Black Holes in Reference Photos

A watercolor "tippette" from July 2018 - worth a 2nd look!!

Tippette #37: The Black Hole(s) in Reference Photos

Tippette = Snippet of a Tip (in watercolor).

Here's a real life example of why artists shouldn't rely solely on photos for reference.

Photos lie, especially in the darkest portions of a photo.  Just look at the difference between the reference photo and then the lightened up version below it.  Get ready to be amazed!

So hard to tell what's going on in the darks.

Lightened up version (use any photo editing software).
No way I saw that door open, with a man walking through it.
And just look at the windows!!
But now I have to figure out what to do about the door...hmmmm.
Luckily, I have MUCH experience with painting doors!

The answer when working from photos is to be sure you know exactly what's happening in your dark areas or you'll end up with a black hole that nobody wants to go down. Here's the finished painting...

"Late in the Day"
Watercolor on 300# Arches - Available
Helen K Beacham Fine Art

I hope these periodic tippettes help you in your painting journey.  Ask me anything in the Comments below and I'll either direct you to an existing tippette, or I'll write a post with my answer.

You might also enjoy:  TIPPETTE #11:  IMPROVING ON YOUR PHOTOGRAPH

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My next overseas workshop is VENICE IN APRIL 2020

DETAILS HERE.

Please share with a painting friend!?  Thank you!

READ MY LATEST POST HERE

www.HelenKBeacham.com

Tippette #37: The Black Hole(s) in Reference Photos

Tippette = Snippet of a Tip (in watercolor).

Here's a real life example of why artists shouldn't rely solely on photos for reference.

I took this photo in Venice...I'm in the process of painting it (or at least a stylized version of it...stay tuned...not sure myself what it'll morph into).

Today's Tippette:  Photos lie, especially in the darkest portions of a photo.  Just look at the difference between the reference photo and then the lightened up version below it.  Get ready to be amazed!

So hard to tell what's going on in the darks.

Lightened up version (use any photo editing software).
No way I saw that door open, with a man walking through it.
Unfortunately for him, he won't be included in my painting.
But now I have to figure out what to do about the door...hmmmm.
Luckily, I have MUCH experience with painting doors!

Well?  Were you amazed by how much detail was hidden from me?

The answer for an artist working from photos is to be sure you know exactly what's happening in your dark areas or you'll end up with a black hole that nobody wants to go down. 

I hope these periodic tippettes help you in your painting journey.  Ask me anything in the Comments (or email me) and I'll either direct you to an existing tippette, or I'll write a post with my answer.

You might also enjoy:  TIPPETTE #11:  IMPROVING ON YOUR PHOTOGRAPH

Remember to sign up to receive my blog automatically, sent via email to your inbox!  Let me know if you have trouble doing that.

                          -------------------------------------------------

P.S.

In 2019, I'm teaching at a castle in France!

And YOU can come with me!

You can find all that info right HERE.

Early Bird fees apply!

Won't you please share my post with a friend??

Non-painting spouses are also invited!  Yay!

If 2018 is a better travel time for you, I still have 2 spots open in both my France and Venice workshops! You could even do them back-to-back!

See everything HERE.

READ MY LATEST POST HERE

www.helenkbeacham.com

BeachamFineArt@gmail.com

843-408-5240

Tippette #34 - Taking research photos

I voraciously snap pics with my phone...who doesn't?  

BUT, when I just took a photo that I know in my heart I'm going to want to paint, I point my phone or camera to the ground and snap another photo.  Why? So that it's real easy to identify the photo's location later when I download all of them.  (I typically come home from Montreal with 1600 photos. They all go into a folder dated with that year and month).

Montreal, in the Little Burgundy neighborhood

Similarly, if I'm sketching en plein air and want to finish it later in my Studio, I make sure to take a closeup of the scene and then point down at the ground. The one other thing I do is take a pic of my sketch to that point.  It sometimes comes in handy if I later want to do a work-in-progress post about it.

"One Way".  Watercolor (varnished & gelled to an archival board)
by Helen K Beacham
ARTWORK AVAILABLE.

Any other helpful tips that you have for taking your own research photos?

My Montreal (Canada) workshop (Aug 9-16) is still open for registration.  

Montreal is my home town.  Let me show Her to you! (details HERE).

SEE MY LATEST POST HERE.

Tippette #30 - Taking great reference photos & Opaque Pigments

Tippette = Snippet of a Tip (in watercolor).  One per day...during April...right here!  Tell a friend!

1.  Taking great reference photos.

2.  Opaque Pigments.

Can you tell that it's the last day of April and I'm sad? I'm sneaking in 2 quick tippettes for you today as my parting gift!

Taking great reference photos:

I've got to give credit to Michael Cyra, my friend, painter, photographer and owner of PHOTOGRAPHICS (located at FreshFields near Kiawah) for sharing this tippette with one of my painting groups earlier this year.  Note: Although I'm about to try to explain to you what he told us, I know I don't have the photography jargon down pat (sorry, Michael!).  Try to bear with me.

You know that, if the highlights in your photos are always too white and your darks too black, you must correct for that when you paint.  The photo is lying.  But HOW do you correct it?  Check out this photo below of some Spanish moss that I took this week:

Highlights are blown out.

I knew when I shot this (and looked at the file on the camera), that it was wrong.  That is NOT what I saw in front of me in real life.  Although the trunks and water look right, the moss area looks like there's snow on it.

To correct the situation, hold down the shutter while hovering over the moss (the lightest area).  Then, while still holding down the button, reposition the camera so it's in the center of what you want to shoot, and click the shutter button.  What you'll get looks like this below:

Darks are too dark.

What do I hear you saying?  This one's not right either?  Right!  In the 2nd one, the top looks right, but the bottom is too dark.  As the artist, you need to combine the two and then you have a shot at having a realistic painting.  Bracket your shots!!!  Thanks, Michael, for this invaluable insight.  p.s.  there are more scientific ways of bracketing your shots, but my artist's mind won't allow me to go there.... :(

Opaque Pigments:

I try to stick with transparent colors for the most part, but sometimes when you drop one transparent color into another one, you'll get a very subtle result for the most part.  However, think about dropping opaque color into transparent, and you'll ALWAYS see the result.   Check out this close up of a painting of mine.  I used a combination of Naples Yellow & Cerulean Blue for this mixture that I dropped into my dark wash.  Notice how it holds its shape pretty well too!  

Have fun.  Be courageous.  Be curious.  It's only paper and paint.  

Let's keep in touch.  It's been my pleasure to share a few things with you this month.  

Ci sentiamo presto!  Talk to you soon!

(pronounced TCHEE   sehn-TYAH-moh   PREH-stoh)

SEE MY LATEST POST HERE.

www.helenKbeacham.com