Drawing from real life vs. photos

[Amazingreys]

I understand the need to draw from real life vs. photos. :)

However.......for all you animal artists out there, here is my predicament:

Animals do not sit still to be studied and drawn like a bowl of fruit.

For example: I sit down and prepare to practice drawing my one of pets. They notice my intense gaze, and then get up and stick their noses in my face (I have the same problem when trying to get closeup pictures, lol.)

So what am I to do? :)

[KarenCardinal]

I understand the need to draw from real life vs. photos. :)

However.......for all you animal artists out there, here is my predicament:

Animals do not sit still to be studied and drawn like a bowl of fruit.

For example: I sit down and prepare to practice drawing my one of pets. They notice my intense gaze, and then get up and stick their noses in my face (I have the same problem when trying to get closeup pictures, lol.)

So what am I to do? :)
Lol Dana! I feel your pain... try drawing very rowdy kids. ;)

What I have to do with kids is A) learn how to make very quick sketches. Rely on those skills of gesture sketches. B) Get them occupied with something. A game, puzzle or tv show so they are still for a couple minutes. With an animal maybe a fuzzy mouse or bone might do. C) Give up and wait until they're asleep.

There's nothing wrong with drawing from photos at all, but in order to know what the camera has distorted and what things can't be seen by the camera... you need to get in the habit of studying your pets and drawing them from life as much as possible. :D

[Amazingreys]

Thanks Karen......that is what I was wondering. I think since I basically live and breathe cats and dogs on a daily basis this will help my animal art a lot.

Greyhounds are very quiet dogs who pretty much lay around all the time. (They are fondly known as the "45mph Couch Potato".)
Maybe we are just "in tune" with each other.....as they certainly seem to notice the difference between "hey, we're all hanging out in the same room together" and "hey.....she's looking at me. Again. And again. I better go stick my nose in her face and see what she's up to." ;)

Thanks for your imput!

[KarenCardinal]

LOL! I love that description... the 45mph couch potato... :D
Sounds like a great drawing in the making there.

You should pm Gemma and ask her if she'd give some tips here.
If anyone knows how to catch a dog being a real dog... it's her. :D

[Amazingreys]

You should pm Gemma and ask her if she'd give some tips here.
If anyone knows how to catch a dog being a real dog... it's her. :D

Isn't that the truth! :clap:

[lene]

There's nothing wrong with drawing from photos at all, but in order to know what the camera has distorted and what things can't be seen by the camera... you need to get in the habit of studying your pets and drawing them from life as much as possible. :D

I agree, that is the purpose of sketching. and the fact that you don't just look but look and use a pencil at the same time, will encurage you to "see" .... It can be a little difficult to say in words, but when you have the feeling of seeing vs. looking - you'll know for sure. You will pass the line of drawing what you think you see, and draw what you see.. this is a continued practise more than a final skill - I hope this makes sense :o
As I have mentioned in your other thread; the understanding of underlying geometrical structures/figures in things will help you alot.

I couldn't do my art if I didn't use photos - as you say, those animals won't stand still.... Before I started using photos, which I just started few years ago, all my drawings have a sketchy look. If attended thats okay, but if not .... you're not that happy about it. I need photos to see texture/fur-details, expressions etc. at the drawing-table. Your own ref-photos are better because you have an impression of the animal in real life..
I do have a knowledge of some basic structures, and if I am in doubt I'll look in books on anatonomy.

[oozoo]

That's funny, I was just posting in another thread about how flash photography creates unnatural shadows which must be softened or left out, and you have to compare the subject to real life in different lighting to know which shadows are real and which are flash.

I have developed a very bad habit of drawing exclusively from digital photos on my computer. Yes, I can zoom, grid, etc. etc. etc. but I agree that photos, while handy and convenient, should not be the sole reference for a piece of art. While it's easier to take a two dimensional subject and transfer it from one flat surface to another, it seems to me that drawings and paintings using real life subjects have more life themselves. There's more of the artist in them, more interpretation rather than technical rendering. Does that make sense?

[Gemma]

Dana, I always draw from photos. Most often I do dogs so like Karen had said I always study them. If I'm not sure about something then while I am creating the drawing I will call my dogs in and really look at the area I'm having a problem with. That's kind of hard to do with the hippos :rolleyes: but when I am at the zoo I really study the different animals there too. You can do quick sketches while you are there and make lots of notes, then take the pictures of the animal. That way when it comes time to start your drawing you have your notes and sketches to refer to. Sometimes when creating a drawing from a photo I will purposely leave in the distortion because I like the look it is giving me an example of that is my basset hound I did. His nose was huge in the photo but I like the sort of fish eye look it was giving me, here's the link to that WIP: http://www.scribbletalk.com/showthread.php?t=37


Hope this helps a little,
Gemma

[Amazingreys]

Yes, it helps a lot. Thank you! :)

[Lahree]

I agree with Karen (there's one for the record books, Folks! :D) that if you want to study the animal while they are asleep. That way they are still and you can make some sketches of them while they are unaware. Might be very helpful for you. My animals will never stay still when I have a camera pointing. Waaaaaay too interested in what that silver box is. Good luck and have fun!