I ask myself questions after the painting is complete as well. It was so exciting, but I wouldn’t have achieved that if the reference photo had been my master, instead of a tool and suggestion for my painting. It wasn’t until I gave myself permission to let go of what I thought was important, and painted the scene without the road, that my painting came together in a powerful and interesting way. “Show what you feel!” Teaching in Ireland It’s Not Just About What You Seeīe willing to question everything you think you know about your reference in a recent painting, I struggled to paint a road that I felt was critical to the success of the painting, and in every variation it didn’t look right. After three or four quick variations, I try putting the reference photo away, and painting from memory. I don’t just ask myself questions about my reference, I paint it repeatedly, sketching it in loose watercolor until I start to feel like the “me” is coming out in my brushstrokes. Be Willing to Repeat Yourselfįrom those first analysis questions, you can start to develop your painting. What can I simplify here so that the focal point stands out? When we simplify and edit out non-essentials, the important elements come more sharply to the forefront. A lively, sunny photo may call for strong, pure colours, and energetic brush strokes. What emotion do I want to convey? I choose colours to match the mood of the scene, and move my brush to reflect my emotional connection to the image. What’s the focal point, the first thing my eyes see in this scene? This is where the most care and attention to detail and contrast should be focused. Ask yourself a few questions as you plan your painting: It holds detail information, keys to color, shape and value, but how you use that information is up to you. So when you choose a reference photo, you can use it as the tool that it is. It’s like the difference between news and poetry facts versus feelings.ĭownpatrick Head study, watercolour by Angela Fehr Your Reference Photo is a Tool It’s more exciting to focus on sharing our viewpoint in a more intimate way, with the goal of expressing emotion to our audience. As artists, we don’t have to be in the business of recording detail impersonally we can leave that to the camera. Knowing that our minds and eyes have this filter habit can help us create stronger, more powerful paintings. (I’ve lived in our small town for twenty years and when my husband sends me on an errand to the automotive shops he frequents, I have no idea where to go, even though I drive past them all the time.) That’s why we can drive past the same sights daily, and miss details others might notice. Our brains essentially filter out anything that isn’t relevant, and our eyes can only detail a small area at a time. Everything else becomes peripheral all the elements are there, but they’re indistinct, supporting the object of your focus, but not really seen. Paint Your ExperienceĬompare the experience of life to the captured moment of a photograph: When you stand in nature and look at the scene before you, you can only focus on one thing at a time. This tended to result in paintings that, even when accurate, felt stiff and lifeless. Because every detail was revealed in the photo, I felt locked into painting everything I could see. When I was learning to paint, I only felt my painting was successful if it resembled the reference photo, and I would paint through the scene, inch by inch. Reference photos can be a valuable tool for creating dynamic paintings, but they can also be a harsh taskmaster, freezing an image with unforgiving detail. Visiting Downpatrick Head in Ireland Don’t Be a Slave to the Photo
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