Top 10 Tips for Painting From Photos with Ian Roberts

[@viviandibrell849]

“ Composition is what you are looking for, not a subject”! That is huge! I have been devouring your wonderful videos and now I am reading your book with more understanding due to watching the videos. 😍 love it! Thank you from the bottom of my heart for sharing your knowledge. Your presentations are concise and packed with content. Well done!

[@artistsnetwork]

Wonderful!

[@imadielariel3109]

Vivian, word for word what I would say. And Ian is able to extract the most important bits we can remember to put into practice, but once you layer these bits together you can become a juggler doing the right thing for you. I also teach painting and I find Ian to be a master teacher. I learn from him how to simplify ideas so complex processes can be more easily assimilated. Thanks so much!

[@emilyadams6194]

Mr. Roberts, Your presentation is so clear. It is easy to get caught up and caught out by a specific idea and to skip the thinking and planning part of painting. I want to listen to those ten points about once a week until they're sealed in my head!! Thank you.

[@garyji]

Brilliantly useful as always.

[@jimreid9674]

Many comments here on pros and cons of using a photo. The photo is simply a reference. Painting 'rules' can be either adopted or ignored depending on what you are trying to create. Photo realism, impressionistic, abstract, etc. Manipulate the photo reference as you feel fit to produce a good painting not a good reproduction of the photo. Love your videos Ian, they are very comprehensive. Thank you.

[@ushadilip3039]

Thank you for sharing the finest points for painting for the upcoming artists.🙏🏾

[@scleo1959]

You explain things SO well. I enjoy all of your videos. Thank you Ian!

[@marybethams]

I have your book on composition and always benefit from any of your marvelous art instruction. Thank you! Keep teaching!!!

[@stevenshackelford1937]

Number 7 - is definately my problem!! But, with your informative videos, you have been a huge help in trying to adjust what some friends have termed 'TIGHT' paintings...lol. TY so very mush for your videos!!

[@JoanKentBible]

Thank you. I really appreciate your sound advice.

[@artistsnetwork]

Glad it was helpful!

[@geoffreypiltz271]

I'm a photographer, not a painter, and I find these videos more helpful, in terms of composition particularly, than photography videos.

[@evandegenfelder4554]

Excellent advice. Thanks.

[@artistsnetwork]

Glad it was helpful!

[@Hummmminify]

Thanks.....looks like something I need to study again and again....Thanks again.

[@montygemma]

One thing I always do when taking landscape photos for painting is to take a seperate photograph of the sky. Take a photo of the landscape and the sky goes light, and you lose all the definition in the clouds. Zoom in on the sky and the landscape goes dark, it helps to have seperate photos of both.

[@freetibet1000]

Yes, you’re right. In photography we usually call it “bracketing” the exposure. Because often the dynamic range of the light in the scene is beyond what a camera can capture on its sensor or film within one exposure photographers have developed a technique to combine several different exposed images into one image to replicate what was seen by the human eye. Even though the photography technology have improved dramatically for the last ten years on this matter, it is nowhere near what the human eye and brain faculties can appreciate.

[@stephaniecarrow4898]

Such a helpful tip!

[@arsmenon]

Very helpful tip

[@imadielariel3109]

@@freetibet1000 yes, and I think that is in part the challenge of painting the landscape, giving the impression of this huge light range that we can see and marvel at but that materials diminish. But the brain translates light so with the right value and color "tricks," we can come close as painters. I discovered as a photographer who became a painter that my photography improved dramatically when I introduced painting principles in the way I was seeing. For all artists SEEING is first but that emerges from emotion, intention, and love as well as many other things like culture and language. Happy journey everyone. 👏😊🙏

[@donitafichter8298]

Thank you for sharing, so wisely, the pieces of crucial information that are foundational for all of us regardless of “how” we paint.

[@skartstudio8824]

Hello Dear sir, i have been watching your videos, now i am constantly following your videos, and i feel a lot of improvement in my own paintings now, i love the way you explain composition and alot of other ideas,

[@Eva-iy6vy]

Thank you your advices are really very useful.

[@TattoodSpirit]

Seriously helpful... composition over subject...and proper framing within the photo...appreciated.

