Painting from photos

First Gold, 10 x 8 inches, acrylic on canvas

Most artist use photos as a tool for painting. A painter will sometimes grid out the photo and do a direct representation, or use the photo as a reference. 

 I have mixed feelings about using a photo; my gut feeling is the photo can be a crutch.  Painting to me is observing something and directly painting, or using my imagination and going from there.  Now having said that there are times I find a photo useful.  But, for a photo to be useful I still need to have seen with my own eyes what I plan to paint, or at the least pictured it in my mind before hand.

The Golden Shore, 10 x 8 inches, Acrylic on canvas

 

Golden Reeds, 12 x 16 inches, acrylic Sold

The paintings I am showing,The Golden Shore, and First Gold, and Golden Reeds, came from a couple good photos.  The location I am very familiar with so there is an image etched in my mind beyond the photo. 

  So, rule one know your subject well. 

 Also, the photo I have is a very good one.   

  Second rule; only use a good photo for reference.  A poor photo will often only help to create a poor painting.

Those are my thoughts on the subject, just wanted to share them with you.

Mary       Schiros_Art

The photos....

The Abstract Within

Thought I was done..

Thought it would be fun to share another oops. 
   Going to show two views of a painting I did today, thought  I was done, took a photo and noticed a big mistake.  
   The trick is I am not going to tell what the mistake was, want to see how quick you can notice.  Some times I can miss such obvious things when I am painting.  
    Any ways here are the photos, one is the real finished work, the other the oops.

   Mary
Schiros_art
 

Evaluation of Art

    For some reason this seems to be the month I am taking time to evaluate many of my paintings.  Some paintings tend to linger longer than others in my studio, either because I don’t feel they are finished enough to show, or they just do not fit into shows that are currently going on.  A type of painting that tends to accumulate, are paintings of nudes.  The opportunity to show these paintings, do not come along often.  With that, this is one that I have had for awhile and decided it was time for it to go.  

The canvas has some interesting texture that I wanted to work with.  But the best way to over paint a painting is to turn it upside down so the old painting does not influence the new work.  

I turned the canvas upside down and spread roughly mixed white, magenta, and red over the canvas, letting some of the texture show thru.  I was in the mood for a red painting today.  Standing back and looking at the mix of white and red, my first impression was the rough outline of a vase, so I went with that idea.  

    I painted this with the idea of cutting the canvas down to a smaller size and stretching it.  Can not decide at this time what size it will be but letting it sit where I can view it for a few days should help me make up my mind.  The canvas is 18 x 18 inches, it may end up 14 x 14 ….maybe.

Just thought I would share what I have been up to.

    My next show will be at Health Park, Grand Blanc MI.  Setting it up Saturday August 24th, and will be up about 3 months.  

Mary

Schiros_Art