I started at the top left corner and closely followed what I saw in the reference photo. My left-brain said "You should write the photo number beneath the thumbnail so you can find the photo again." So, I did that for about 5 thumbnails. Then I got involved in the process of painting and decided that identifying the specific reference photo wasn't important to me.
I found myself caught up in playing with the color and experimenting with the lovely things that watercolor does - such an alive medium! By the time I got to the bottom row, my thumbnails had evolved into value and composition studies with much less detail than the thumbnails painted at the beginning of this experiment. For additional information, I used Photoshop to turn the thumbnail images into black and white. See the image below.
I plan to paint finished pastel paintings using the sheet of original thumbnails and a print-out of the gray scale images as my references. This was a fun, totally absorbing exercise.
Hi Barbara, I am very much admire your work, and just love this idea of the tiny thumbnails.......working from your computer screen. Can’t wait to see how they unfold as paintings.
ReplyDeleteA super idea! Looking forward to try it! Let you know. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteI have boxes of photo's and this would be a fun thing to do with'em. You're such a hard working talent.
ReplyDeleteWhat an inspirational idea! I look forward to the paintings that will come.
ReplyDeleteYou have me completely enthralled with your idea. Just watching the work it has inspired you to do has convinced me to try the same. Thanks for sharing your idea in such detail that anyone can try. That sharing is the mark or a generous, confident artist. You continue to amaze and inspire me Barbara.
ReplyDeletea wonderful inspiration! I often look at photos but by the time I stand in front of the canvas or paper, I "drift" and forget what inspired me -- so I will try this, too! thanks for sharing --
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