[skullmonkeys]

I draw from photographs a lot. But lately, I've been wondering if I am learning anything just by copying. I don't use color picker or trace outlines, but I do try to paint the forms by making my strokes follow the surface of what I am painting.
I do however, do pencil sketches outside.

I've been reading around the forums and read some tutorials about color theory and how you must see color as value by fred flick stone. I think I understand but I can't seem to use it properly. How can I paint with values and make my images realistic?

[AndyT]

No replies? Weird ...

There is an exercise where you draw basic shapes with realistic shading.
You'd have to learn a lot of theory too though.

One thing you can try is "eliminating local colors".
Imagine the subject in the photograph you look at was statue-like.
Everything had the same, bright local color. Paint it in grayscale.
Then you have to understand what you see ...
(you can't just let the computer convert it to grayscale)
... and you have to get the values right.

Exercise
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[jfrancis]

The biggest problem (advantage?) of using photos is that the work of projecting the form from 3 dimensions down to 2 has already been done, which is why many people find it easier than life drawing.

[JesperGB]

But in theory photo is the same as reallife if you close one of your eyes. Then depths disappers and the ray-lights coming from a photo into your eyes is the same that are coming from real-life into your eye..

Or am I wrong?

It's an interesting question I think - about photo-copy - will it work? I my self have done a lot and I think I learned a little, but dont know if there's faster and better ways to understand how to draw well.

A thing I my self get good practice of is that I think of a pose and then I get someone to photograph me in that position and then use it as reference. This is somehow much more interesting and educating than just taking a picture that someone else shot and thought about.
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[aphelionart]

photos with flash of course are not good to study the effects of light unless you plan on having the light source coming directly from the viewer!

i would say photos can be valuable when the reference can't be found easily in real life (human anatomy, objects in motion, etc.)... but to truly imitate the effects of light and how color works, you're better off practicing from anything in real life before a photograph, and then apply the rules you learn to whatever you draw (reflected light, highlights, etc.). remember, even photographs are usually retouched before printed, and i've never taken a photograph where the values were exactly true to what i was seeing at the time.

plus when you draw from life, you learn how to create 3 dimensions on a 2 dimensional surface, rather than simply imitating... with art of all things, the struggle will always pay off. learn to build ur own bridges rather than letting a mechanical lens do it for you

-matt

[Gort]

I personally think that there are some fundamentals you can get from drawing a photo (like the placements of objects in relationship to one another), but the spacial constructs for life drawing are best grasped with a live model.
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[Vhy]

Photos can be good for learning about values, just keep in mind that even the best photos don't have much information about 3d form.