I really like the brushwork on for the mountains! The direction of the light source is a little confusing to me, but otherwise I do love the colors you were able to tease together for the sunset and think they're really well done. Thanks for sharing yourself and your art!
Light is SUPER tough, but it can be the difference between awesome and extraordinary! I think taking down the intensity of the bright colors of the water on the left to add maybe a hint of reflection and a mild glow to the treetops on both sides would have taken the piece to another level! In that case it would have given a clear view that the sun had dipped just below the right mountain peak maybe 30 minutes prior.
I know this sounds critical but I want to stress that I still really like it!
So… I’m not sure if everyone on the thread gets notified.
First off I’d like to say thank you for all the criticism and advice. I’ll take all of this on board- I’m just cautious to keep it fun and not take it too seriously.
And yes, the rest of the world is as beautiful as the sun. I should highlight that.
I know you're embellishing quite a bit, but honestly you're not far off. The 60° estimate is actually pretty close if we're using the center of the painting as the polar center of the coordinate frame.
I see what you're saying and the mist certainly does help with the perspective a bit. Personally though I think the mist takes away focus from the rest of the piece and overwhelms it.