When I had looked at the final drawing later that evening, I realized that the dark green leaves did not have enough contrast to the background, which was why the image appeared a bit unclear to the right side. It was like dark objects before a dark background. I slightly reworked the background and made it a little bit lighter behind the leaves, and also reworked the table on which the vase stood. I think this has improved the overall impression, especially when the drawing is viewed from some distance.
When I reviewed the stages of the drawing, I noticed that the leaves had initially been underdefined, and after reworking them, in the final drawing they may even be a bit overdefined, with their black contours. These dark colours are somehow in concurrence to the softer shapes and colouring of the flowers. Maybe I will tough the drawing again and try to reduce the contrast here. The flowers have already begun to vanish and I will have to work from memory, if I continue.
I also think that the composition is imbalanced – the vase is too far to the left, and the leaves are ‘falling out’ of the vase, so the drawing is somehow too heavy on the right side. If I were to draw the picture again, I’d take care to put the vase more in the middle, and not to have a downward sloping table line to the right. I’d also see that the leaves would be more balanced between left and right side. But if I rework this drawing, I won’t touch the main composition, I think this would rather require a second drawing.
I also realized that I had a somewhat unusual treatment of the subject: Roses are typically seen as very elegant, whereas I portrayed them in a more peasant-like style: the blue clay pitcher has a robust, not an elegant character, and the flowers are not delicately arranged as one might expect for roses. They are rather depicted like simple summer flowers, fresh from the field.
PS (a week later): The roses are now hung out to dry, maybe I’ll do another drawing of them once they are completely dried.