Photography Tips

This past fall, after deliberating for about 5 years, I joined our local photography club.  This is a group of over 100 photographers of all levels, from professional gallery represented artists to some who only use phone cameras.  They have weekly classes as well as a guest speaker once a month.  I run our modest sized art guild and have found that monthly meetings and a couple of workshops a year constitutes a lot of work, so I have been very impressed.

I have no plans to make photographic art.  I take photos primarily for 2 reasons.  One is to document important life events, such as travel.  The other is to collect reference material for my paintings.  An occasional photo serves both purposes.

Since diving into the world of digital photography I have tried to learn to use a camera that is much more complicated than my phone (a Canon Rebel- not high end but has the necessary features)   I am beginning to understand some basics that will help my reference photos.  If you are a skilled photographer it's time to stop reading this and patiently await my next post.  😜

Here are a few things that have helped me so far, though I have much to learn.

#1  The moving water problem

I took a photo of a little waterfall using my iPhone a few years ago while on a hike.  I painted this from the reference.  You can click on the image for a larger view.

I liked the light in the painting which I pushed a bit, also the color.  But the waterfall looked weird.  The camera automatically selected a fast shutter speed which froze every droplet of water.  This is not how we see waterfalls.  I studied some examples by other artists in my files and saw that they painted the water fluid and misty, like they really look to us. Here was another case of my being a slave to a photograph.  Recently I reworked the painting to make the water look more fluid.

There are many ways around this problem, e.g. paint it on location or use your memory to avoid painting it just like the photo.  Take a video and use it to refresh your memory.  You can also change the way you take the photo.  I'll get back to the phone in a minute, but my Canon has a mode (Tv on my camera, or shutter priority) that allow one to change the shutter speed (with automatic adjustments of the f stop and ISO).  Here is an example-

In the photo below I chose a shutter speed of 1/1000 second, very fast.  You can see the distinct droplets in the fountain.

Here is the result when set to 1/20 second, much more fluid.  This got the result I wanted and wasn't slow enough to require a tripod.   With a tripod very slow speeds can be used for a variety of interesting effects, though when pushed to the extreme the results might not look natural.

Back to the phone, you can get around this by shooting in "live" mode.  The icon is at the top of the screen in the camera app in an iPhone.  If that is not what you have you can google this.  Older phones might not have this feature.  Once you shoot in "live" you can blend photos of moving water into one image which achieves a similar result.

#2  Paying attention to depth of field (DOF)

"The camera lies" is a common phrase used by artists and photographers alike.  We have two eyes, the camera has one.  When we focus on something in a scene our peripheral vision gives us a lot less information about what surrounds it.  Our eyes also handle high contrast situations much better than a camera can.  DOF is the depth in the scene that will be in sharp focus.  Generally speaking, a large depth of field will keep most everything in focus.  A narrow one will blur things up close, in the distance or both.  Here is an example of a narrow DOF-

For this close up photograph I set my camera mode to Av (aperture priority) and chose an f stop of 5.6 which resulted in a narrow DOF.  This simulates the way our eyes see a focal point or area of interest with less detail elsewhere.  It won't work for a vast landscape where it is best to use a large DOF in order to see what is in the distance.  For appropriate circumstances this is an something to keep in mind.  The camera makes hard and soft edges because of the narrow DOF.  For fun I tried to paint this pretty much as is.

#3  Editing Basics

Back to the issue of high contrast, dark shadows in photos may be completely black with no information.  Bright areas, such as the sky, may look white.  I have talked about this in previous posts.  There are so many ways to edit photos now.  Editing in the phone is getting better all the time and is easy to do.  Editing in Photos on a Mac is very good. Lightroom, Photoshop and Luminar are even better.  Lightening shadows and lowering the highlights may be all that is necessary for a decent reference photo.  See my previous post with an example of this using the editing program in Photos on an iMac.  Taking reference photos

I have learned that shooting in "RAW" increases the editing possiblilites.  This setting in my camera is in the main menu under image quality.  Jpeg files compress data that is no longer retrievable.  In RAW everything is saved.  The down side is that these files take up more space on the camera card and hard disc, but it is easy to switch to RAW just when needed.  I use it when I am shooting in very high contrast situations.  I can then pull more information out of the dark shadows and bright sky when editing.

My apologies to the experienced photographers who hung in here.  This discussion was meant to give information to those less experienced (such as myself) about taking reference photos for paintings.

Thanks for reading!

P.S.-  I thought artists had too many temptations to spend money on equipment.  But the photographers, wow!  

