How do you get from photo to canvas?

[Jimmie Arroyo]

I personally am in the same boat as Kim, but agree with Sharon. I work from photographs because I have to. I also cannot afford to have a model sit hours for me, and I don't know many of them willing to do it from 11pm-2am, which are my working hours. I would like to do both. Start off with a photo and finish with live sitting, this way I can get certain aspects out of the way, and not have the model sit for so long.

When I do my drawings, I work by eye. The most I will do is proportional measuring with my pencil. I feel using a grid, I would lose spontaneity and the overall feel of my drawings. When I used to airbrush, I would do a drawing by eye on paper first, then project it to my board. One of the things I ended up hating about my work, is that many people thought it was a photo with a retouched background. I even had two computer online magazines ask for articles on how I manipulate my photos. I am not accusing anyone of trying for photorealism and exactness, just referring to Sharon's post.

When I finally learn how to paint, I plan to make the marks directly to canvas or board by eye. I apologize if this sounds like an attack on anyone using grids or projectors or whatever, it's just an opinion and my personal preference. I guess as long as the final product is good, and you're happy with it.

[Chuck Yokota]

Actually, I do prefer to paint from life and paint that way whenever possible. The question asked in the topic had not been whether it is better to paint from life than from a photograph, but rather, given that one is painting from a photograph, what methods do people use to get the image on the canvas?

Once I have begun putting paint on the canvas, the drawing is quickly obliterated, and I am working by eye from then on. So I don't spend a lot of effort in making a finished drawing, but rather work on locating landmarks accurately on the canvas, to begin from.

[Michele Rushworth]

11pm-2am, which are my working hours

Jimmy, I know this is off topic but I just wanted to comment on this phrase in your last post.

I have such a great admiration for your determination, tenacity and self discipline. No one should ever use the excuse that they "don't have time to paint" or are "too busy" to improve their skills, once they read that phrase.

I know, Jimmy, that you have a wife, a young daughter and a full time job. Yet you make the time to devote to your artwork. Makes me want to renew my efforts to use every hour of my week more effectively, too.

[Meera Bakshi]

Originally Posted by Michele Rushworth

Jimmy, I know this is off topic but I just wanted to comment on this phrase in your last post.

I have such a great admiration for your determination, tenacity and self discipline. No one should ever use the excuse that they "don't have time to paint" or are "too busy" to improve their skills, once they read that phrase.

I know, Jimmy, that you have a wife, a young daughter and a full time job. Yet you make the time to devote to your artwork. Makes me want to renew my efforts to use every hour of my week more effectively, too.

Hello, I agree 100%. To my surprise I am not the only one working on paintings at wee hours! Whenever I have a project that I need to accomplish I work at midnight 2:00 am to 5:00 am as I work full time job and as a housewife I can not get "uninterrupted" time for my painting work.

Michele Rushworth, I am really impressed with details and expressions in your work. I am trying to achieve more perfection in my work, you have inspired me. Thanks.

I am going to submit more of my work for friendly critical suggestions.
Meera Bakshi

[Richard Budig]

Since I'm the guy who started this post, I thought I'd put in another couple of cents worth.

I agree with almost everything said here, especially that we should all work from life when possible.

To that end, I have begun going to my local library (we live in a wee town in OK) where I con nice little lkids (from age 10 and up) to sit for me for a few minutes. I do a quick "life" sketch of them, and give them the sketch when I'm finished. I've had mom's with kids in tow waiting for me on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons when I get there.

I will also do parents of the children if they will sit for me.

The point is, I have found a way to satisfy my need and desire to work from life a couple of times a week, and, as a result, when I find a cute or interesting head, I snap a picture of him or her, and turn it into a little 12X16 oil sketch which is hung is the library. I call the series "library kids."

But back to the original thought behind this thread, it has been great reading all the different ways poeple find to get from this point (sketch/photo/whatever) to the canvas.

[Meera Bakshi]

Hello Richard Budig,

Thanks for the inspiring idea.

Meera Bakshi

[Patricia Joyce]

Richard,
What a great idea! Could you post some of your library sketches? I would love to see them!

[Dianne Gardner]

I agree wholeheartedly with Kim. We had this conversation many times with our Art guild. I have to admit I was surprised at all the different ways folks use to transfer images onto the canvas described here. I was taught first by my mother and she used her eye, the end of her brush and her thumb and that's the school that I come from. Granted, my paintings don't compare to the work represented here. But I also am of the belief that it is the journey that matters, and not the destination. I find satisfaction if I can finally look at something either from life or a photo and coordinate my mind and my hand to place those lines, color and forms onto the canvas accurately. I don't always as some of you already know, but sometimes I do and there is great satisfaction in that. Along the way, as Kim also mentioned, there's a little bit of life, movement, and character that gets transfered too.

For the last three years I have found that plein air painting has helped my portrait painting because not only do I have to work quickly, but I have learned to see color and light in a different way-a way that photographs do not record. Its helped me tremendously.

Dianne