Comments on: when painting a portrait: is it cheating to grid out the original picture to get the proportions accurate? http://www.ardegalicia.info/portrait-painting/when-painting-a-portrait-is-it-cheating-to-grid-out-the-original-picture-to-get-the-proportions-accurate Sun, 18 Apr 2010 08:44:59 -0400 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: turtlety http://www.ardegalicia.info/portrait-painting/when-painting-a-portrait-is-it-cheating-to-grid-out-the-original-picture-to-get-the-proportions-accurate/comment-page-1#comment-4881 turtlety Sat, 20 Feb 2010 01:29:59 +0000 http://www.ardegalicia.info/portrait-painting/when-painting-a-portrait-is-it-cheating-to-grid-out-the-original-picture-to-get-the-proportions-accurate#comment-4881 C'mon, it's cheating, all of those methods are cheating, and rather than relying on some child's trick to get proportions right you should be training yourself to see and copy properly so the grid won't be necessary.<br><b>References : </b><br> C’mon, it’s cheating, all of those methods are cheating, and rather than relying on some child’s trick to get proportions right you should be training yourself to see and copy properly so the grid won’t be necessary.
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]]> By: andrasiatan http://www.ardegalicia.info/portrait-painting/when-painting-a-portrait-is-it-cheating-to-grid-out-the-original-picture-to-get-the-proportions-accurate/comment-page-1#comment-4880 andrasiatan Sat, 20 Feb 2010 01:13:59 +0000 http://www.ardegalicia.info/portrait-painting/when-painting-a-portrait-is-it-cheating-to-grid-out-the-original-picture-to-get-the-proportions-accurate#comment-4880 I am lucky that I have a fairly good eye for proportion, yet.... you cannot always rely on it. Whether it be griding or just drawing out guide areas. You would not get the best proportional depiction of your study. And when it comes to portraits, there are certain rules that apply, no you do need to go with guides. Maths does come into it, and which ever way you find best to get your overall proportions right. That the way you need to go, so don't feel as tough you are cheating, we all need to get the measurements right. There is no hard and fast rule. As peoples faces are all different and fall into different shape groups.<br><b>References : </b><br> I am lucky that I have a fairly good eye for proportion, yet…. you cannot always rely on it.

Whether it be griding or just drawing out guide areas. You would not get the best proportional depiction of your study.

And when it comes to portraits, there are certain rules that apply, no you do need to go with guides. Maths does come into it, and which ever way you find best to get your overall proportions right.

That the way you need to go, so don’t feel as tough you are cheating, we all need to get the measurements right. There is no hard and fast rule.

As peoples faces are all different and fall into different shape groups.
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]]> By: M http://www.ardegalicia.info/portrait-painting/when-painting-a-portrait-is-it-cheating-to-grid-out-the-original-picture-to-get-the-proportions-accurate/comment-page-1#comment-4879 M Sat, 20 Feb 2010 00:27:59 +0000 http://www.ardegalicia.info/portrait-painting/when-painting-a-portrait-is-it-cheating-to-grid-out-the-original-picture-to-get-the-proportions-accurate#comment-4879 As others have said, early artists gridded out designs. For a design that is especially complicated, it is an easy way to get an image when you are beginning to draw. As for tracing a design, although your teacher might approve, you will not learn any drawing skills and also the final product will look pretty stiff in comparison to a hand drawn portrait or a gridded portrait. All you have to do is to do the same portrait, gridding one and tracing the other, and you might understand what I mean. For now, go ahead and grid but also take the time to practice drawing daily. In time, it will become easier and more enjoyable. The book Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain is a good introduction to drawing. For me, I will often look at a photo as I am slowly contour drawing and have happily discovered that good drawing skills can be achieved with practice.<br><b>References : </b><br> As others have said, early artists gridded out designs. For a design that is especially complicated, it is an easy way to get an image when you are beginning to draw. As for tracing a design, although your teacher might approve, you will not learn any drawing skills and also the final product will look pretty stiff in comparison to a hand drawn portrait or a gridded portrait. All you have to do is to do the same portrait, gridding one and tracing the other, and you might understand what I mean. For now, go ahead and grid but also take the time to practice drawing daily. In time, it will become easier and more enjoyable. The book Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain is a good introduction to drawing. For me, I will often look at a photo as I am slowly contour drawing and have happily discovered that good drawing skills can be achieved with practice.
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]]> By: Rae http://www.ardegalicia.info/portrait-painting/when-painting-a-portrait-is-it-cheating-to-grid-out-the-original-picture-to-get-the-proportions-accurate/comment-page-1#comment-4878 Rae Fri, 19 Feb 2010 23:39:59 +0000 http://www.ardegalicia.info/portrait-painting/when-painting-a-portrait-is-it-cheating-to-grid-out-the-original-picture-to-get-the-proportions-accurate#comment-4878 Personally I think tracing is cheating, unless it was just for a school assignment and the student wasn't a good artist. But if you're tracing and showcasing it and getting profit off of it, I'd say it's cheating. Of course grid lines aren't cheating! It's just a strategy to help you get your proportions right, so your portrait doesn't come out looking like a mess. (: When I was in middle school, in my very first art class my teacher taught us that trick, and I have to say it helped a lot. If it makes it easier, go ahead. (:<br><b>References : </b><br> Personally I think tracing is cheating, unless it was just for a school assignment and the student wasn’t a good artist.
But if you’re tracing and showcasing it and getting profit off of it, I’d say it’s cheating.

Of course grid lines aren’t cheating! It’s just a strategy to help you get your proportions right, so your portrait doesn’t come out looking like a mess. (:

When I was in middle school, in my very first art class my teacher taught us that trick, and I have to say it helped a lot.

