Should photographs be used as sources for paintings?

Answer 1

Hello, If one were to consider art history prior to the 19th century this question of course would not even be possible as there was no photography. Yet we have Museums full of great representational art works ! To the question - I have always been a proponent of drawing and painting "from life" simply because it is the truest and closest to your subjects as you can get. Working from photographs you are already now once removed from your subject and your "source" is now filled with all the deficiencies of an electro - mechanical device !

Also the camera does not "see" as the human eye does with regard to values and color again making it not the first choice as source material. Lastly, however if one does learn after much study the up and down sides of using photography it can in part be useful. The old adage again - You have to know the rules before you break them. Please learn more at www dot jonathan fine art dot com.