How do you get from photo to canvas?

[Lacey Lewis]

I am not sure how much of this thread I have read, but I know I should go back through anyway.

I am wondering, am I asking too much from myself when I think that I should be able to paint a figure from a photograph(s)? I feel like I have a much easier time working from life. I used to use a grid to plot out the larger drawing on a large canvas from a small photo, but I felt 'blind' doing this in comparison to working from life. Of course, painting after plotting it out went pretty smoothly.

Lately I've been trying to use my methods for painting/drawing from life when working from a photograph... I use a ruler to measure distances, multipy as needed, compare angles in my reference and on my canvas, etc. But, I always have a whole lot to correct all along the way and it is very frustrating. I have this problem mostly when doing a figure as opposed to a portrait.

Maybe some of the issue is that I am working from too small references? When working from life, I keep my drawing/painting the same size as the subject appears from where I am. Maybe I should try to blow up my references to life size. Ideally, I should get more real people in here to work from!

OK, sorry about the rant... I've been doing a lot of that lately.

[Jeff Fuchs]

Lacey, I use those measuring techniques only when I can't resolve the measurements by eye. If you read Tony Ryder's book, the text gives a very convincing argument for measuring by eye alone. To be honest, I can't remember how he explained it, and I don't have the book handy, but I remember that he made a very good case for trusting (and training) your eye. My work improved as a result of studying his book.

There are two main approaches to catching a likeness. The Academic approach, with "sight-size" and strict measuring, can often result in a photographic likeness, even when working from life (sorry, Hockney). Then there's the approach that Sharon mentioned, which can capture the likeness in a more gestural manner. Both are valid. (See Peggy's drawing of her son, which was done from a photo. I love that drawing, and it in no way looks like a copied photo. )

As for working from photos, I'm considering photoshopping an image out of focus, as a kind of virtual squint, to force myself to ignore details. Then, when it's time to add details, I'll pull out the focused image (or not!)

[Linda Brandon]

Originally Posted by Jeff Fuchs

Lacey, I use those measuring techniques only when I can't resolve the measurements by eye. If you read Tony Ryder's book, the text gives a very convincing argument for measuring by eye alone. To be honest, I can't remember how he explained it, and I don't have the book handy, but I remember that he made a very good case for trusting (and training) your eye. My work improved as a result of studying his book.

Jeff, this is the way I work from life - I have to do a couple of plumb lines, but what I basically do is make a mark on the canvas, compare it with the figure, and if looks wrong to me I fix it. If you quickly move your eye back and forth from subject to canvas you can see a "jump" - the "jump" is your mistake on the canvas and that's what you fix.

I'm convinced that it is panic and fear that keep artists from working this way and if one can quell that panic one can go a long way toward being a better artist. I also think that overreliance on photos saps the confidence of artists - and that is a huge danger in using photos all the time. We have to let our eye/mind/hand measure without judgment of our abilties.

It takes lots of practice, but it's a eye/hand/brain skill, like shooting hoops, maybe. My head would explode if I had to use a ruler or grid working from life. Painting from photos, though, is a whole other story.