the clouds and mountainsides in contrast to the cold purple of the castle bring focus and direction. The use of color is a strong force here.

The colors overall work in harmony, yet to a point that the piece is somewhat obstructed by a lack of definition and structure which gives it the appearance of being flat. Objectively, the lack of hard lines and definition bring this piece down, as having them would greatly enhance the perspective and scale of the piece. It is with the notion that the lack of hard lines and a reliance on light and color to homogenize the piece was the intended goal, but a bit more structure and definition would be appropriate and would help to create depth.

Technically, there are some issues with a lack of texture, as the piece seems very washed. Clouds seem to be overly-blended and the textures vary from one to the next. Its a tad distracting, seeing that the artist is fully capable of greater detail. The Castle demonstrates the latter point to a "T". Textures would greatly enhance the believability of the piece and would naturally enhance the appeal.

Overall, the piece is a wonderful step in the right direction. The artist is successful in creating an atmosphere, and the use of colors and light are splendid. The points which draw this work down is a lack of texture and definition, as without those two key elements, the piece is somewhat flat and unbelivible.

Great work overall.