[@chrisc.7972]

Thank you for sharing your knowledge. I use photographs a lot and am trying to create good composition and to lead the eye through the painting. Your tips on making a roadmap is something I've not heard before but clarifies the steps towards what I'm trying to achieve...a light bulb moment, thank you.

[@stellagorga1846]

Chris C. Also...try to find a good book on composition...Edgar Paynes is best. Look at Schaeferart he has some good vids on composition.

[@elenafavaemerson1022]

I just began to paint again...and I am using my photographs...thank you for your tips

[@howlingwind1937]

Thank you for your video, it was good hearing from someone who is an artist saying its ok to use photos. Too many times I get told or read that using photos is wrong, and that your painting will look flat because the camera doesn't pick up on the finer detail and we should be painting insitu. Of course, as you said you have to look carefully at what you want to use and how you're going to interpret the image onto canvas or board or paper. And I think that yes the way the old masters painted was indeed wonderful, however, they didn't have what we have, and modern technology is a very good tool, just like the brush, or even our fingers, and other tools we use to put our marks down on paper or canvas. Once again thank you for your video.

[@artistsnetwork]

Thank you for sharing this. We're glad you connected with this video!

[@solea59]

Great videos. Well done and thanks for being " Unhurried ! "

[@lidumontero]

Excellent presentation.

[@tomgregg6385]

I took a course from you in Goderich, Ontario many years ago. I have your book, Mastering composition. Thank you Marg

[@alf6165]

Fabulous thankyou!

[@stephaniecarrow4898]

So helpful, especially the key value masses ~ thank you!

[@pieemme]

Most useful tips. Spot on. Thanks Ian. I’ve always found the pictures I painted from photos dull and stiff, no matter how good the initial photo looked. I always found I was substracting information from my scene rather than adding anything to it. Now I know why. Will sure give it a try.

[@christinelewis6557]

Extremely helpful! Thank you for sharing

[@phyllisalden9983]

Thank you! This is extremely helpful.

[@dlee1363]

This was so helpful thank you

[@margaretsalasidis3708]

Thank you. All very salient points.

[@linneadoden5597]

Excellent tips

[@DrZw0]

Thank you Ian! This helps a lot.

[@artistsnetwork]

Glad it helped!

[@barbaragemin5117]

I’ve never thought about WHERE the eye is going and especially WHAT I want the observer to see. Thanks.

[@Blitterbug]

Great advice to use a laptop as a reference display medium. I found a propped-up tablet loaded with my photos to be perfect for my sketches (I can't paint). Thanks so much for taking the anti-snobbery stance to 'if you can't paint from memory or real life, you're no artist.'

[@nancytobin4938]

This is so helpful - will save!

[@MrMjp58]

Great advice, clearly stated.

[@artistsnetwork]

Glad it was helpful!

[@8653bill]

Thank you Ian

[@suzeaa]

Excellent advice!

[@artistsnetwork]

Glad it was helpful!

[@WilhelmHellstern]

Thank you so much!!

[@analivingston7590]

Yessss extremely useful, thank youuu....

[@marieroslind1479]

Thank you🌺🎨🖼

[@HenrikVGroth]

Very usefull thank you

[@annfoster1980]

Great tips. Thankyou

[@lynkosmer3813]

Great tips !

[@gillyslikejillysart7458]

Roadmap=genius idea thanks!

[@artistsnetwork]

Glad you like it!

[@bernardotoole4366]

A photo must tell a story and from a photographer I worked on composition which helps with rendering the picture in a painting

[@stians.6912]

These are really great tips. The only one I would slightly disagree on is point 2, about painting from luminous photos and/or computer screens - especially if painting realism. In my experience, paintings ends up looking a bit 'cartoonish' if the colours are too bright and 'yummi', so when working from a photo (my own), I dull them down instead. It also makes it a lot easier to go in and add highlights at the end, if you keep your colours dirty.

[@outbackgearforu]

Ime doing this now,I bought a whole lot of books from a second hand shop $2 each with pictures of stunning travel destinations,I can page through and pick the ones that are well composed and interesting

[@AudiobookLibrary24-7]

Yes, these tips are useful!

