Portraits by Brushstokes

[Sharon Knettell]

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[Allan Rahbek]

Originally Posted by Sharon Knettell

What do you think? Any comments?

I think that it's odious because it is made to fool people to make them believe that they are buying real paintings which they are not.

I would not trust any company that so obviously fiddle with the evidence.
I have never seen a copy of anything that would reflect the light exactly the same way as the original ! Look at the four examples of the girl in front of the field of red flowers and check out any point. It's the same photo used for the reference and "painting" -- it's phony !

They think they are smart, but I don't think so.
I don't know how they do, but I could come up with a lot of suggestions. These days you can print anything on a surface, with an Ink Laser printer, even upon a "brushstrokes" textured canvas and ad some luscious, genuine, handmade small brushstrokes ( that would not disturb anything )
Sorry, almost forgot, a handwritten signature.

[Allan Rahbek]

There'll always be someone who cares, one in a million, like it use to be.
How many percent settles usually with a handheld, shaken, flash photo of their loved ones anyway ?
Maybe they are smart after-all ?

[Garth Herrick]

We could pool some funds and put them to the test and world scrutiny here! Anyone have a good guinea pig photo.

These are nothing more than digitally manipulated photographs with texture added.

[Sharon Knettell]

Originally Posted by Allan Rahbek

There'll always be someone who cares, one in a million, like it use to be.
How many percent settles usually with a handheld, shaken, flash photo of their loved ones anyway ?
Maybe they are smart after-all ?

Alan,

I do not think many would. However many people are far more adept at taking pictures now, the cameras are so user friendly. We have relatives who take pictures of their loved ones and have calenders made. A good friend of ours takes beautiful Christmas card pictures of her children every year, everyone of them could be a painting and she is a medical secretary. People could have photographs that have been professionally taken, ie. weddings, proms, school pictures etc. and have them made into paintings for $250. They need not be amateur or bad photos at all. The site gives recommendations for the pictures.

[Allan Rahbek]

Sharon,
good or bad photos are still photos and turning them into paintings, that look like photos, don't add anything.
Most of us knows that the force of a good painting is the footsteps of the dancing brush.
No photograph can ever mimic that or provide you with that sort of energy. A good painting is the result of a selection process, the artists will. Photos can be used for reference, but very, very rarely be used as is, in my opinion.
How can people, who don't know the slightest about painting, produce a usefully reference that can stand on its own ?

[Sharon Knettell]

Hmmm......Actually the painting in the catalogue is quite lovely, and they do say that it is an oil by a hand selected master.

I WAS thinking of having a Summer Special, 20% off my already low prices. I would take the pictures, and have them painted by this company, and mark them up. Then I could take the summer off while they are being painted in China. I could add a few Knettell flourishes, whatever that is and make quite a good living very easily. If it went well I could extend the special.

[Carlos Ygoa]

[QUOTE=Sharon Knettell

So many people are illiterate when it comes to the arts, especially painting. Generally a person, even an intelligent one, thinks they are giving you a compliment when they say, 'it looks just like a photograph'![/QUOTE]


These are like the reality TV shows. They exist because there will always be a market. (is this where I have to apologize to those who watch reality shows?)
( at $245 per portrait, I wonder how much the artist gets...)

[Michele Rushworth]

This sounds like one of those ubiquitous Chinese-painted portrait websites that are cropping up all over the internet. There's also a sign at one of our local frame shops advertising this sort of thing, too.

It's my understanding that they're really paintings and really are hand done on canvas. The images are emailed to China and are painted by any one of a bunch of artists sitting in a long row in an assembly-line-like setting.

I don't know anyone who's ever tried it, to see what the quality looks like of the actual commissioned pieces. Might be worth it for the price to commission one and see how they actually turn out.

[Garth Herrick]

Sharon,

I get it that the sample above is painted by skilled artisans on an assembly line. It would be interesting to see the reference photo to check the drawing fidelity, etc. Overall it looks very skilled, technically. the transitions, hues, values and edge control are quite something. I am wondering about the likeness in the eyes and mouth. As a forever image on the wall, that smile and look would bother me.

But, is the BrushStrokes portrait sample really paint or a digital creation?

A good friend in Colorado, I roomed two years ago with at the PSOA Conference, Russ Steuber, is a master at "painting" digitally from a photograph resource. The brushwork looks strangely similar to that in the BrushStrokes sample when viewed as close as they will let you see it. I did a few screen shots of the sample, and cropped a few of Russ' biker painting (to be followed in the next response).

Look close and tell me what you think. Are the sample blow ups actually paint or sophisticated digital paint software. You may notice that the paint is quite smooth with zero canvas or support texture, nor any 3-D texture, as advertized! I suspect it's just digital and no paint in this case, which may be deceptive advertising.

Garth