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Churches - should I always include the entrance (your thoughts would be appreciated)
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Message
Posted
Hey folks,
I am considering doing a series of small church watercolours/ink-and-wash, but I have a question I'd like some help with please.
Should I always include the church building entrance?
I ask because I have visited many recently, with this series in mind, and there are plenty where the entrance to the building is not visible from the entrance to the churchyard. I want to make sure the paintings/buildings will be recognisable, and feel that, with some of them, the viewpoint on entering the churchyard is not only very interesting but possibly the most recognisable/memorable view. When I move around to a viewpoint that includes the entrance, some of them become less 'shapely' or there are less of the distinguishing features visible.
Hence my dilemma.
Any thoughts would be appreciated. Thank you in advance.
Posted
I would just paint the aspect that most appeals to you Gerry and not worry about which features are included. If you think afterwards that you should have included the entrance you can always do a second picture! I think the best view of a church is often from a bit further away so it's in context with it's surroundings, even partly obscured by trees or whatever.
Make sure you post your pictures on here so we can all enjoy them.
Posted
There are many painting of churches and photo as well that don’t show the entrance. I think local photographers go for what people see as they pass the church not what you see going into it . I recognise most churches thst I know by the public view go for that and if the entrance is included all well and good.
Posted
My input woukd be to do what you are happy with and appeals to you. Every now and then I think I want to paint Welsh chapels..I haven't at all yet but the idea is in the back of my mind,.unlike Anglican churches they are often slightly absurd. Plus I've never seen a look alike.I often think they were built on a whim and who could do it better
theme.
Just do yours the way you enjoy most.
Edited
by Sylvia Evans
Posted
Are you painting outdoors or from a picture?
Choosing the right time of day adds atmosphere, shadows are all important, even better one that is backlit on an early foggy morning which includes part of the graveyard, these old places have some wonderful masonry structures and can add interest.
Edited
by Carol Jones
Posted
Depends on the church - the impact it makes. If it was Wells Cathedral (and I could do it) I'd certainly go for its magnificent entrance; but many old parish churches have quite anonymous entrances - I've painted my old local parish church twice (old - well, it's basically Norman with bits of Saxon, so certainly 'old', but I mean my old parish) and on neither occasion did I show the entrance. Can't complain, one of them sold: it's a slightly odd thing, maybe, to get concerned about, but I do see your point if you want the painting to be welcoming and accessible: like the advice to always leave a barn door leaning open, and a gate unlatched, to allow the viewer a way in - that can be a bit of a cliché. though: so I think you can please yourself & go for the aspect that appeals to you.
Posted
Not necessarily, but the entrance does generally make for a good focal point.
I’ve painted my local Norman church many dozens of times, always plein air because atmosphere can play a big part when it comes to churches, and from every vantage point… Always go for the most dramatic aspect is my advice, which may well be the entrance!
Posted
If you intend to show or hang the series together Gerry, then including the entrance of all would make sense, giving uniformity. However if you want to go for some distance including part of your churchyard, you’re probably unlikely to be able to do so, and should just go for what you consider the best view.
One other thought- many churches have two doors, one at the end and one on the side, just to confuse matters!
Good luck whatever you decide. It sounds an exciting project.
Posted
Thank you, everyone, for your thoughts.
Makes sense to stick with the view/intention of what inspires me to do them in the first place (and in some cases are viewpoints that do not include the entrance).
There will be plenty opportunity to ensure there are strong focal areas whether or not there is an entrance porch or door, and I'll look for the interesting shapes and angles, and hope viewers will find them interesting as a result.
(Also, my initial intention is that they can be enjoyed as stand alone pieces, and not necessarily seen alongside their 'cousins')
I'll pop one in here once I start.
Thank you all again.
Much appreciated
Posted
Sounds like a good idea, go where the inspiration takes you!
I’ve got quite a few paintings of my local church on my gallery on this site - might take a while to scan through everything to get to them, but it might give you some ideas about how I approached the subject!
Look forward to seeing this progress.
Posted
"...I’ve got quite a few paintings of my local church on my gallery on this site..."Thanks Alan. Not sure if this is your local one... but I'm loving the shapes you've found in your A Vision of Tintern Abbey painting. Loving the drama, enhanced by your colour use. Thanks for the prompt. (I'm treating my series extremely minimal for this project, but I am inspired by your work for future projects.)
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