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Friday, May 22, 2015

Painting Small, A Big Adjustment





The Man Across The Aisle is looking like the man across  the aisle. Not as good looking as when I started,  but the reality was I wasn't looking at a good looking guy across the aisle. 

Using three pieces of masking tape rolled, (Julie Oliver's keep it simple method), I stuck him up on a Masonite board, once the top of an old paint box. 

 The tape connection held and with hands free,  I was standing again, free to back up and squint and use my long handled brushes. I used the smaller numbered brushes  to see just how small I needed to go and how big was okay. I figure I have to do a few more of these little sketches to get the hang of handling the small format.   I still appreciated the effect I got with a swipe of my index finger or pinky and a scumble with a clean, dry brush.  I regard these little paintings as sketches, thumbnails, a exercises in simplifying.  This first attempt was over worked. Brush size and stroke was  my main interest. I had to see what I could do with what and the colors got somewhat muddy.  I always did like playing in the mud.

NOTE:  I found an intriguing setting on my camera. PC.  I don't know what that means in camera talk, but to me it meant Personal Computer.  Having been less than satisfied with photo reproductions on the AUTO settings, I took this photo on PC.  The colors are very close to the colors in the painting.  Now, I'll read my camera manual to see if I'm guessing right?  Watch PC will mean Perfect Color--that would be okay too. :-))

14 comments:

  1. I googled PC... look at this link:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_abbreviations_in_photography
    scroll down to PC..

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    1. So my "personal computer" may be right--but it also could mean dealing with parallax lines which I can control fairly accurately by simply tilting the lens manually. I do that a lot photographing the art rather than fussing with the tripod. I just ordered a text book on the fundamentals of digital photography--after owning a digital camera or three for years. I am interested in getting the color more accurately and that begins in the camera--then there is a way to coordinate the PC's photo color photo program with your camera. I've also been looking into a Color Munki that does just that. Photoshop would be nice, but I haven't really been un happy with the editing tools of the PC's program. Photography has always been a love of mine. Thanks for pushing me to find my manual to see what Nikon means by PC.

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  2. Good painting - My fav part is the glasses and their cast shadow. Brilliant!

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    1. Thanks. It was enlightening. I had to include that detail; it described the ambient lighting. I removed the tape today; the rolls took a bit of the paper backing with it probably because I left the canvas up for three nights to test if the tape would stay on the Masonite for a period of time. It doesn't adhere for long on plywood.

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  3. Well he looks like a Good job. Glad you fixed the moving canvas problem. My camera has a button that goes 'click' ... that's how technical I get.

    Have a good weekend

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    1. No, no no John. You just can't go automatic and then just click. Where's the fun in that? You have to be able to set the camera manually. Know which F stop and shutter speed is for which situation especially when references are your source and lighting is what you're painting. I kid you of course, but if I am showing my artwork on line and if people are starting to make inquiries and buy the work. I think they need to see as true-to-form photograph as possible. Graphites and black and white ink are easy to reproduce accurately, but get a painting with a rainbow of color values that can confuse the camera and the PC photo software and accuracy is impossible unless you can make adjustments in both devices--or so this retired architectural concept salesperson learned the hard way over years of working with clients who needed accuracy of representation to understand what they were getting for all those thousands. So I found a setting, I bought a book on the basics of digital photography and I'm going to read my camera manual just as soon as I plant the flower boxes. BTW the colors of the homely guy across the aisle are accurate. I'm guessing PC means coordinated to computer color setting given that PC was listed in the menu under 8M, 5M etc. which are f-stop settings? But first the geraniums. Stay well friend. Stay drawing. You're so good at it. Here's an oxymoron for you: Happy Memorial Day.

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    2. Thank you and the same to you. I've just gone a 'Memorial Day' type posting on my blog.

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  4. I found a setting like that on my camera ... AC. Takes much better photos in studio light when there is no daylight.
    Katrhyn

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    1. So what does AC stand for in photographic language ? The windows of my house face North in the back and South in the front. When I photograph paintings in Northern light, the colors are translated in the computer to bluish. Taken in Southern light, the computer translate the colors reddish. Neither is acceptable. That's why I was interested in coordinating the camera's exposures with the computer with the Color Munki device, but if the PC setting makes the colors easier for the computer to render truthfully as this photo makes me think it does. Problem solved I hope, I hope. More photographs will tell.

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  5. He has a slight resemblance with Eric Clapton don't you think ? Anyhow it's a gorgeous portrait !

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    1. Really? I'll have to check that out. Eric Clapton is From my kids era. Little Richard and Buddy Holly were mine. Thanks Jane. I have trouble seeing "gorgeous" in my experimental efforts. I get wrapped up in the how to do what needs doing. --maybe in a month or three? The accurate color photograph of this one with the PC camera setting was the best achievement. I did not like having to do a lot of playing around in Photoshop to get colors nearly accurate.

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  6. Great portrait Linda! Love the strong light and it sure does feel like I'm sitting in the opposite aisle to him......excellent!

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    1. Thanks Helen. It wasn't easy shooting the reference. I used my iPad while looking at Ellis who was in the window seat. It seems I've mastered shooting without looking. My real camera would have been too conspicuous.

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