Advanced Editingby
idnicComment by oOWonderBreadOo: **Critique Club**
Well, first thing I have to say is I really like this image. It is clever, artistic and a very unique idea for the challenge.
Some questions come to mind when I am studying this image. Is the background desaturated? The brush? The paint colors in the foreground are very muddy. Was this intentional?
That being said, I love the paints in the corner and think it was a great finishing touch. I also like the mottled colors and although they do not match the “painting” it is a minor distraction.
The composition is fair but seems very static. While I know this is hardly an action shot, my eyes are continually being pulled up and out of the image. This might have benefited from being horizontal.
The colors in the image are wonderful. They really do the job of drawing the viewer into the painting. Others have mentioned the ring being distracting and I do think it is a little. The curve of the ring is what makes it less so- it keeps the eye moving! I asked the question of the background being desaturated and I know from your comments it isn’t but still I believe it would have been better with color to help the image look more dimensional. (Albeit a muted color!)
The lighting is superb!
Your post processing techniques look good but I think you went a little overboard with sharpening. This is only evident in the haloing effect around the easel. A tip: if the rest of a photo really needs the sharpening I will go back over the haloed areas with the history brush. (Which is only allowed in advanced editing of course!)
Well, congrats on your great score with this excellent photograph!
Message edited by author 2005-12-03 17:52:03. 
Photographer found comment helpful.
