I paint Forsythia at least once a year. This year's crop is wonderful everywhere I look. Even mine, which is usually decimated by all the birds and squirrels looking for seed in the feeder, is exuberant.
Subcribe to POSTCARDS FROM MERION
Posts
Comments
4 comments:
Do painters these days paint on top of a photograph to get the proportions exact? Or do they use some kind of projection to get photo realistic proportions? How do so many painters now come up with paintings that are so exactly rendered?
I can't speak for all painters but since you are commenting on my blog I can tell you my approach. Either I paint outside and draw the scene and then paint it or I paint from a photograph that I manipulate in photoshop. I often will print out several version of the photo and use whichever parts I need to get what I want. I transfer the photo by putting charcoal on the back of the print out and then drawing the lines onto the canvas. I am more interested in color than drawing so this is a good method for me. I think an artist interested in drawing would always make their own version of the scene by drawing from nature.
That is very interesting, thank you for sharing your method. You are indeed an extremely good painter, and it is interesting to hear that the drawing portion of producing a painting can be detached from the painting portion.
I do enjoy your paintings and this blog very much. Let me suggest to you that the strict photo-realistic proportions can be harsh and distracting. An observer may appreciate your painting all the more if you were able to apply some additional interpretation of lines and shapes, and provide more human perspective. Make more mistakes!
What an interesting suggestion. For many years I painted outside on large canvases. I made lots of 'mistakes', that is I simply went for whatever I could get as the sun moved, the wind blew over my easel and I was hot or cold or bug eaten.
Now I am in my studio most of the time. I paint, filling in the lines I have drawn very much like I did when I was a child using crayons and a coloring book.
So far I am really enjoying this activity. I have started editing a bit and expect the whole exercise will change as I continue to make so many small paintings.
It is a relief to know where I am going the whole time I am working. Not the 'approved' method these days certainly but so far very satisfying.
Post a Comment