Using examples

Good morning all! I just wanted to hear are there any of you who use a book/photoalbum to look at examples as a reference while your painting? Im not sure I could paint without seeing the reference and just wanted to hear if i wasnt alone.

Hi there!
I'm always searching and looking for examples of FP. Can't come up with an idea of myself, but try not to make an exact copy of an example. Always try to add something of myself!
I keep on hoping some day I will be able to create all of my FP by myself. But I guess that's just wishfull thinking.

right, but while your painting... i mean.

I guess the key is practice, practice, practice, each design till you are completely familiar with it. Use a practice head, or practice all the elements on your leg.

Having said that... I painted all the faces for my menu board, but I still have to look at it for reference occasionally if it's a design I haven't done for a while. And when my daughter paints with me, I have a second board that she keeps next to her that she can glance at as she paints for a quick reference since she is not as familiar with the designs as I am.

And, when you get more experienced, winging it becomes easier.

I see that you did a Darth Maul, that's one that really needs a reference pic, doesn't it! I was asked to do one as a special request for Halloween last year and I did bring along a pic from the movie to follow, since I'd never done one before.

I'm almost always "winging it" ... the only ones that I sometimes check to be sure are licensed characters and super heroes (never a good idea to get those wrong).

I started out looking at pics for nearly every painting, but as you learn them you'll need the pics less and less...another idea is to only use the ones you know by heart...just sit down one day and paint as many dolphins on your leg as possible...then the next day paint as many butterflies as will fit etc etc....

It depends how many times I have painted a design. last week I did all but one face without referance but the face they picked was the first time I painted it after it hit the board. I used that then but did every other face without it as I have painted them enough, when I started I used to constantly look at my photos, but have learned to trust myself now. I also use my phone to find an image I am unsure of (i.e. super heroes, ben 10 particular alien) and paint it from that, I do warn the client that I havn't done it before when I do this only 2 have backed out after me telling them this.

wow great ideas thanks

You mean for me to look at? Nope. The photos are for the customers to look at and choose... I painted everything and named them so I know what they are asking for (most of the time! )

If I don't I make it up.

I was once at a gig where a dad asked me to paint the superman sign on his forhead, I didn't have the image to hand and ended up painting it backwards, so it looked like a Z instead of an S, he was not amused, I thought it was very funny though!!

Nope. I've never painted from a book in front of customers. I have while practicing or learning a new design at home, but what I paint is on my design board and it doesn't make it to the board until I can paint it from memory. As another poster stated, if a design doesn't get picked often (or if the parents butcher or rename the pictures on the board), I sometimes have to refer to it to make sure I'm painting the design they want, but a quick glance generally jogs my memory sufficiently. For custom designs, I've been known to whip out the iphone and get a reference, but not very often.

I have had to glance back at my board once ot twice at a newer design I hadn't totally committed to memory, but I wouldn't use a book in front of customers. It looks unprofessional in my opinion.

The goal is to be able to paint all the designs on your board without looking at all, and to be able to pull inspiration for new designs magicaly out of thin air. Believe it or not, eventually we will all get there, but for now if you need to refrence that's OK! But just know that in order to advance, you have to make sure to use the photo only as a refrence- not a crutch. Don't rely on the photo for every stroke- push yourself to remember. Each time you should look less and less. If you don't paint something that looks exactly like the picture that's OK too- remember that that's how we evolve our own style of painting.

Before you go out painting for a gig, you should already be familiar with the designs You should pre-paint the design yourself and then use that as a guide.

It's just not professional looking to see someone coping a design from a book

I agree that searching through a book for a design and then scrutinizing it does not look good. But I don't think there is anything wrong with a "cheat" sheet- especially for those just starting out. I keep an index print (you know the kind you can get with the thumbnail-sized images when you get your regular photos printed) in my kit so I can check back on some of the designs I may not have painted in a while. Or if a kid is trying to describe a particular part of the design that they want a certain way- it's easier if I can see what the heck their talking about! (I know that's happened to you guys too.) I think there is a difference between studying a design in front of a customer and just taking a glance to remember where the ears go.