Moving an object in a reference can reveal a different composition. In this example, I move a foreground tree from the left to the right and let its top break the mountain ridge behind it.
Treat the photograph as a starting point
It is easy to feel tied to the position of everything in a photograph. But the arrangement that happened in front of the camera may not be the arrangement I want within a painting.
Here I use the computer to test an alternative. I take the tree from the left, place it on the right and remove it from its original location. The retouch is only a working sketch of the idea; it does not need to become a flawless photograph.
Look at the changed overlap
In the new position, the tree rises above the ridge. That vertical breaks the mountain line and changes the way the foreground relates to the background. Switching between the two versions makes the difference easier to judge.
I am not claiming that every reference needs this adjustment. I want to show the possibilities that open up when we are willing to shift elements. If a painting feels stuck, the arrangement may be worth examining before you add more detail or keep repeating the original photograph.
Continue with How To Take Better Photo References and Looking at Design Options.
