Question: Gerald Greenblatt of Seattle wrote me about the potential problems of working from photos. “It feels like an important part of the creative process is being left out. Composition, shading, color, perspective are (somewhat) already resolved by the photo. What is there already is speaking too loudly for me to hear anything else. But I’m resolving the issues from the very beginning myself.
It is only when you find the beauty and joy of a painted stroke — independent of the subject to which it is attached — that you will start to experience painting as painting, and not be striving for some realist ideal.
Answer: You stated the problem quite eloquently and seem to be well aware of the pitfalls in working from photos. You may find some comfort in knowing that you are not alone. In my studio landscape classes, in which we work primarily from photos, we spend an inordinate amount of time dealing with the problems that are so common with photos — unimaginative color, under- or over-exposed photos, poorly differentiated shapes, and weak composition. As you rightly noted, a photo is an already-resolved visual problem. If it is a poor photo with poor qualities, then you’ll just be translating the same visual problems into your painting. And the results will look a lot worse than the photo because always seems to look right on its own terms.
You write, “What is there already is speaking too loudly for me to hear anything else.” That’s exactly right. If you have a photo in front of you, it will be hard to escape the compulsion to copy it. Part of the problem, is when the hyper-realism of the photo becomes the goal. I don’t believe it should be; it is just the false assumption that many make at the beginning of their practice. Early in our study, getting things to look “right” or realistic is a very important step. It helps us learn to see well and to draw well. But realism is not the only goal of painting. It’s only a means to an end.
Only when we can paint and draw what we see can we can be liberated from painting and drawing what we see. That’s when our real study and exploration begins.
Painting is about working through formal issues like shape, composition, color, pattern, and movement. It is only when you find the beauty and joy of those things — independent of the subject to which it is attached — that you will start to experience painting as painting, and not be striving for some realist ideal.
My advice to you or anyone overly attached to the photograph is to start working from life. Drop the photos for now. Do keep in mind that if you are new to working from life, landscape can be an extremely challenging place to start, as it is more complex and less stable than other subjects like still life or even the figure. As a starting place, I would suggest still life, at least for while, because it offers the most controlled environment.
Painting is a reality different from photographs, and while we may need to rely on the photograph at at times, we must be mindful not to allow ourselves to be seduced by photographic reality.
Additional Resources
from Landscape Painting: Essential Concepts and Techniques for Plein Air and Studio Practice
Chapter 10: Working with Photographs
from The Landscape Painter’s Workbook: Essential Studies in Shape, Composition, and Color
Why Subject Selection Matters, page 37
On this blog:
Using Photographs Like an Artist
Evaluating Photo Reference for a Series
Evaluating Photo Reference for a Series of Landscape Painting
1 Comment
Hi Mitch ~ Great job on your new blog! I especially appreciate your response to the question about using photos–a timely one for sure, as I venture back outdoors for plein air painting and later compare results with site photos taken at the same time. Definitely not the same thing.
Bravo on your Portland show too!