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Is it the paint or is it the painter.
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Message
Posted
I take a subject, for instance, Climate Change, or mental health and I put my imagination to work. Since I’ve been painting in the abstract/contemporary style, I think my imagination has worked overtime sometimes. I watched a programme on Channel 4 last night about the Arctic…..so watch this space!
Like Marjorie said about “looking like a photograph”…..It wouldn’t work for me either! I do use photos for colour references, and shapes.
Perhaps when you are just learning or starting out, a photo could certainly be helpful to copy from!
Edited
by Ellen Mooney
Posted
Photos should be used to give you the information you need to get your basic structures in place, then discarded. If I use them, they generally have to be my own, and preferably accompanied by on the spot sketches. When nearing completion of the painting, I do sometimes have another look at the photograph (and sketches) just to check I've got the elements of detail about right - but even if I hadn't, I wouldn't undertake a major re-paint at that stage. I don't think it would help beginners or anyone else to "copy" a photograph: for one thing, there's no point if you've got the photograph anyway, and for another you would learn virtually nothing from such an exercise.
Constantly referring to a photograph as I paint, in order to get it "right", is my idea of exquisite tedium. Of course this varies - some things you just have to get right, e.g. technical details on a ship, if what's wanted is a realistic representation of a ship: and it might well not be - paintings commissioned by the Royal Navy for an officers' mess, quite a lucrative side-line for some artists, would probably have to get the technical elements right, or the salty sea-dogs would find fault: but for a general audience, or one's own pleasure, the precise details of rigging, masts, pennants, guns, may matter much less.
I think you've got to know what you're painting - to have studied it, looked hard at it, become familiar with it. Just getting a ship, or car, or particular architecture entirely correct is more technical drawing than art - art is more about interpretation than straightforward representation: and that is not to undervalue the skills and abilities of those who are commissioned to paint with pin-point accuracy.
Posted
Copying photos - A précis of earlier posts...
"there’s a couple of paintings on the gallery ... both display the photos they copied from ... why bother when you already have a photo? Pointless and boring come to mind!"
Please don't knock it out of hand.
What if the painter is housebound? A lot of us have been for a while.
Perhaps they haven't the opportunity, or courage, to paint a live sitter, or in a public open space. Photographs may be their only source of imagery.
Why should that be a issue for anyone else? No harm done.
Look on the positive side. Perhaps they enjoy what they are doing and like the results they achieve. They might encourage others. Presumably they spend their money helping to keep art material suppliers in business. That has to be good.
We all have likes and dislikes. But, in art, who is to say that anything is right or wrong, or that someone is good or bad; their ideas genius or foolhardy?
Happiness is a state of mind.
Each to his/her own.
Posted
I have a foot in both camps , I do use photos because of the things I like to paint and no longer available to see,
I don’t have a problem with people using photo for any reason as it’s their personal choice , and as Colin has just said there may be Lori of reason why they are not able to get out.
I do personally not like to copy a photo exactly, as has being said why bother if I have a photo , but that’s my choice not to do so. I do really believe that to paint something even if it a copy of a photograph is better than not painting at all.
I understand the difficulty some people face , I spent a long time working with people who suffered from various degrees of mental illness. One of the things that a lot of the people who I knew did was to paint, often it was things they had seen or done or they would use photos from many resources, the one thing that would not have happened is to go out and paint .
It it’s difficult to face the world on a daily basis your certainly not going to make yourself stand out by sitting and painting.
I don’t think that anyone on this site is condemning anyone for painting and copying from photos , I took the comments as meaning that they personally would not use photos.
Thank you you Colin for brink up the other side of the argument and opening up the discussion a bit more .
I for one will continue to use photos as and when I need to, but then I don’t think anyone was trying to stop me , well I certainly hope not. And finally you will be pleased whatever and however you choose to source you painting just enjoy doing it.
Posted
Does the camera … hold the pencil and draw the image, choose the colours, mix the paint, apply the paint, scrape back, adjust the composition decide when or not a picture is finished … Not at all, a picture is about the last layer of paint YOU apply not a camera. I think it’s very sad that this kind of discussion continues on this site and that ‘esteemed’ people (those that have itchy fingers and post all the time) continue to stir the pot to allow it to divide opinion. When I sell pictures no one is bothered if I have used photographs or not they like that last layer of paint. Although no spring chicken I will walk several and cycle twenty odd miles to find an image that appeals to me. I’m not going to carry a huge load of equipment with me on those journeys when a camera will capture what I’m after. I now have a van to use as an outdoor studio space, but even then I will take photographs to back up the sketches and studies I do. I used to be interested in what people on this site thought about peoples work because I genuinely valued their opinions, not any more I’m afraid if this old scratched record of elitism keeps getting played.
Edited
by Justin Twigg
Posted
I never feel learned on the subject of art being fairly new to it all still but the Romans copied the Greek statues. I also read somewhere that Degas regularly copied masterpieces and imitated the Old Masters. I have used reference photos, I take a lot of my own photos, I paint from things I can see around me, things I remember from my past and also from pure imagination. Some things you can't get to physically see because they no longer exist so you have no choice but to look at old drawings or poor quality black and white photos if you are lucky enough to find them. I don't know the right or wrong answer, I think it just is.
Posted
Justin, where have you read that using a photo is a no no? From my understanding of the discussion…if using a photo, use your own,( unless checking something for accuracy ), don’t slavishly try to get everything into your painting from your photo - this is where you compose and are selective and hopefully end up with something “ extra”. I certainly can’t always paint directly from experience and I often take photos of the light at a particular time of day so I do make use of photos. You seem to agree with that. When I say that I’m disappointed if s.o. says “it’s like a photo” that’s because I want an extra dimension to a painting. Enjoyment is part of the art thing but go a bit further and you experience frustration, disappointment, problem solving etc - you accept all of that if you are serious about what you’re doing. Being part of this site is also talking to each other, adding a comment to someone’s work, - there’s a lot of that goes on. “ Those that have itchy fingers and post a lot”… a lovely comment?
