How did you create this image? Were there any particular benefits or disadvantages that you noticed? How does this method compare with other ways that you have worked?
With this image, I did an under painting, spending close to 45 minutes deciding what part I wanted to paint of the photograph. I really like the photograph because the bottle had many different colors in it that I was able to place into my painting. This is definitely my preferred method of working because the picture remains the same no matter where you take it. It's easier for me to see the colors and understand the light source.
This painting was very frustrating for me because I had to spend a lot of time figuring out how to paint sequins. I also had to spend quite a bit of time on the lace in the background. Another thing I didn't like was the composition; I felt like it could have been much more interesting, but of course, I couldn't change it.
As for what I did like, I liked that the object didn't move and the lighting didn't change. It was also easier to match colors to the photo than it would have been matching to the real object.
From Siwen... The second painting is probably the most succesful one. One of the reasons is that I croped the photo into a diamond shape, which is a great compliment to the inquiry feeling I want to express throught the crow. And also, I really "challenged" my patience by sticking onto the original color of the photo, and did very careful glazing of the crow.
Working from a photo in this case was very interesting because it was a photo that was taken and composed by someone else. This took away the freedom of composing a composition and choosing lighting etc. But it also made me let go of some of those things that as artists we like to control and I focused more of the colors and accurately representing them as they appeared in the photo. I was also really surprised to see the color differences when I saw the actual object. The photo had completely manipulated the colors in the figurine because of the type of printer that was used, giving the entire picture a pink undertone. I think in this case the altered colors added to the image but I could see that this could go both ways. When I started painting I took a little different approach and sketched the image directly on the canvas with dark, heavy graphite. I let the graphite come through in the paint to create shadows and line. I think it worked well in some areas of the painting and in others it tended to muddy the paint and was just really frustrating to cover up. This is my most successful painting and I enjoyed working from the photo.
The thing about photos is that they never change(unless you physically alter the picture). Though the color could be off and the flash creates an extreme light source, a stagnant image is the best type of image. I find it a lot easier working with a two-dimensional image. It keeps me recreating exactly what I see as opposed to three dimensions where I naturally try to get everything in, even though I know I should be painting only what I see.
I started with a burnt umber under painting and then glazed two layers of grays and whites over it. I decided to try and paint the slippers exactly how they appeared in the printout, which was pretty grainy and in black and white. This was an interesting exercise for me because I learned some new techniques for how to paint the imperfections created by the printer. The benefits of painting form a photo were that I had an unchanging source to refer back to so I didn't have to struggle with lighting or shadows as I did in the imagination project. Another benefit was that I stopped thinking of my subject as slippers, and started seeing it as just abstract forms in the photo. When I stopped thinking about bunny slippers, I was able to represent the subject more truthfully. One disadvantage was that I became locked into replicating the photo as precisely as I could, so I lost the ability to make changes in the painting that would improve its composition or flow. Painting from a photo felt completely different from painting from my imagination. In this exercise, I felt like my imagination checked out and my hand and eye were my only tools in creating the painting. Painting from life felt like a mixture of the photo and imagination exercises - I was working from a concrete source, my imagination was actively participating as well, for better or for worse!
I was really scared starting the photo based painting just because there were many things i did not expect to paint, first of all, a shiny porcelain object and dust particles on where the object was the shiniest. I did an under layer and sketched out the deer pretty fast, the green vase attached to it at the back i found was more difficult since there were many patterns and shapes going in different angles, i had to repaint those parts a couple of times paying mroe attention to the shapes and colour tones.
I learnt from this project that i didn't have to mimic the photo 100% and could have employed more editing to convey the object to its best in my painting. I used too much sharp white against a dark background to show a real object which looks alright from far away but is certainly missing something when upfront, perhaps a juxtaposition of painting techniques on the panel which probably ruined the effect i was trying to show.
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With this image, I did an under painting, spending close to 45 minutes deciding what part I wanted to paint of the photograph. I really like the photograph because the bottle had many different colors in it that I was able to place into my painting. This is definitely my preferred method of working because the picture remains the same no matter where you take it. It's easier for me to see the colors and understand the light source.
ReplyDeleteChristine Dunant
This painting was very frustrating for me because I had to spend a lot of time figuring out how to paint sequins. I also had to spend quite a bit of time on the lace in the background. Another thing I didn't like was the composition; I felt like it could have been much more interesting, but of course, I couldn't change it.
ReplyDeleteAs for what I did like, I liked that the object didn't move and the lighting didn't change. It was also easier to match colors to the photo than it would have been matching to the real object.
From Siwen...
ReplyDeleteThe second painting is probably the most succesful one. One of the reasons is that I croped the photo into a diamond shape, which is a great compliment to the inquiry feeling I want to express throught the crow. And also, I really "challenged" my patience by sticking onto the original color of the photo, and did very careful glazing of the crow.
Working from a photo in this case was very interesting because it was a photo that was taken and composed by someone else. This took away the freedom of composing a composition and choosing lighting etc. But it also made me let go of some of those things that as artists we like to control and I focused more of the colors and accurately representing them as they appeared in the photo. I was also really surprised to see the color differences when I saw the actual object. The photo had completely manipulated the colors in the figurine because of the type of printer that was used, giving the entire picture a pink undertone. I think in this case the altered colors added to the image but I could see that this could go both ways. When I started painting I took a little different approach and sketched the image directly on the canvas with dark, heavy graphite. I let the graphite come through in the paint to create shadows and line. I think it worked well in some areas of the painting and in others it tended to muddy the paint and was just really frustrating to cover up. This is my most successful painting and I enjoyed working from the photo.
ReplyDeleteThe thing about photos is that they never change(unless you physically alter the picture). Though the color could be off and the flash creates an extreme light source, a stagnant image is the best type of image.
ReplyDeleteI find it a lot easier working with a two-dimensional image. It keeps me recreating exactly what I see as opposed to three dimensions where I naturally try to get everything in, even though I know I should be painting only what I see.
I started with a burnt umber under painting and then glazed two layers of grays and whites over it. I decided to try and paint the slippers exactly how they appeared in the printout, which was pretty grainy and in black and white. This was an interesting exercise for me because I learned some new techniques for how to paint the imperfections created by the printer. The benefits of painting form a photo were that I had an unchanging source to refer back to so I didn't have to struggle with lighting or shadows as I did in the imagination project. Another benefit was that I stopped thinking of my subject as slippers, and started seeing it as just abstract forms in the photo. When I stopped thinking about bunny slippers, I was able to represent the subject more truthfully. One disadvantage was that I became locked into replicating the photo as precisely as I could, so I lost the ability to make changes in the painting that would improve its composition or flow. Painting from a photo felt completely different from painting from my imagination. In this exercise, I felt like my imagination checked out and my hand and eye were my only tools in creating the painting. Painting from life felt like a mixture of the photo and imagination exercises - I was working from a concrete source, my imagination was actively participating as well, for better or for worse!
ReplyDeleteI was really scared starting the photo based painting just because there were many things i did not expect to paint, first of all, a shiny porcelain object and dust particles on where the object was the shiniest. I did an under layer and sketched out the deer pretty fast, the green vase attached to it at the back i found was more difficult since there were many patterns and shapes going in different angles, i had to repaint those parts a couple of times paying mroe attention to the shapes and colour tones.
ReplyDeleteI learnt from this project that i didn't have to mimic the photo 100% and could have employed more editing to convey the object to its best in my painting. I used too much sharp white against a dark background to show a real object which looks alright from far away but is certainly missing something when upfront, perhaps a juxtaposition of painting techniques on the panel which probably ruined the effect i was trying to show.