Follow artist Steve Strode’s six top tips for painting, not copying, from photographs and bring your work to life

Time is Honey, oil on canvas paper, 9x6in (23x15cm)

Softer edges of the blurred background draw attention to the sharper edges of the main subject. A complex scene reduced to a few simple shapes and values will always have more impact than a cluttered scene full of detail.

 

Photographs are a valuable addition to the painting process, but why use them at all, and how do we get the best from them? Painters from Canaletto to Hockney have all used some sort of photographic device to enhance their work. Photos are handy for tackling challenges, such as perspective or proportion. If photos had been available to Rembrandt and other painters throughout history, they may well have also used them.

No matter your skill level, photographs can be an essential help to your work.

Although I like to draw and paint on location, photos often give me chances to paint that I might otherwise miss. They’re ideal for capturing fleeting effects of light and fastmoving subjects. Also for recording places where it may be physically difficult to paint, or time on-site is limited. In these situations, take photographs to help create any paintings you may want to do at a later date.

As valuable as photographs can be, the trick is not to let them dictate what you paint. If you do use photographs, these guidelines should help you paint better pictures. 

 

Reg’s Shed, oil on canvas board, 10x12in. (25x20cm)

The photograph is rarely the painting you have in mind. For Reg's Shed I shunted the people to the left and made the shed more prominent.

 

Tip 1

Use your own photographs

Interesting photos taken by others are a great support for developing your own drawing and painting skills. I keep a collection to use in my classes that help illustrate various topics, like value, high or low key, and colour. But using your own photographs brings something extra to your painting.

The paintings featured here began as an idea the photograph helped create. Some wouldn’t have been possible at all without a camera.

Your own photographs can reawaken memories of your other senses. They can evoke smell, sound, and the feel of the weather, especially if they supplement sketches, colour studies or notes. If someone else has taken the photo all you have is a reference.

 

The Bathers, oil on board, 10x8in (25x20cm)

For The Bathers I removed all the clutter and reduced the colour in the picture as I was more interested in tone.

Tip 2

Take more than one photo

Your first idea is rarely the best. Cameras and phones are great at deciding on composition and content in that they instantly display various alternatives. 

Take as many photographs as you think you’ll need. Try composing from different distances to help you decide what to include or leave out. Change your angle or viewpoint and play with the direction of the light.

When the time comes to choose which one to paint, one photograph might say it all. But don’t rule out using different elements from several photos in one painting. You can cut and paste sections of imagery on your computer or stick to the old-fashioned method of scissors and glue. Either way, creating a collage of assorted images can give you great results from which to paint.

 

The Rocket, watercolour on paper, 6x12in (15x30cm)

I passed this usually busy park every day on my walk. This was during the lockdown so I couldn’t get any closer, because of the restrictions. I enlarged and cropped the photo on the computer, rearranging the composition.

 

Tip 3

Don't be a slave to the detail

Be aware of the photograph’s limitations. The camera eye is non-judgemental, unlike the painter! The camera is not selective; it records what you point it at and can render every detail as sharp as the last.

A photograph can easily lose the true colours and contrast found in nature. Shadows and lights can suffer and sometimes hold no more than one tone. You can end up with skies totally bleached out or an implausible deep vivid blue. This can be affected by the exposure, position of the sun, or how much sky is included in the frame.

Be aware of any distortion, too, especially if photographing architecture. Get too close to your subject and the camera will bend straight lines.

If you're new to painting, don't stop here! Explore our other beginner-friendly guides to learn all you need to progress and develop your oil and acrylic skills.

You can easily overcome these problems if you try not to make painting from photographs the mainstay of your practice. The knowledge you can gain by painting from life leaves you better placed to interpret photographs. You will become more familiar with value, colour and perspective.

Unless you want your painting to be an exact copy of the photograph, use it as a starting point only. Remember, you’re interpreting it as a painting so be selective. You should make your own decisions on such things as scale, format, composition, colour, tone and lost-and-found edges. Don't let the photograph dictate.

 

Sorrento Statue, oil on board, 8x6in (20x15cm)

I took this reference photo for Sorrento Statue in a narrow passageway in a busy harbour.

 

Tip 4

Make a start

Make sure the image quality is good enough for the painting you have in mind. You can draw a grid over the photograph; or over a copy if you don’t want to damage the original. Gridding up your painting support to the same proportions ensures that you get the same image on the canvas as that on the photograph. All you need to do then is copy what is in each square.

My usual practice is to manipulate the image on my computer. I can alter the scale, colour, value and format to suit the image I have in mind. I would then make a rough sketch to map in the bigger shapes first.

Whatever method you use, have the photo close at hand, and alongside your painting. This makes it easier to compare both pictures in a single look.

 

Bloom II, oil on canvas board, 8x6in (15x20cm)

A moment’s sunlight provided the light and shadow I wanted... a minute later it was gone. Don’t be a slave to the picture. I rearranged the flowers and changed the format.

 

Tip 5

Set yourself a time limit

Painting from photographs in a controlled environment is great. The weather or the light is not going to change so the shadows won’t disappear, or the colour and values alter. The danger is that you will settle down and paint for longer. Don’t be tempted; you risk losing any looseness in the painting and overworking.

I try to spend no longer working from photographs than I would if I were painting from life. This would be no more than a couple of hours, less if it goes well. Setting a time limit helps you learn to paint freer and looser. It also encourages you to leave out extraneous detail.

 

I’m right-handed so find it easier to have the photograph on the left. This way I have a clear view and my painting isn't obscured by my hand as I paint. If you’re left-handed, it may work better having the photograph you’re copying on your right.

 

Tip 6

Paint upside down

Turn the photograph upside down if you’re having difficulty or it looks too tight and lacks spark. This little trick will help you paint the shapes, not the objects. By doing this you stop painting what you 'think' is 'correct'.

Give these tips a go and I guarantee you’ll be pleasantly surprised. 

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Discover more about Steve Strode and his paintings, lecturing and art classes.