Am I cheating with composition here?

[kathrine5678]

Hi All,

I am trying to paint a scene of a beach near where I live, and i have taken a photo for reference. I am planning to paint it in arylics on canvas.

Is it cheating if i scan the image to my PC then tweak the image in photoshop to create a line drawing for my composition so i have something to work from? My art teacher at school used to tell me i must copy everything by hand and im cheating if i trace a photo/image (which is effectively what im attempting to do in photoshop)

Any thoughts would be appreciated...Does it make me less of a painter if i can't draw my composition perfectly before I paint?

I always thought my teacher was a bit crazy for thinking that way-what do the wet-canvasians think?

[Keith2]

No, it's not cheating. Artists such as Walter Sickert and Degas sometimes used photos, and I imagine they may have tweaked the composition a bit.

I think what your teacher meant was that your drawing ability improves more quickly if you draw from the subject itself rather than trace from a photo.

[bruin70]

end justifies the means

[Flopka]

It's better to use a reference photo as a guide than to be obsessed with "not cheating" and then spend a lot of time on a frustrating, unsuccessful project. How are you supposed to learn how to draw if you don't have a guide first? That is purist, but not any fun and not conducive to learning. If you love painting and have a good feel for color and composition, you shouldn't let your lack of freehand drawing skills stop you from painting.

Rather than tracing, consider using the grid method. It's old-fashioned and a little time-consuming but it teaches you more than tracing. Put grid lines over your reference photo in Photoshop, then put grid lines on your paper or canvas, and sketch the composition onto your paper/canvas by looking at the screen. You will learn about drawing (with your "training wheels" - the grid) and you will become more confident about your ability to "eyeball" something. Then you can gradually decrease the number of grid lines you use as you sketch new projects; then one magic day you will not need any grid lines at all; and then one day you will not even need a reference photo!

[kathrine5678]

Thanks all! i'll try the grid method and see how it goes. I'll start the project on the weekend and post the WIP in the galleries. Thanks!

[charlestoncaine]

How can that be "cheating"? Your question does not make sense I'm afraid.
You have described steps you will take to make a landscape painting, right?
What do you mean by "cheating"?

[islandboy]

You want to use technological advances to increase your awareness of your subject? Personally I have no problem with that. Cave painting has come a long way.