7.25.2013

Painting from Photographs - pros and cons












There is no doubt that you get more visual information from looking directly at ‘reality’ than you do
from looking at a photograph (of reality), but it doesn't necessarily follow that to paint from life is better -doesnt it depend a bit on the subject matter and if you can feasibly stand in front of it to and paint it? or are we all budding impressionists and paint only the outdoors?
A photograph as a visual aid can be helpful, as is drawing from life an essential part of learning to draw, as is using your imagination but ultimately the quality of outcome depends entirely on the artist. There are many excellent artists who painted exclusively from photos or just painted ‘photos’, (think photorealists) and many great artists who never did as the camera had yet to be invented and yet their interpretations had little to do with a ‘real’ external reality…Titian,Rubens etc. but they were trained in life drawing.. and then there are realists who only painted what they saw Freud,Chardin.
I think the point is to make art as good as you can in whatever way you can by whatever means and if a photo helps then use it…(copyright issues notwithstanding)
Above is a recent work I painted from a photograph.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi Stephen,

I was at the Threadneedle prize Private View last night and your work stood out as one of the strongest paintings in the show. I write for a blog for Jackson's Art Supplies and have been trying to find your email address so I can ask you if you'd answer a few questions about your painting. Please could you email me on lisa @ jacksonsart.co.uk if you are interested in contributing. The blog is at http://blog.jacksonsart.co.uk/ (soon to be given a make-over in the next few weeks). With many thanks!

Unknown said...

Hi Lisa,
thanks ! In fact it was painted on a Jackson's canvas..! i will email.