By Artists & Illustrators | Mon 4th May 2020
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Painting from a photograph isn’t ‘cheating’, says our columnist Laura Boswell. Used correctly, it’s a vital tool for developing an artwork
The question “do you work from photographs or can you actually draw?” came up at a talk recently. While I am pleased to say that I can actually draw, I do also rely on photography when I am gathering ideas.
The question came from a perception that using photos when making art is in some way ‘cheating’. I disagree, I believe checking in with reality via photography is a very helpful part of making art.
Cheating does come into the picture in the form of copyright, so it’s as well to be clear about using photographs you haven’t taken yourself. It is a breach of copyright to copy somebody else’s creative work without permission, including photographs. However, this is not to be confused with looking at photographs for inspiration and ideas, just as you might study the work of other artists.
Photography has been of great service to artists since the process was invented. You only need to look at paintings of racehorses before and after the advent of photography to see the impact of freezing a moment in time for close observation.
I use photography for reference in this way a great deal. I always back up sketches with a series of accompanying photographs. Sketches give me my focus, my composition and reveal my priorities. Photography allows me to revisit the scene in detail for visual accuracy, making the process of turning of my sketches into a print an easier task.
There may be times when working from a photo, rather than direct observation, is the only option. The trick here is to treat the photo as a starting point, not an end in itself. In this situation, I study my photo carefully and then ignore it entirely while I make a series of thumbnail sketches.
I recommend trying this – it helps you to focus on your ideas, rather than relying on the photograph’s viewpoint. It also frees you to change the composition, move things around, and to simplify or emphasise certain aspects as desired.
Working in this way with several photos is even better, allowing you to cherry-pick ideas to develop into a single image.
I suggest shelving any worries about ‘getting things right’ until you come up with a drawing that pleases you. Once you reach this point, your photo (plus any other reference images) can come back into play to act as a reality check while you work towards a finished artwork.
Laura Boswell is our monthly columnist, as well as a printmaker, art tutor and podcast host. Read more of her Working Artist columns or listen to her Ask and Artist podcast.
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