How to Take GOOD NATURE Reference Pictures on the Trail: Painting & Drawing Tips

I love to go on Nature Walks.

My favourite are trails that wonder through different terrains with a variety of vegetation and have  water. 
 

Wendy at Kay Dubois Trail - Quadra Island, BC

Of course, on any walk. there is a strong urge to take pictures.  Believe me, Apple could get rich on the storage fees I pay to save my pictures.  It seems no matter how rigorous I am when I get home, I can't seem to delete them.  Even the ones I know are bad!

So I have a new strategy.  Take GOOD pictures.  This means Have a Purpose. I know, you are going to say, You Always HAVE a Purpose.  By Purpose, I don't mean 'Take nicely composed landscapes'.  

There is more to be DONE to make those Photos good Reference Pictures. . . ;

*************** Special Note: *************** 

Time to REGISTER: Enhance Your Drawing Skills 

Thursday, October 10, 17 & 24, 6:00-8:00pm PST (Zoom) 
$75 Before Oct 8, $90 after
Medium: Ink & Watercolour

Join Wendy to learn new drawing skills with this playful pair, Ink & Watercolour.  See below for more info.  Contact Wendy to Register

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See my YouTube video with more discussion and examples on this topic: 

How to Make Interesting Landscape Paintings  
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Can't you just see a Seagull on this driftwood or use it as a mini- environment.  I love that plant growing there.  

First of all, consider what you want to do with those pictures.  When I hike along a trail I am always looking for interesting settings to place my birds and animals.  Often my bird photos do not have natural settings so I need to find some for them.  The other thing I look for is interesting nature environments. What is your purpose for your pictures?

Think about the lighting.  This is particularly important if you are mixing elements from several photo sources.  Depending on the time of day and sunlight, there will be different shadow patterns in your photos.  Yes, you can 'imagine' the shadows as you integrate the material from each photo but really, nothing compares to seeing the 'real' thing.  

Very interesting Negative Space and love the misty rain in the background

Look for interesting Shapes and textures.  Sometimes it can be overwhelming in the summer to find interesting pictures.  Everything is green!! I look for interesting shapes and textures.  For landscapes I like to take pictures that have interesting Negative Space.  I liked the misty rain in the background of the picture above.  It was really nice to see but very wet for me. It really poured after I took this photo and it was a good 15 minutes back to the truck!!

Place a model in the setting to give a sense of size to elements in the photo

Think about proportion: This is especially important if you are thinking of adding a subject to the photo when you paint it. Having the size of the bird or animal match the scale of background you are putting him in can make or break your picture.  I often use people, my dog or even a glove to give myself a sense of size. This really helps when I am later working on the painting. 

Good Fishing - Caught this great shot of an eagle eating a fish and put him on this rock in the bay.  

Take more than One Picture: If I know I want to use this picture for a painting I will take extra pictures.  Zoom in and Zoom out.  This information can be very useful when you want to add things like: more vegetation, other types of plants, logs, stumps, etc.  The material in the other photos will represent what would be in the area and it would have the same light and shadow patterns of your main reference. 

Taking pictures is great fun on the trail, and even more so if they prove useful for your creative process.  

*************** Special Note: 

Time to REGISTER: Enhance Your Drawing Skills 

Thursday, October 10, 17 & 24, 6:00-8:00pm PST (Zoom) 
$75 Before Oct 8, $90 after
Medium: Ink & Watercolour

Join Wendy to learn new drawing skills with this playful pair.  See below for more info.  Contact Wendy to Register

***

See my YouTube video with more discussion and examples on this topic: 

How to Make Interesting Landscape Paintings  

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Have a great Artful Day,

  

Wendy