| Author | Message | ||
  dirtybird |
I was taking this watercolor class and the final assignment was to select three objects from a pile of junk in the corner and create a composition from them. My objects were an aluminum softdrink can, a baseball sized plastic sphere and a coffee mug. I took them home and after puzzling over them for hours I could not think of any thing creative to do with them. Sometimes later in the evening when I was either asleep or falling asleep this image of three giant skyscrapers shaped like, guess what, a coffee mug, a ball and a drink can popped into my head. I set up my props and had a great time rendering that painting. It was voted best in the class. Now I carry a sketchbook with me all the time and whenever I visualize these composition I do a quick sketch for later reference. These "made up scenes" happens to me all the time and has added new life to my paintings. | ||
Dan |
I used to just make stuff up...but...I guess...with old age...it's now easier to paint from pictures and "plein air". I do borrow a lot from one photo or other though too. So I guess I'm "making things up" sort of. I recently did a painting from an old black and white photo I took 25 years ago. I scanned it and colored it sepia on the computer, then I scetched it out on w/c paper and painted it...adding some things and subtracting others. I was pleased with the results...AND...I got to use my imagination. I usually never run out of ideas and it will keep me quite busy. A lot of the items I'm painting lately have to be exact though...for the people who send me them...so..that's where I'm at currently. | ||
deerwoodpines |
Use Photoshop for image sizing for the web. I shoot paintings with my D100 (lotsa pixels) and can resize any image right down to postage stamp size. | ||
greg |
if you send your JPEG image to Terry he might post it for you. JPEG is the key and keep the image small in size. | ||
Eric |
Greg- I've tried to post pictures of my work a few times, but I was unsuccessful. I don't know if the images were too big or what the problem was. | ||
John Preston |
At one time I would assemble an image from memory, usually a day's or week's worth of sights seen. It was both an attempt to distill and to include everything. But as Robert observed, there's a danger of becoming generic because you naturally and habitually select some things over others. Now I try to keep very close to the particulars of a scene and even include the platt-map info in the titles. I'm toying with the idea of GPS info for the title. | ||
George |
If I’m not on location, I work from memory. I don’t own a camera. | ||
greg |
I wish I could do more of that. Some things I can create, but in the tight style I paint, a bad drawing is a bad painting. The light and shadow have to be perfect or it is a bust. I have been practicing horses lately..I have filled 4 sketchbooks of different poses and postures. I can almost create a horse from any angle from memory.....almost. Now I am doing sketchbooks of faces and gestures only....after 5-6 sketchbooks I may feel comfortable enough to actually do one from memory. Eric: have you ever posted any of your work on any of these threads? I would love to see some of your paintings. ROBERT too!! | ||
Robert |
Actually though, when you describe comnining item,s from various photos into your own scene, I still consider that onservation, in that you have a visual source for your details. I do that sort of thing too. | ||
Robert |
I don't. I've tried but mine seem generic and lacking in subtelty. I have to base my paintings on observation. | ||
marie |
I'll do landscapes and still life work from my imagination sometimes. With figures, I'm much more comfortable working from life -- it's as if I need the direct visual input to correct a tendency to stylize in some instances. Actually, I frequently practice doing figures from memory/imagination. I love the process, but I'm rarely happy enough with the results to let other people see it. I'm getting better though, and I am beginning to produce some figurative work from my imagination that could be displayed publicly. | ||
Eric |
With all the talk here lately about painting from photos vs. painting plein air, I'm wondering if many of you simply paint scenes that are made up in your head, or painted from memory. I paint a lot of scenes from my head, or I use the photo or the scene I've sketched from life only as a spark for an idea, or combine some photos into one design. |
