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RiEile — -Rusalka-
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#estonia #mermaid #sea #seascape #sunset #tallinn #watercolor
Published: 2018-05-07 19:26:01 +0000 UTC; Views: 1876; Favourites: 166; Downloads: 11
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Description
With Mermay on the rise, I decided to paint something on the topic. This is a view from the memorial to the monitor ‘Rusalka’ (Russian for mermaid) that sank in the Gulf of Finland in 1893. On the shore you can see the lights of Tallinn.Watercolor on lanaquarelle rough paper 18x26 cm
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Comments: 43
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Thank you! I'm really happy about this one. I like adding some fantasy meaning to the mundane.
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I thought I had faved this earlier but apparently I just commented on it back then without faving. I'm glad I got to see this again. It's like meeting an old friend.
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Thank you! Maybe next time there emerges a mermaid
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Beautiful. I love how peaceful this looks. <3
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Hello, I’m a member of and I’m here for a critique
It’s a very beautiful vista! And I don’t think of warships when I look here; I think of Rusalka from Slavic mythology. Will I find one here?
I must say this is painted very well, especially the waves and the almost rainbow reflection of the city lights. And it’s also good that you illustrated a human on the beach so that we can properly grasp the proportion of the landscape 
Now as for suggestions, you already have illustrated good value in this picture… but maybe you could touch it up a bit on Photoshop? The contrast is also good, but maybe a bit more would work? This picture appears to be “whitewashed”, or in other words, it looks like the paint is dull. There is some saturation, but it still appears murky and muddy. Watercolors can have that effect – perhaps you could try touching it up with other type of paints?
Now although this is a nice vista, it still feels “Empty” and somewhat boring. I’m not sure if you wish to capture the stillness and beauty of the area, but it might help if you illustrated some birds or some ships at sea. Or maybe a moon peeking through the overcast sky.
And here’s a small suggestion… it might sound ironic since the warship is named “Rusalka”, but maybe you could add a mermaid in the water? Just a silhouette, so that the man could be looking at something. That would make this image fit in better with Mermay because there is an actual mermaid in the picture
I don’t have many more good suggestions for this picture because it’s very calm and serene. Watercolors can sometimes be murky, so I suggest trying to sharpen up the image for a more crisp appearance. But you still did a very good job painting this, especially because night and overcast sceneries are both very hard to illustrate on their own. So congratulations on that!
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Thanks a lot for the comment!
I actually intended for the guy to we looking at the sea waiting for an actual mermaid to emerge
Interesting that you said that, I usually desaturate all my images before posting here, as I like when stuff is gray-ish. Although this one was not desaturated.
Hmm... birds... Should incorporate them in my next seascape
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You're welcome!~ 
I look forward to your next seascape picture!
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Hi there,
This is proof that you are truly very talented. The piece has a great atmosphere and has spot-on perspective and proportion. The reflections on the water are very accurate and the colours of the piece are realistic and well-chosen. I have to say, at first I thought that it was a photograph, and it was only until I checked that I realised it was a painting. I know that it can be very hard to draw waves in watercolour and I applaud you for this.
There is really not much I can say to improve, although maybe a bit more focus on the man would be nice to round up the picture and bring it all together. WHile saying that, you have effectively done depth in this.
Keep up the amazing art.
from project comment.
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Thanks a lot for your kind and thoughtful comment (and for the watch)!
Focusing on the man would be nice, but it would make a different painting
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This is very beautiful. You totally nailed the perspective on the sky. The selection of colors works well together. This reminds me of the views over the mouth of River Kymi in Kotka in my childhood. I wish I had more to say about this but I can't think of any ways it could be improved.
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Thank you!
Finnish landscapes are beautiful indeed!
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(I found your piece in the gallery in ProjectComment and it struck me immediately as being one of the best pieces currently in that gallery!)
This is a lovely piece of scenery! I love how evenly you painted the hues of the sky and even got a nice soft gradual fade between the lighter and darker tones. I’m also impressed with those little points of light in the town, and I know (having a little watercolor experience myself) how difficult it is to get a tiny point of a light color surrounded by a large portion of the canvas covered in a dark color! Well done! I love how you captured the gentle waves as well as the silhouette of the person casually standing in the foreground by the shore—it’s all very subtle and creates a calm but slightly forlorn mood.
Is this painting based on a photograph? Did you paint this while you were standing on the memorial in order to get that specific view? If I may ask, what made you want to paint this location?
When I read your title, I think I was hoping to see some hint of the presence of a mermaid or some sort of fantasy element in this piece, but after reading your description, the lack of such mythological content made more sense.
It’s honestly difficult to come up with a criticism of your piece. (I’m struggling to find something wrong with it!) The only less-than-shining thing that I can say about this piece is that it is less-shining than some of your other pieces I noticed. It’s a relatively simple painting—which is possibly your purpose with this piece and thus is not necessarily even a bad thing—but I would guess that, while it’s perfectly beautiful, the simplicity of this piece may mean that this will not be the most attention-grabbing piece in your portfolio or gallery. It’s lovely, but some of your other pieces have more of a “wow” factor to them. For example, this piece shows off your talent much more impressively when it comes to detail, perspective, architecture, framing, composition, etc.: fav.me/dc140ei
One quick glance at your gallery makes it obvious that you are a VERY talented artist! Please keep making beautiful work! God bless you!
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Thank you for your kind and thoughtful comment!
This painting is based on a sketch I made on the spot and on a photograph (painting there would be problematic as it was quite dark
And you are right, it is not supposed to be shiny, it was an exercise in painting dark realistic scenes in watercolor, as I feel that I am not good enough in making things dark and yet not dirty.
Good luck to you too!
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It's cool to hear a little more about your piece and the creation behind it.
I think you really did succeed at making this piece dark and beautiful and calm and a little moody without making it look dingy or dirty. You really did! And your work truly is lovely.
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Very beautiful. I love the dots of light across the way and how they reflect on the water. I also love the blue of the gulf and the sky; so dark yet tranquil.
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Incredible technique. You have created a truly eye catching work.
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Great use of Atmospheric perspective here. Even though they contrast the way the sky fades into the distance and the way the ground and sea fade into the horizon really work well to give some depth.
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Lovely composition dear Maya. I really like how lighter top and darker bottom are balancing each other here. Colours are so beautiful too.💕❤
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Thank you for your comments and favs!
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Ah, yes, "Rusalka"...
I've read about these Russian mermaids once, most interesting they carry a comb with them at all times, if my memory serves me.
I think it was so that the magical power of a Rusalka resides in her comb, or was it her hair... Don't remember exactly.
Anyway, nice addition to the "Mermay" gallery!
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They do indeed
Thank you!
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This is so cool!! I actually thought this was a photograph at first glance
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Wow, this looks great. Expected mermaids as soon as I saw the title, but this is even better tbh
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Aside from technically outstanding I like it for its atmosphere mostly. A little melancholic but beautifully so
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It looked like a photo in the thumb! Very beautiful!
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Thank you! Luckily it doe not on full size
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The darkness and the combination of water, twilight and city lights is moving! Wonderful painting.
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This is a very beautiful painting...the colours and the atmosphere are amazing!
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Oh wow this is amazing! Goodness that sky is a work of art in itself, and so it the beach, goodness gracious this is really beautifully done. The city in the background with the little silhouette person gives a great sense of scale, and the colours are all so perfectly picked and blended, it is really gorgeous!
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Thank you! Blending of colors is mostly thanks to the paper, though
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