Thoughts on Having a Website

I have many painting friends and we often get into discussions about websites.  Some of them have one, others do not but are contemplating.  I started my own after I had been painting about 2 1/2 years.  By that time I had already participated in a local art show so I felt it was time.  Looking back I am sure this was premature but I'm still glad I started when I did.

Whether I am in a show or just meeting people who want to talk about art, I am almost always asked whether or not I have a website.  Answering yes to this question seems to elevate my standing in the person's estimation.  It doesn't automatically follow that my art is good, but it does make it clear that I take my work seriously.  Having and maintaining a website connotes professionalism.  I'll get back to that later.  There are many obvious reasons to have one, but the value of a digital studio that is organized and easily accessed cannot be overemphasized.

I did not build my own site or pay someone to do it.  Instead I used an art platform (initially Artspan) designed for artists and artisans of every description.  I was on Artspan for at least 6 years. The price was reasonable and it was fairly user friendly.  About 2 years ago I switched to FASO (Fine Art Studio Online).  Many well known contemporary artists use this company.  I have been very happy so far.  The support is excellent and they do a good job of promoting the artists.  Only painters are on on this site, which I prefer to being in a much larger group of sculptors, photographers and artisans.  The yearly cost is a bit more than Artspan but is worth it and is much less than hiring an individual to build and maintain a site.

Here is my home page-  you can click on the image for a larger view.

This is a little hard to see here but easily read on the site.  I have my own domain https://colleenparkerart.com which is what I put on my business cards*, but I can also be found on the FASO site.  I had already established my blog on blogspot so I put a link to that site in my menu, otherwise  I would have blogged from within FASO.  Monthly contests are included, always a good way to call attention to your work.  I also have a link to my Facebook business page. FASO recommends including both "contact the artist" and "join email list" in the menu so I have done that. One can generate newsletters as well.  I only do this a few times a year showing selected new work, but this is a good way to advertise special events, sales, etc.

Loading images in this system is very easy and the design options are huge.  So far I only keep available paintings on my site, divided into studio and plein air works.  Many artists choose to separate the paintings by genre and include sold items, but I prefer not to make visitors wade through paintings that are unavailable. (I do have a small archive section just to show what else I do that might not be represented in my current available work.)

I have two points I will make based on my over 10 year experience of having a website-

1.  It is better to start too early than later, yet it's never too late.  In my early painting days I had many more failed paintings that never made it to the site, so there was less to manage.  I developed my routine in a low volume situation which was easier while getting started.

2.  Maintaining one's website, and by that I mean keeping it up to date, is key in my opinion.  I meet a lot of professional artists who admit that they have neglected their sites. (I don't ask them, they volunteer this information.)   A good gallery will keep its website updated with its own inventory, but I think artists should have a personal site as well, referencing the galleries where specific works are located.

If you want to do it, don't be afraid!  Remember that you do not have to do it all at once. Just getting a basic design and a putting in a few works is a good start.

Below is a link to FASO.  They offer a free trial.  (I don't get a kickback for this!)

Try FASO

*I doubt I'll write a post about business cards but who knows.  I love Vistaprint.  Take a look at their website if you are interested.  Vistaprint  My most recent ones are square with a glossy finish, two sided.  Even with the extras the price was very reasonable.  I make new ones about every 2 years to update the image and try new looks.  I affix my older ones to the back of my paintings since the contact info is the same.

Here is my new one, front (detail of a larger painting) and back.  I should have made the print on the back a bit larger, otherwise I'm happy with it.

Thanks for reading!!!

Follow up on nocturnes

My last post did not format well with the email list and one image was deleted, so if you would like to see a better version of it click here-

https://colleenparkerart.blogspot.com

Also, please enjoy these beautiful nocturnes by James McNeill Whistler.  Brilliant!

Painting Nocturnes

Recently I have started to try my hand at this popular genre.  So far I have only worked from photos.

Taking photos at night often requires a tripod and slow shutter speeds,  but if you are only taking them for reference work they don't have to be perfect photos.  I have some adequate shots taken in the city at night with an iPhone- no expertise needed for that. Here are a couple of examples of work I have done that way.

                                     
                                      The reference was taken in Brooklyn with an iPhone.

                                           Downtown Charleston, SC.  Also with iPhone.

Last month I took a workshop with Chris Groves that covered nocturnes.  He asked us to pick a daytime photo, make a value study first, then paint over it with color, adhering to the nocturnal values.  Here is how mine turned out-

Reference shot

Underpainting using only transparent red oxide.

Color applied over underpainting using dark values, cooler colors.  Letting small bits of the warm underpainting show through creates a pleasant vibration.

