I think I’m finally starting to get the real feel of the string. I’ve lightened up the dark areas on the left, and I think I’m pulling out the highlights well. I also think I’ve fixed the brushstrokes. My art teacher and I had the idea to follow up this painting with two smaller paintings - a thimble and a needle. I think the idea of thread is so philosophical, and it’s fascinating to me. Also, I noticed later that the yardstick happened to be lying next to the painting, so I guess you can see the scale of the painting. Oil on canvas. 2’ x 3’.

So. I finally finished the cylinder. It’s still a bit too dark on the right side for my taste, because I think it takes away from the illusion of curvature. I also think I need to vary the values around the highlight on the thread, and get a tad darker on the left curve. Up next on my to-do list is to fix a few of the smaller issues for the top of the spool as well as setting a background choice, or at least values for the background. I think this is a pretty major benchmark for this piece. Message me with constructive criticism. Oil on canvas. 2’ x 3’.