[@amerfarhan4]

Nice tips, thank you very much

[@rockflowerful]

Yes incredibly useful…..number one you take away the residue guilt of using a photo’ in the first place. As an older person with mobility issues,, I can not tramp about looking for subjects……I’d likely fall and break a hip or something. I have often pondered , just why is painting still relevant, we have totally accurate photos of all kinds. I think it is the link of energy……. It is that unique residue energy each person transfers with each brush stroke to the canvas or paper. The last thing we loose as the body dies, is the very cellular energy of life. If you are with some one or some animal at death, you ‘see’ that energy , that was them has gone, leaving the shell behind. They are no longer at home so to speak. Everyone leaves imprints of this vital energy in all they create and no where more than in painting. We used to see it in a person,s handwriting, we could possibly recognize the writer,’s age, state of health and vitality……it was that human link. Well not much handwriting about these days LOL. Perhaps I am slow a bit dumb in forming this opinion but I formulated it, looking at the art of ,the group of seven……Canadian artists. Also seeing for the first time…..the oil sketches of John Constable. Constable, we know his images so well, if we have not seen his famous images in person, we see them on tea towels, trays, coffee muds etc. His huge studio works are wonderful but I happened to see some oil sketches of his in a book. Even through the printed page , the energy, the man was there in a way that is not so in the studio work. The Chinese and their calligraphy, where the artist winds themselves up in to an explosion of energy to express a character on paper. Is this the secret of very abstract painting? All this is a very long winded way to say, that the point…..leave the brush stroke. Do not tidy up and neaten up…..Is well taken. It shall be my personal mantra. At some point could you tell us about water colour paper…….what exactly are the properties of paper that are hot or cold pressed, the weight that paper was pressed with. The effects of various textures. Thank you so much for giving us your time in doing these videos…they are much appreciated.

[@renzo6490]

About the sixth comment: Strong areas of value contrast are key. True, the eye is drawn to areas of contrast. Light against dark is a way to create contrast but that isn't the only way. The Impressionists, instead of relying on value contrast, used color contrast: saturated color against muted neutrals, warm colors against cool colors, colors paired with their complementary color etc. Placing sharp edges amid an area of soft edges draws the eye.

[@imadielariel3109]

That's a wonderful observation but how to make more subtle color decisions to make the painting more profound is knowledge that is often lacking. I wish Ian covered a subject just called CONTRASTS and that covered all of that.

[@paulschnyder938]

Very useful. Thanks 👍

[@artistsnetwork]

Glad it was helpful!

[@hildahambone7277]

We paint from photos all the time. What is our brain if not a camera that stores not just the scene but the sight, smell, sound and touch of moments we experience.

[@artistsnetwork]

Interesting point!

[@TheCombatartist]

RELEVANT! Finally, someone speaking the TRUTH!

[@dannistor7294]

Would you please elaborate a little? I'm really interested in the matter...

[@AudiobookLibrary24-7]

Great!

[@jennifercochran6398]

that exciting feeling you get....that tingling sensation.....just isnt there with a photograph.

[@jennifercochran6398]

I stopped worrying about getting better. I just let myself go.

[@Vexarax]

My mum told me she sees a screen in her mind with vivid images she can create, and she does her art using those mind images as reference. She said it's actually like a movie screen around her, not some figurative thing. A real screen with vivid images she can change and manipulate :o I see only darkness in my mind, no colours or anything, so have to rely heavily on photographs for reference. I wonder if those who see only darkness like myself can still create art without a reference? My niece has a 'mind screen' like my mum and she's super creative!! I wonder how much our mind (our ability to see mind images) has to do with whether we need references or not? :o

[@artistsnetwork]

This is great! What a wonderful process you're describing.

[@Kyomiibrown]

The more you draw from imagination the more your creative mind becomes active and you will see images in your mind too. Start with very simple imagery such as imagine a box then draw it. Then imagine where light and shadow hits the box and add it. The block comes when you think you have to create something wild and imaginative right off the bat - you don’t, you simply need to start simple to awaken your mind.