Another approach is to edit a daytime photo to make it look like a nocturne.  Not all photos work for this, but here is an example in which I lowered the exposure and decreased the saturation until it appeared to be a moonlit scene.  

This could serve as an adequate reference.  I haven't painted from it yet but I plan to give it a try.

There was an excellent article about painting nocturnes from daytime photos in the November 2018 issue of PleinAir Magazine.  Five artists discussed their approach to "mock-turns" with tips on nocturnal palettes and  choosing/editing photos along with excellent demonstrations.  (I believe that back issues of this magazine can be ordered through the website.)

Of course nocturnes can be painted en plein air, and many hardy souls do this successfully.  I have yet to try because I live in an area where alligators roam after dark.  I hope to do it in a more urban environment in the future.  Lighting for the canvas and palette is an issue.  Some artists recommend using the light from a street light, etc. There are many portable desk lights that would serve this purpose at very little cost.  Here is one I recommend because of it's low price and weight.  The brightness and tint are adjustable and it runs on rechargeable batteries.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B071ZDSL3P/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Things to keep in mind when painting nocturnes-

Colors are darker and cooler- think blues and greens.
Warm colors should be minimized and less saturated- use the cooler versions of warm colors
Photos with high contrast make the best references.

Experiment with these if you haven't already.  I have more fun when trying something different.

Thanks for reading!

Don't Be Afraid to Make Up Stuff

As painters we are usually faced with the need to simplify.  What is left out can be just as important as what is included.  Busy areas in a scene can be abstracted to give the viewer a feel for what is there without literally spelling it out.  Objects that detract from the story are best deleted.  And sometimes a painting is improved by adding things that weren't there at all.  

I will show 3 examples of reference photos and what I painted from them to make these points.    

This first one was a commission.  The client liked the color of the house but wanted more color and plantings in the yard. I agreed that although the house was cute, the empty mowed lawn was not that interesting.    

I added bougainvillea  on the left and some additional plants in the right foreground.  I made the lawn less manicured, suggesting a degree of weediness.  I liked the palm shadow on the house but thought It would look better to include a little of the actual tree.  I increased the saturation of the house color. I left out the electrical element under the roofline because I thought it was was confusing and unnecessary.  Some might delete the flag, but I thought it added a homey touch.  This was not the client's house.  She wanted a colorful painting that looked southern and beachy and this was something I had in my reference file.

Next is a bar scene that interested me.  I loved the huge display in the liquor cabinet under pink light as well as the light fixtures.  It was a challenge to paint the bottles without rendering each bottle and label.

I left out an enormous amount of detail but tried to suggest a busy feel.  I painted this slowly, creeping up on what finally made it into the painting.  I only added one computer screen and kept it simple.  I omitted the TV screen above, which was not part of my story. I added the glasses in the foreground for perspective.  

This next one will always be a favorite.  I have had this photo for many years.  Recently I decided I had to do it.  My painting companions thought I was nuts, but there was a definite story to tell here.  I think what had kept me from trying for so long was that so much of the photo was in black shadow.  Painting it like that would have resulted in a very flat scene and would not have revealed what the chickens were looking at- other chickens, of course!   

I lightened the shadows and played up the light coming from the other side of the coup.  I added chicken/rooster shapes in the middle ground.  I made all the light areas warmer than they appeared in the photo.  A lot of cad. yellow light and cad. orange was involved.

I had a lot of fun imagining what all might have been going on inside.  The memory of the actual scene had faded, but I still recall it was on the noisy side.

When planning a painting, ask yourself the following-

1.  What is the story or center of interest?

2.  Which elements are a distraction?

3.  What needs to be simplified or just suggested?

4.  What  kind of stuff can you make up that will improve the painting?  This is the fun part.

Thanks for reading.  Be safe!

The Benefits of Varnishing

I always varnish my paintings before I frame them.  There are at least several reasons to do this, but some artists do not and that is OK.

Historically, a final varnish was applied to a finished painting which had dried for at least 6 months to protect it.  Varnishes such as Damar* must be applied to a very dry canvas. Final varnishes protect paintings from smoke, dust, etc.  They are removable.  When restorers clean paintings the varnish is removed, taking the pollutants with it.  After the needed restoration is done a fresh final varnish is applied.

In the modern world  I do not believe that most art collectors subject paintings to the same kind of environmental assaults that the great masters faced, but  some protection is not a bad idea.  Dust and pollen have a way of settling even in the best of abodes.

