Something different for me is the Southwest and Western Forum Challenge for the month. We sketch or paint from photos. I don't care for painting from photos, but in the long run it is probably good for me. When you paint from life outdoors or a still life you see more nuances of color in shadows and in white. Painting from a photo reference requires imagination or memories of the scene.
In the challenges we paint from other's photos so the nuances have to be imagined or we use the "rules" of painting that we have learned and stored.
- Warm light - cool shadows and vice versa
- Cool colors recede
- Warm colors and intensity come forward
And so forth.
I tend to follow the composition of the photographer and work too closely from the photo and don't make the scene my own.
The photos for August are my photos and have some memories of actually being there where the heat was on or the air was sweet and humid.
An artist blogger I have followed for years, Karen Margulis http://karenmargulis.com/ recommends painting from "bad" photos so you don't get caught up in the perfect photo and copy. She has lots of instruction on her blog. She is very sharing with information.
I'm trying to use photos to my advantage. This is a photo I took in Tombstone, Arizona, when they were preparing for the shoot out they do daily. The actors were standing around talking to folks and waiting for the time and start of the show.
I moved the gunfighters for my sketch. I didn't spend too much time on this sketch. It was fun to see what could come out of the photo.
Another blog artist, James Richards, has sketching info in ink and watercolor. Information on perspective, composition, architecture, etc.
I didn't link to a special post. The most recent one is about eye level on a hill. As in all blogs on Blogger you can search just the blog in the upper left hand corner. Very helpful to look back at other instruction posts.
Have fun, see ya later.
8 comments:
It is fun to see them moved the way you did so it looks like they are having a conversation. lol I took a workshop with James Richards. I find his hints really helpful with urban sketching. He's good!
Cool. I like that you changed them in the sketch.
Joan, thank you so much for recognizing my intent to have them talking. I probably got James Richards name from you when you took your workshop. I like the way he works.
Joanna, thank you. Was that visit to Tombstone when you were with us? We didn't stop very long.
I love your sketch. It reminds me of the old cowboy cartoonist...what was his name?
Bag Blog, Thanks, I think you mean Ace Reid http://cowpokes.com/?v=7516fd43adaa
Some of his are really typical and funny.
Bag Blog, maybe you could give it a caption?
"After you finish fixin' the fence, thars a chickin coop what needs cleaned."
Bag Blog, oh, no! No chickens allowed. Ha, ha. Funny though, thanks.
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