The Digital Studio

 This entry was originally posted on Friday, November 9, 2012

Painting from photographs is a common and often productive way to create.

Many of my own paintings begin with a photograph. 

I will start by looking through the photos that I have taken while I am out.

Then I start to play with my photographs, trying to find the best composition, coloring and contrast.

My computer becomes my sketchbook.

Using photo editing software, I can zoom in, crop, rotate, and even combine a couple of photos into one.

 

For instance, I have taken the above photograph and cropped it to create a different effect.

I have also made it slightly more dramatic by adjusting the contrast and saturation.

I even adjusted the hue slightly to warm it up.

 

Once I have figured out how I want my image to look, I can start painting.

 

 

One Difference Between A Photograph and a Painting

  This entry was originally posted on Monday, October 22, 2012

Mother and Child

By Mary Cassatt

1890

 

Photographs can be valuable references to paint from.

However, photographs usually capture everything in crisp, clear detail.

Life is not like that.

 

When we look at an object, we only see the object in detail.

Our peripheral vision (our vision that occurs outside of the very center of our gaze) will sense and be aware of certain objects that are there but they are out of focus. We may not even know what the objects are, just that they are there. 

They only come into focus when we change our gaze or adjust our head to see it more clearly.

 

Sometimes when we paint from a photograph, we are tempted to paint everything in detail just like what the photograph captured.

There is nothing wrong with that.

This is great when trying to capture the calmness of a still life or a setting.

 

However, a painting might make a stronger statement if only the focal point is in crisp detail and the objects around it are softer and out of focus.

It also works well when trying to capture movement and motion.

 

Some of my favorite artists did not have the same advantages that we have with photographs. 

They relied more on painting from life and became aware of how our vision works.

 

 Mary Cassatt and Edgar Degas, among others, are two artists that sought to capture this.

 

Their paintings only put the detail where they want your eye to go, thus creating movement throughout the image and giving you a sense of really being there.

 

Go For A Walk

  This entry was originally posted on Saturday, May 26, 2012

Now that the weather is getting better, it is a good time to get outside with your camera.

Take a walk and see what you can see.

Spend some time exploring the world outside.

Be inspired by what is around you.

Then take that inspiration back into the studio and into your paintings.

Protecting Your Photo

  This entry was originally posted on Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Sometimes when I paint from a photograph, I tend to drop water or paint onto it.

And it always seems to fall in the most important part of the photograph.

The photograph would become discolored or even worse, the color would be removed completely.

Aaaaaaaaa!

Then I got smart.

Now I protect my photograph from mishap by putting it either in a zipper baggie or better yet, in a clear sleeve used for some greeting and art cards. 

I can still see the photograph and when I spill paint or water, it is easy to clean up.

*Update: I now paint from photos on my tablet. Since electronics and water do not mix well, I have a little shelf directly above my table where I do place my tablet. That way, if my water container spills, the water will not touch my tablet. 

 

Photographic Record

 This entry was originally posted on Saturday, May 19, 2012

Another way to keep track of your progression is to keep a photographic record.

It is also fun to photograph a painting throughout a process. 

This will help remind you of how you painted that really awesome painting years from now.

The Harmony Gate

Poured Watercolor 

Progression from the first pour to final piece