That said, the above is not my main concern.  I have serious doubts that my work will survive the ages (just saying), but I want my paintings to look the very best they can. Varnishes enhance oil paintings by making them more luminous and evening out the dull areas.  Each color dries in its own specific way.  Earth tones and darks usually become dull as they dry.  Varnishes return paintings to that luscious wet paint appearance. Transparent darks come alive, dull colors become glossy, and the canvas has a uniform finish rather than patches of dull and gloss.

Most of the time I use a retouch varnish, either Weber or Windsor Newton.  I can't tell any difference between the two.  They can be applied as soon as the painting is dry to the touch and they dry within a few hours if not sooner.  Retouch varnishes are made to paint into, thus the name.  A painting finished this way can be reworked later without removing the varnish.  Though not a final varnish, the aesthetic effect is about the same.

There is now at least one final varnish that can be applied as soon as the painting is dry to the touch.  Gamvar, a Gamblin product, is easy to use.  If I decide to go this route I make sure that I do not have plans to rework the painting later.  I also note on the back of the painting that I have applied a final varnish since I can't be sure it isn't retouch varnish just by looking.

Whether I am using retouch or Gamvar, here is how I do it-

I apply the varnish as evenly and thinly as possible using a disposable foam brush over the entire painting.  That's it.  I let it dry 24 hours before framing because sometimes they are a little tacky after initially drying.  This is the only time I use disposable brushes.  I do it because washing the varnish out of the brush is very difficult.  I have never tried a spray varnish so I cannot address that but I know there are those who prefer doing it that way. Here is a link to Gamblin's varnish Q&A  article. https://gamblincolors.com/varnishing-help/  The product comes in a glossy or matte finish. I prefer glossy.  At the time of this writing it is not available as a spray.

Recently I was asked if there was a varnish with UV protection for paintings that are in direct sunlight.  I found this on the internet which looks like a good product but I have not tried it.  https://www.dickblick.com/products/lascaux-uv-protect-spray-varnish/ It is best to avoid direct sunlight on fine art of any medium, but if unavoidable this is certainly a consideration.

Here is a painting with one swath of retouch varnish applied.  I think you can appreciate from the photo how much better that area looks.  The background is luminous and the bright colors more brilliant.

Thanks for reading!

* Damar is a hard natural resin that comes from a family of deciduous trees that grow in the East Indies.  It tends to darken with age.  It can be purchased as crystals for custom mixes or as a liquid or spray.

Thoughts on Blogging

Last month I completed 4 years of blogging.  This is surprising to me because I never thought I'd want to do it in the first place.  I follow the blogs of a number of well known artists and I am always struck by the different takes on this platform.  Some seem more like newsletters to me, i.e. posts of works completed since the last blog or a selection of available paintings.  Some contain detailed instruction worthy of a workshop.  A blog can be anything one choses to make of it.  There are no rules.

My goal has been to share any kind of information related to painting that I think will benefit my target audience-  new painters, painters getting back in the saddle after a long hiatus, and those new to plein air painting.  I do not in any way consider myself an expert on anything. One of my favorite things about making artist friends and painting with them is the exchange of tips, ideas and critiques.  I am fortunate to live in an area where one can hardly swing a cat without hitting another artist, but many painters do not.  I want to share what I know, especially with those who lack this fellowship.

Blogging has been enormously fulfilling and often entertaining.  For many it is a promotional tool, but I have no evidence that it has been for me.  I do put my posts on Facebook and I suppose they are read by some of my friends, but my following remains small. I am not bothered by that in the least.

This leads to my suggestion that every artist with time and inclination should consider doing this.  You don't have to be a great writer.  I believe I have proven that!  You don't have to do it on a regular basis.  I've seen bloggers take months off at a time.  Whenever I think of a subject for my blog I jot it down in my office or on my phone for future consideration.  I ask my artist friends for ideas.  I get ideas from the blogs I follow.  Writing is another creative process.  I believe that writing about art is an adjunct to better art. After all, if you aren't making art you should be thinking/writing about art.  (If not, your mind is wandering...)  I consider my blog to be a virtual journal to be enjoyed by others, but most of all by me.

I have a list of some of my favorite posts by other artists, some true gems.  Take a look at the right hand column on my blogspot site under "Favorite Blog Posts by Others".

Here are some of my favorite art blogs-

Terry Miura https://terrymiura.com/blog
Larry Moore  https://www.larrymoorestudios.com/blog
Kathleen Dunphy  https://kathleendunphy.com/blog
Thomas Jefferson Kitts  http://www.thomaskitts.com
Anne Blair Brown http://anneblairbrown.com/blog

These are top quality, check them out and follow!

Because there were no pictures, here is my last painting of 2019-

                                     "A Nearby Pond"  12"x16" oil on linen panel