Hi all!

Today I wanted to write a post, sharing in the best way I can, my knowledge around a topic that is much discussed in the artworld;

To the left is the finished painting ''Boss'' created from the photo on the right. (Taken by me.)

This is a topic much discussed and deliberated! For some painters, especially artist that paint naturalistic paintings, painting from photo refrence is a complete no,no! The best way, and for the most part the only way, is painting from nature. I can agree on the fact that a camera still can't, and probably never will be able to capture all the subtleties that the human eye can see. I can also agree on the fact that if you have never studied nature and know fundamental principals about form, light and values, painting from a photo can pretty easily show off in your painting.

But!

And this is a big but.. Overall I do not think that using photo refrance for paintings is worth shaming or criticizing!
I belive it's a wonderful tool and a possibility to work with subject matters and composition in new and inspiering ways. It can also be a necessity if you are not in a place financialy or location wise where you can't easily access models or nature.
I've seen and keep seeing fantastic examples of artist using photo referance every day in their art that I admire. Painting from a picture doesn't mean you have to be 100% true to the photo or that you won't be able to make your subject feel ''alive''.

Today I wanted to show an example of painting I recently finished where I worked from photo referance and let you in on what I take into consideration when I create a painting from a photo.

The painting I will be explaining from is this one;

''Boss'', oilpainting on gesso primed panel. Size 30 x 30 cm.

And this is the photo I was working from;

Photo taken by me during a walk here in Portugal where I live in ''Birdpark''.

One thing i will metntion before we start with the steps are the paint mixes.

The mixes used to create this painting.
When working from a photo I always pre mix my colors. This is because I like to clearify my value range before I start.. Remember that when we work from a photo ( as well as when we work from life) we need to compress our colors and values. This is necessary because there is no way we can match to the point all the values and colors we see in real life. We need to make a value string ranging from our darkest option ( usually black) to our lightest option ( usually pure white). The values that we make in between these two counterpoints will determinate how well the lighteffect and form will read in the painting. It is also a good to premix to be able to see how the colors play off each other. Something might not seem red enough, but being put next to green ( the complementary color) it can suddenly become TOO red. Premixing lets you asses these things before you have lots of paint on your canvas.

Step 1:

The first step for me no matter if I paint from llife or a photo is the same; Block in. A block in is a loose general drawing or sketch of the BIG form. Here I focus on placing the big proportion down on my canvas or panel to get the composition going.

Step 2:

Step two is solidifying my block in and making it more spesific. Here i work with thinner brushes in the matching colors of the areas that I am solidifying. For now I am still working very much the same as I would if I was painting from life.

Step 3:

Now in step 3 you can see the first prove of me working from a photo; digging into areas. If I was painting from life I would still be working with the whole form instead of breaking it up into ''piece painting''. This is because the model would be moving and changing so that digging into too spesific details too soon could potentially (and most likely) prove wrong and needed changed later on. With a photo we know this won't happen.

The main reason why i started with the face is because that is the area with the most color. The most chroma. All the rest of the colors and values I put down will relate to this. I really want to use some punching reds so I put these down to be able to play them off with the other colors that will follow.
I won't paint anything to a finish yet, but painting from a photo gives you the freedom to spend some extra time on areas you wish to explore at any point in the process.

Step 4:

Now I want to get the whole, overall visual impression going. Like always I do this by putting down a thin layer of the general color and valye of the areas. If anything, always go a bit too dark in this phase. In oil painting it's always easier to go from dark to light than frm light to dark.

Step 5:

After going in with a general wash of color I add notes of the darkest and the lightes colors. This is, to repeat myself, to set my range, my specter. Remember that when we work from a photo ( as well as when we work from life) we need to compress our colors and values. This is necessary because there is no way we can match to the point all the values and colors we see in real life. We need to make a value string ranging from our darkest option ( usually black) to our lightest option ( usually pure white). The values that we make in between these two counterpoints will determinate how well the lighteffect and form will read in the painting.

Step 6:

After the notes have been put down we can then go in and fill out the larger areas. Remember to squint a lot not to make the contrasts too big and to look at the big proportion as a whole. Another important thing when you start to paint the details is to look at them not just as details but as details relating to a whole as well. Often, and especially when painting from a photo we get too caught up in details and they take on a life of their own. THIS is something that can make a less realistic impression.

Step 7:

I add in the feet and shadow under the cock to ground my model. As far as the background goes I will keep it light and exclude all the stuff that goes on in the backround of my photo. To me all this things are just distractions and will not add to my painting.

Step 8:

Now it is time for going back to the place I started, the face , and start the round of finish work. This is also the time to add a little extra paint for texture if you prefer that impression.
Now, one of the most important things when you are painting from a photo is to pay extra attention to the line quality. What happens to it? Where is it hard, where is is soft? Where does it almost dissappear? To have a lot of line variation will help convey a realistic rendering of the form.

Here is a close up of the head to let you see how the edge around is being varied.

Step 9:

One of the last steps is to add in the background to help me bring variation to the contour. Here I worked with a very light grey and pure white.

Step 10:

The final, final step is to brighten the shadow under the cock to give it more atmosphere and make it more part of the lighter image. And there you have it, finished!

I hope you found this post interesting, helpful or inspiering! :)

If so let me know your thoughts!

Do you have any spesific questions or thoughts about painting from a photo?
Do you have any experience you want to share?

As always, good people, I wish you a wonderful and inspiering day!

<3

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https://www.marieblomartist.com/
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