I saw a comment where someone said they had a hard time painting from photographs and needed to paint from life all of the time. This is a good thing if you have the time and resources to paint from life. But, sometimes, the weather and many other barriers do not give us the opportunity.It is a good thing to paint from life as much as you can, but I know many successful fine artists who use photo references and you can too. They are a good tool and option to have in your artistic tool belt.

There is nothing wrong with using photo references, but there is a big BUT with that. You have to put the time into painting from life. That is where you should be spending most of your time if you are new to painting and drawing. Photography is a great tool, but it can be a trap because there is distortion going on. Your values are usually off. Photography will not give you all of the answers if it is all you’re using. Again, there is absolutely nothing wrong with it. It is a wonderful tool as long as you have done your share of work from life. Don’t be shy using photography, but if you are new to painting, put the time in with live models, landscapes, animals, still life; anything from life!

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