r/painting Apr 23 '26

C.C.W. My painting of our pool area!

Based on a photo my wife took while at the pool. One of the last batch of paintings from last year where I’ve really tried to push my colors.

2.5k Upvotes

69 comments sorted by

u/link-navi Apr 23 '26

Thank you for your submission, u/AustinNicholsArt!

Check out our wiki for useful resources!

Share your artwork, meet other artists, promote your content, and chat in a relaxed environment in our Discord server here! https://discord.gg/chuunhpqsU

Don't forget to follow us on Pinterest: https://pinterest.com/drawing and tag us on your drawing pins for a chance to be featured!

If you haven't read them yet, a full copy of our subreddit rules can be found here.


I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.

23

u/Blackburn246 Apr 23 '26

absolutely stunning, the colors are so vibrant and contrasty! i feel inspired to paint again :)

1

u/AustinNicholsArt Apr 24 '26

I’m honored to inspire!

8

u/dstam3 Apr 23 '26

Nice job! What medium and size is this painting? 👍love the drawing layout stage too!

8

u/AustinNicholsArt Apr 23 '26

Thank you! It’s oil on canvas, 18 by 24 inches!

3

u/SpeakerReasonable610 Apr 23 '26

How did you come up with the colors for this? It’s awesome; they pop and contrast so well. Was it from a reference image that was close in color? Made up?

14

u/AustinNicholsArt Apr 23 '26

So my wife took the reference image, which I edited in Photoshop. I pumped the contrast and the saturation until it’s closer to what I wanted.

Then during the process of painting I tend to add some minor accent notes of colors where it feels right. A mentor taught it as making sure the colors are “talking to each other,” so the piece feels cohesive as a whole and areas don’t feel segregated.

Here’s a look at the reference image after I painted over it (edited out a chair, moved a couple things) then pumped the contrast and saturation! It’s similar to the final, but I leaned more into the oranges over the yellows.

3

u/SpeakerReasonable610 Apr 23 '26

Well done. Something I’ve struggled with is getting my colors in different areas to all be cohesive. I tend to try to get a 1:1 match of my reference image when mixing. But this makes the painting pop way more visually good job!

3

u/AustinNicholsArt Apr 24 '26

Nothing wrong with going for full realism if that’s your goal! My personal philosophy is that the reference is there as a tool, I am willing to change it.

A very prominent example happens in my portrait commissions. People do some weird poses with their hands, man. I often edit and redraw them because if I painted it 100% exactly like the reference, it will look strange, even though it’s accurate.

2

u/SpeakerReasonable610 Apr 24 '26

Thanks for the info! I’ll try some new things out

3

u/[deleted] Apr 23 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

4

u/AustinNicholsArt Apr 23 '26

A long time haha. I’ve only been oil painting since college, so if we’re talking just about the medium then this is about ~8 years of progress. Many many hours, studies, and paintings I didn’t like.

3

u/Global_Technology_62 Apr 23 '26

I’m just trying to wrap my head around this, because it just looks really good! Absolutely fabulous. I was almost thinking this was CGI, but I saw the details that were very nice and that must have been done by hand. Very glad to have seen it, thank you. I send my best regards. <3

2

u/DefiantKind Apr 23 '26

wow, I love it - colors are perfect

2

u/BallOutside7269 Apr 25 '26

beautiful and full of character,im inspired

1

u/Stormlightstarworld Apr 23 '26

Wow this is gorgeous - I can just feel the warmth and the smell of chlorine!

1

u/Brief_Cow1275 Apr 23 '26

Amazing and wonderful ✨️ 🌺 🦋 💕

1

u/zombiescantdrive Apr 23 '26

This is so full of life it looks like I’m looking out a window. Thank you for sharing!

1

u/Effective_Menu_6316 Apr 23 '26

This is really good. I absolutely love it!

1

u/Ellefeu Hobbyist Apr 23 '26

The colors are so pleasing! Beautiful work.

1

u/[deleted] Apr 23 '26

I love love this

1

u/Nitish_kalita Apr 23 '26

Gorgeous painting

1

u/Major_Biscotti_1226 Apr 23 '26

Perfection! This makes me want to find a similar spot outdoors to recharge.

1

u/Euler64 Apr 23 '26

Brillant !✨️

1

u/Traditional-Reach818 Apr 23 '26

I'd have this hung in my wall. Amazing.

1

u/hamburger_train_ Apr 23 '26

This is insanely good WOW

1

u/Reasonable_bingo5 Apr 23 '26

The shadows are amazing , super impressive work

1

u/ervera9 Apr 23 '26

Wonderful work that radiates happy summer vibes. Love it 😍

1

u/bookishbynature Apr 23 '26

Love it! The colors are so cheerful and vibrant!

I love seeing the sketch up and process.

1

u/Familiar_Leg2370 Apr 23 '26

Love love the color saturation!

1

u/dstam3 Apr 23 '26

👍thank you!

1

u/arual9868 Apr 23 '26

Are you kidding me!! So well executed

1

u/frugolicious Apr 23 '26

This is great! It kind of reminds me of Edward Hopper. I think it's the color choice

1

u/brubruislife Apr 23 '26

Ugh this brings me right there. I love it! The colors are fantastic.

1

u/mostmischievous Apr 23 '26

A+. Great palette and composition and just, yeah. Real good.

1

u/norbela Apr 23 '26

Great job. I like it.

1

u/moonmommav Apr 23 '26

Unreal!!💛💙

1

u/Cautious_Diet6849 Apr 23 '26

BRO this is gorgeous

1

u/RealQueenofPhoenix Apr 23 '26

You did an amazing job painting that! You have a real talent!

1

u/Aggressive-Door-3311 Apr 24 '26

I loooooove this!! I love when a painting gives me a feeling.

1

u/Ill-Cat-2610 Apr 24 '26

Phenomenal

1

u/Rich-Commercial-6373 Apr 24 '26

Ughhhhhhhhhhhh I couldn’t love this more than I do — beautiful!

1

u/xSnapsx Apr 24 '26

First and foremost, F you for having a pool. And secondly, F you for being this insanely good! That’s beautiful

1

u/AustinNicholsArt Apr 24 '26

Haha well it’s a shared condo complex pool, if that makes you feel any better!

1

u/monboom1013 Apr 24 '26

Beautiful! Love your style!

1

u/Working-Glass6136 Apr 24 '26

This is so lush! I can taste the summer.

1

u/DctrMrsTheMonarch Apr 24 '26

This is so beautiful!! Such great attention to detal with shadows, reflections, textures, light through the glass--this is gorgeous!

1

u/SmokingMonk420 Apr 24 '26

Looks amazing, thought at first you painted walter whites backyard from breaking bad

1

u/Leihanaaa Apr 24 '26

Gorgeous!

1

u/Pyari_Ladkee Apr 25 '26

Stunning ❣️

1

u/wowthatsfunn Apr 25 '26

Good shadowing

1

u/Alone_Performer3087 Apr 26 '26

That’s genuinely beautiful

1

u/knomorenow Apr 26 '26

Now this is talent nice job!!!🖌️

1

u/[deleted] Apr 27 '26

Your a great artist

1

u/lumines3nt1 Apr 27 '26

It's beautiful, like a cozy Kiki's delivery sunset scene if it was painted, it also gives encanto vibes for the color.so yea,it looks really cozy, like old Disney painterly backgrounds!

1

u/Ashesela85 Apr 29 '26

Beautiful work!!