If it makes it easier, go ahead. (:
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]]> By: Mess http://www.ardegalicia.info/portrait-painting/when-painting-a-portrait-is-it-cheating-to-grid-out-the-original-picture-to-get-the-proportions-accurate/comment-page-1#comment-4877 Mess Fri, 19 Feb 2010 23:20:59 +0000 http://www.ardegalicia.info/portrait-painting/when-painting-a-portrait-is-it-cheating-to-grid-out-the-original-picture-to-get-the-proportions-accurate#comment-4877 of course it's not cheating, if you were truly accurate you wouldn't need to, but then you would be a robot. We must use what we can to get the best results. If you can make it look like you did it free hand, that is where the real skill is.<br><b>References : </b><br>Fine Arts Degree of course it’s not cheating, if you were truly accurate you wouldn’t need to, but then you would be a robot. We must use what we can to get the best results.

If you can make it look like you did it free hand, that is where the real skill is.
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Fine Arts Degree

]]> By: sarah http://www.ardegalicia.info/portrait-painting/when-painting-a-portrait-is-it-cheating-to-grid-out-the-original-picture-to-get-the-proportions-accurate/comment-page-1#comment-4876 sarah Fri, 19 Feb 2010 22:43:59 +0000 http://www.ardegalicia.info/portrait-painting/when-painting-a-portrait-is-it-cheating-to-grid-out-the-original-picture-to-get-the-proportions-accurate#comment-4876 its not cheating because you are still drawing. My lecturer at Art Uni suggested doing it for large scale mapping out. i think that its perfectly ok. Michelangelo gridded the sistine chaple, infact he got his students to do it for him.Renaissance artists invented the gridding system!<br><b>References : </b><br> its not cheating because you are still drawing. My lecturer at Art Uni suggested doing it for large scale mapping out. i think that its perfectly ok. Michelangelo gridded the sistine chaple, infact he got his students to do it for him.Renaissance artists invented the gridding system!
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]]> By: Curtiss http://www.ardegalicia.info/portrait-painting/when-painting-a-portrait-is-it-cheating-to-grid-out-the-original-picture-to-get-the-proportions-accurate/comment-page-1#comment-4875 Curtiss Fri, 19 Feb 2010 22:15:59 +0000 http://www.ardegalicia.info/portrait-painting/when-painting-a-portrait-is-it-cheating-to-grid-out-the-original-picture-to-get-the-proportions-accurate#comment-4875 No this method is definetly not cheating. It is a good way to get your proportions correct if you aren't that comfortable with your measuring skills. If I were you I would just work on your measuring skills. Don't rely on a projection or traced image. A lot of people seem to think that is a good way to get comfortable but in reality you will end up relying on those methods more than using them as stepping stones. There is no originality in tracing. So if all else fails stick with the grid, but don't get caught up in what is in just one square, remember to keep the whole image's compisition in mind. Don't want to hurt your pride, but in order to be a good naturalist painter you have to have strong drawing skills. If I were you I would practice drawing more than painting for a little while. Or just draw as much as you paint. The two go hand in hand. Here is a good trick for measuring: http://www.learn-to-draw.com/members/drawing-basics/0111.htm Hope this helps. And yes, tracing is cheating because it causes laziness instead of developing skill. Time and effort will get you where you want to be. Making art is just like playing a sport, the more you practice the better you become.<br><b>References : </b><br>BFA, Professional artist No this method is definetly not cheating. It is a good way to get your proportions correct if you aren’t that comfortable with your measuring skills. If I were you I would just work on your measuring skills. Don’t rely on a projection or traced image. A lot of people seem to think that is a good way to get comfortable but in reality you will end up relying on those methods more than using them as stepping stones. There is no originality in tracing. So if all else fails stick with the grid, but don’t get caught up in what is in just one square, remember to keep the whole image’s compisition in mind.

Don’t want to hurt your pride, but in order to be a good naturalist painter you have to have strong drawing skills. If I were you I would practice drawing more than painting for a little while. Or just draw as much as you paint. The two go hand in hand. Here is a good trick for measuring: http://www.learn-to-draw.com/members/drawing-basics/0111.htm
Hope this helps.

And yes, tracing is cheating because it causes laziness instead of developing skill. Time and effort will get you where you want to be. Making art is just like playing a sport, the more you practice the better you become.
References :
BFA, Professional artist

]]> By: Maturin http://www.ardegalicia.info/portrait-painting/when-painting-a-portrait-is-it-cheating-to-grid-out-the-original-picture-to-get-the-proportions-accurate/comment-page-1#comment-4874 Maturin Fri, 19 Feb 2010 21:26:59 +0000 http://www.ardegalicia.info/portrait-painting/when-painting-a-portrait-is-it-cheating-to-grid-out-the-original-picture-to-get-the-proportions-accurate#comment-4874 Not cheating at all. Most of the great Renaissance painters (and many artists since then) used similar aides and devices. You do whatever it takes to get the result you want.<br><b>References : </b><br> Not cheating at all.
Most of the great Renaissance painters (and many artists since then) used similar aides and devices.
You do whatever it takes to get the result you want.
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]]> By: Maureen G http://www.ardegalicia.info/portrait-painting/when-painting-a-portrait-is-it-cheating-to-grid-out-the-original-picture-to-get-the-proportions-accurate/comment-page-1#comment-4873 Maureen G Fri, 19 Feb 2010 20:42:59 +0000 http://www.ardegalicia.info/portrait-painting/when-painting-a-portrait-is-it-cheating-to-grid-out-the-original-picture-to-get-the-proportions-accurate#comment-4873 I don't think it is cheating. If you get the proportions wrong the portrait looks wrong, of course!<br><b>References : </b><br> I don’t think it is cheating. If you get the proportions wrong the portrait looks wrong, of course!
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