[@Vexarax]

@@Kyomiibrown - I am 32 and sadly it's just something that's never improved, hence why I came to the conclusion it's aphantasia after reading as much about it as I could online! For example I can draw a photorealistic cat using only ballpoint pen if I have the image of the cat in front of me, or a battle scene, or a castle, or a huge map.. anything!! But when I try to draw a cat or anything else without looking at an image (i tried over 50 times one day, even just a very basic cat made of circles with triangles for ears etc) it looks even worse than if a young child drew it! My young nieces draw better cats than I do! It's so weird!! I have an 'idea' (in total darkness) of what the cat should look like, but my mind cannot translate it to the page! What's even weirder is I'm actually an employed writer and while my work is non-fiction a LOT of creativity is required for the type of work I do. I have to 'paint pictures using only words' to describe a scene in a way that's entertaining for people.. So the thoughts and the creativity are there. And so is the technical talent as I've been 'artistic' all my life. But holy moly trying to translate the thoughts into a drawn image just results in failure :c Trying to even SEE images results in failure. I cannot even 'see' a square or a splodge of green :o But no one would think that from reading my writing or looking at the art I have done. Sorry this is so long, I'm just trying to explain what it's like. I do appreciate the suggestion though thank you I do really appreciate you trying to help!! :)

[@hgzmatt]

@@Vexarax That's why people learn anatomy. You need to know a lot of proportions of cats to be able to draw them accurately without reference. Maybe there are people who can do without but I'm also not one of them. I'd love to hear more about how your mom operates.. it sounds very interesting.

[@Vexarax]

@@hgzmatt - what's weird about it is take people for example: I have been drawing every day since my earliest memories, almost always people. Ballpoint pen is my favourite medium, and it's got to the point that at 33 I can draw a photorealistic person in pen IF I have an image to draw from. However without an image I am crippled artistically, despite knowing all the proportions off by heart. What comes out is a poorly drawn cartoon figure which is perfectly proportioned and I can get the hands perfect because I can see my own hands, haha, but everything else looks like someone who has just started drawing. From what I have read, a lot of people think they "learned" drawing, but a huge part of that is just naturally being able to see what it is you're drawing in your mind. Whereas I have now heard many aphantasiac artists having the same complaint as me - we cannot _see_ it no matter how well we understand the subject, and it leaves us feeling extremely frustrated! Many have described it as feeling like a huge part of our potential creativity is missing or limited by this inability to see the things we have spent our entire lives learning about! Whereas mum (or my nieces too) say they see what they want to draw/sculpt/make and use that mind image as the source image for what they are creating. Gosh it would be amazing to be able to do that and would make life so much simpler! I always tell them how lucky they are, and they say they can't imagine not being able to see anything. I still hope I'll be able to find a way to learn to see images in my mind :)

[@jennygraham4818]

Photographs of landscapes tend to make the foreground too large and the distance too small. Cropping helps but you need to take this into consideration when planning out your composition.

[@drummergirl9481]

What about using photos you find online? I would like to hear your opinion on that since everyone seems to be worried about plagarism these days. thanks!

[@donnadiesburg7451]

Drummergirl 9. I'd like to know this too!

[@drummergirl9481]

Yeah, because who makes up that rule anyway? Last I heard, my sister, who is an artist, told me that you have to change either 10 or 20% of the picture from the photo to make it okay to paint. But I'd like to know officially. I'll google it,haha

[@drummergirl9481]

After reading some things online, it would seem that it's better to take your own photos if there is a chance you could sell your work.

[@drummergirl9481]

Thank you. I saw that latter article too. I guess for practice, online photos may not be a big deal...especially if you change the picture and use several different reference photos. But to sell them, I would make my own photos. And then when you travel, you will really be on a mission for your artwork!

[@PoeticLite]

Drummergirl 9 - Its about respecting the property of another artist; their time, expertise, costs, etc to produce the photo we wish to take. But yes, giving this the thought you have given is a good thing. Many today are too quick to take something for their own benefit, at the cost of anothers labour. Ive had my own work taken and used. Its not a good feeling.

[@Polecat54941]

I use a digital photo frame for my reference, very useful and fairly cheap.

[@artistsnetwork]

Great tip!

