 |
| 12" x 9" Oil Pastel from Magazine Photo |
Concerning traditional painting,
whether it's people, landscape, or what-have-you, there's nothing
that takes the place of drawing or painting from life. To be there
with the subject, see how it's form turns, and how light and color
dance across it's surface is to experience the subject fully and in
ways no other means can provide. A painting shouldn't be just a matter of
fact report on the subject, but should convey a sense of life and experience.
 |
| 9" x 12" Graphite from Book Photos |
As subject matter, photographs are
second-hand information. Photos don't provide all the information
that being with the subject does. Also, cameras interpret the subject
in ways suited to their own electronic and mechanical dispositions.
Depend too heavily on a photograph for your finished work and you
might as well sign it “Nikon” or “Kodak” and send the
proceeds of any sales to the camera companies. Kodak could use them.
 |
| 12" x 9" Graphite from a Photo of Mine |
That being said, there is sometimes a
place for the use of photographs in painting and drawing. The best
illustrators are very good at drawing from life, and use that to
inform their use of photographs. Photos are very helpful if your
subject is perhaps a quick athlete or bird in flight. When practicing
drawing, photos allow the beginner time to work on their hand/eye
skills without always having to find a model or worry about changing
shadows.
 |
| 9" x 12" Oil Pastel from a Photo of Mine. |
The vast majority of my works are made
from life. I attend drawing sessions every week and draw or paint
directly from the model. My plein air paintings are made entirely on
location outdoors, with the occasional touch up done in the studio,
car, or wherever. No camera is ever used.
 |
| 8" x 6" Owls are Pen and Ink from Book Photos; Glasses are from Life. |
However, I'll sometimes paint studio
portraits, working from sketches made from life in conjunction with
photographs I took of the subject. Someday, if I ever make large
studio landscapes, I might use similar methods.
 |
| 12" x 9" Pen and Ink from Magazine Photos |
The sketches shown in this post are out
of some of my older sketchbooks, and were done from photographs.
Years ago, photos provided some valuable practice material for me.
 |
| 9" x 12" Graphite from Magazine Photos |
