Photographing Oil Paintings

"It looks so much better in real life" is a common response when viewers see an oil painting at perhaps a museum after only seeing it on the web.

Why? Oil paintings frequently have layers that allow the viewer to see through layers of paint (glazes). So like our skin which is translucent, so paintings show depth of skin or eyes or hair.

Colors also in in a painting are rarely flat. By combing layers of colors by glazing and scumbling (Scumbling is painting thin layers of opaque light colour over dark colors) the artist pushes past photography. That said, there are some wonderful specialists in shooting art work. (Alas, I am not)

Painters also use impasto (thickly applied paint) to build up areas into 3D. Rembrandt was famous for this. Notice how this painting of mine looks different in raking light.

Enjoy.

Come swing again

Mermaid oil on canvas

Do you believe in mermaids?
Meermadchen, Meermadchen
                             Where are you?
Meermadchen
                    Meermadchen
                                       Where are you?
My fantasy
              My love
                          Where are you?
My heart
             My Spark
Meermadchen
                Meermadchen
                               Where are you?
                                           -LaRue

         
 

Don't let your dreams sleep.

Duet

Tone Poem

Graphite on paper. This may one day be worked into a oil painting.