The Bottom Line
If you like painting from reference photos but want to take it further than merely copying what's in the photo is a very realistic style, then I think you'll enjoy this DVD. You watch Australian artist Richard Rogers as he creates two paintings from a reference photo, of scenes in the Australian Outback. You'll see how you can interpret the scene in a looser style, with expressive mark-making and bolder choices of color.
Pros
- Shows two paintings being created, from start to finish.
- Demonstrates how a reference photo is merely a starting point for a painting.
- You not only see what the artist does, but he also explains some of the 'why' behind choices made.
- Close-up shots let you see exactly what's being painted.
Cons
- On a few occasions the artist doesn't look at the camera when he's talking; it's a bit disconcerting
Description
- Run time: 63 minutes.
- Features Australian artist Richard Rogers painting two scenes from the Outback.
- Short extract from DVD can be seen on Richard Rogers's website.
- Produced by Beanpole Productions, 2010.
Guide Review - Painting with Acrylics: A Simple Approach DVD by Richard Rogers
Explaining the "why" alongside demonstrating the "what" and "how" is a large part of what makes this DVD by artist Richard Rogers so informative, and inspiring. It enables you to understand the choices and decisions being made as a painting developed, which ultimately will help you make similar choices in your own work. But what I enjoyed most about this DVD is the demonstration of how a reference photo is but a starting point. It need not dictate what your painting will look like at the end, merely what the subject is and guidance as to its proportions, the colors and tones.
All too often paintings made from photos are flat, dull, poor imitations of reality without any vitality or energy. But it needn't be if you interpret rather than copy the photo. If you can't begin to get your head around how you'd do this, this DVD will help you understand as you can see it being done. Richard Rogers creates two paintings from start to finish, and you regularly get to see the reference photo so you can compare to what's being painted to what the photo is.
The paints used are Atelier Interactive Acrylic, with only water as a medium, and a fine mist sprayer for rehydrating the paint to keep it workable on the canvas or on palette. The camera shots vary from behind the artist so you can see the whole canvas and close-up shots so you can see exactly what's being done. You're also shown the artist's palette throughout the process, including how much paint he puts out of each color, picking up color on a brush, and mixing.
