Painting from a picture

Commissioning an oil painting portrait twenty (or even ten) years ago from a live subject has always carried the very real risk of the artist’s final result not always resembling the subject. Even allowing for artistic interpretation or expression, sometimes the results can be aesthetically pleasing but not really accurate.

The use of photography by artists to assist them in maintaining accuracy of features, especially when the live model is not available, is a tradition that dates back to the invention of photography. The drawbacks in earlier times where of course the portrait artists’ limited technical knowledge of photography and printing and the expense of cameras and equipment.

Some artists rejected the use of painting from a picture or using photographic images, maintaining that the artist’s “impression” of the subject was far superior to a photo. Other artists embraced photography as a tool to aid them in achieving the effects they were seeking.

Whatever the artistic viewpoint, there is no doubt that modern photography, and specifically the development of digital cameras and inexpensive but high quality printers and inks, has revolutionized portrait painting.

Painting from a picture from the point of view of our talented Paint Your Life artists can mean using the photographic image only as a starting point to striving for extreme accuracy in every detail. Our experienced portrait artists who specialize in oil, acrylic or watercolor have techniques that may differ radically from our artists creating portraits in pastels, pencil, charcoal or ink. We have the style to satisfy you.
Painting from a picture