Simon Robbins wrote:

"Rufus" wrote in message
news:U_1Ib.690640$Tr4.1720884@attbi_s03...

I think it's prevelent enough now not to be considered "cheating" - you
use all the tools you have and I'd have to consider it just another tool
in this case. I've heard of many airbrush artists and technical
illustrators working from photos - particularly figure
painters/illustrators, where using a photo would be much cheaper than
paying an artist's model to sit for an entire session.


That's basically what I do. I haven't as yet done any aviation painting, but
my company keeps on about getting me to do some promotional stuff for them
of ASW scenes. Technical illustration doesn't work well from live study
compared to impressionist freeform, too much time and precision involved in
planning and laying out an illustration.

My last piece was a character study from the movie The Last of the Mohicans
for my neighbours as a gift. I worked from printed screenshots from the DVD.
Painted with transparent inks with a Paasche AB Turbo airbrush. (If anyone's
interested, send me an email and I'll reply with a digital photo of it.)
Not much creative input since it was a recreation of a screenshot, it was
more an exercise in airbrush technique for me.

Si



I recall that when I was sculpting artisticly, I preferred not to look
at a model just for that reason - I didn't want to make a "copy" from
life...I just wanted it to come out of my head. One of my cousins whom
was a professional artist once remarked that my figures, while not 100%
anatomically correct, had a great deal of "freedom and movement" in them
- I like to think not using a model was part of the reason.

I think if I were sculpting the human form these days I'd pay more
attention to anatomy and at least use a pose book, though. I've thought
of trying to pick up the craft again.

--
- Rufus