[@DanielMalstrom]

Yes well said…so easy to overwork and copy a photo

[@normanmerrill1241]

Thanks...

[@linegarneau7444]

Can you tell us how to do that please

[@allenvoss7977]

If I’m not taking my own photos and should I use photos from on line how can I do this without the worry of copy right laws if someone were to purchase my painting? Should I also give credit to the photographer? Is this something I should print on the back of my canvas?

[@artistsnetwork]

This is a great question! In general, it's best to avoid the use of stock reference photos unless they are explicitly identified as free for commercial use. For other situations that you describe, seek professional advice from an expert in copyright laws. Also, it can be good practice to try and contact the photographer to ask permission and if they would prefer to be credited.

[@michellamontagne4600]

Cool

[@junemcdonald4195]

Thank you for helping me to understand you just do not slavishly copy a photograph, but put your own twist on it.

[@stellagorga1846]

June Mcdonald not about putting your own touch...more about creating a balanced composition..and photos are not true with color...values..

[@paulbains9152]

I graduated from the Vancouver School of Art , the rule was , if you composed the photograph , its OK to use it . Some of my stuff is historically accurate as well .

[@K9_Willett]

I think advice #9 should have been #1 of advice.

[@rutbrea8796]

I can't pay for a model, so I use photos, or my sketches. Also it's expensive to travel. Therefore, I see no problem in using photos or my sketches. Thanks for your video.

[@artistsnetwork]

Thanks for sharing!

[@sarahhill3073]

Gold.

[@nickfanzo]

Degas had photographs made for references and that was a Very long time ago. There Shouldn’t be a debate at this point

[@triggerfish999]

Composition is all. The colours almost don’t matter, if the composition is good.

[@zeeshanbukhari6016]

کمال 👌

[@sophiefly4258]

❤️🙏🌿

[@peterwaksman9179]

You should mention the downsides of using photos: distorted geometry, color shifts, and failure of photos to contain "ideas". What you are left with is a painting of a photo, not a painting of the original scene.

[@hgzmatt]

Well are you trying to create a good painting or recreate the exact scene? Most of these can be dealt with if you have knowledge and a good camera.

[@atlantic_love]

I will paint from photos, but I will NEVER paint from someone else's photo. Why? Because it wasn't my vision. I'm not inspired by what someone else sees.

[@gerdavogel5287]

I think you should mention a few other points. 1. A poor photo will never make a good painting. 2. Learn how to take good photographs.3. Never use other people’s photos without their permission. 4. Don’t copy from magazines, you are breaking copyright! 5. Find a good teacher if you really want to improve.

[@DavidWoodArtist]

All this I tell my students....but do they listen!! *sigh

[@renzo6490]

There are pitfalls to painting from photos. Usually, shadows are darker than they are in reality. One can often tell that a photo was used because the shadows in the painting are black! Also many current photos show both near and distant objects with the same degree of sharp focus. You principle subject should be more distinct than subordinate subjects. And, as was mentioned, it is easy to want to show in your painting every detail. This kills a painting. Inexactitude forces the viewer to do some work. A photo tells everything and the viewer is passive. A painting that is somewhat ambiguous and unfinished makes the viewer an active partner.

[@TYGZus777]

I have had so many art professors from various universities condemn my work because I used photographs, which I took myself, as a reference for my paintings. I've even had studio instructors condemn my work in an accusatory tone, as being done from photographs when they were, in fact, painted from direct observation! This behavior from instructors has absolutely crushed my creative spirit. There sure are a lot of assholes who work in Fine Arts. The thing that is so idiotic is the fact that many successful and renowned painters, such as Kehind Willis and Norman Rockwell, use photographs as a reference for their paintings. So then, because a person isn't a famous artist, we're not allowed to use photographs? Is that the rationale?

[@winkieblink7625]

I love watching you work, but I’ve lost my creative passion.

[@gtjhuang]

Bottom line, if you cannot paint a painting from the real thing, either an animal, a person, a still life or scenery, as good as painting those from photographs, stop using photographs until you can. Otherwise it is cheating or just an illustrator, not artist.

[@AmandaInEly]

Really useful. Thank you