Sometimes, a clever student will come up with the idea to hold their paper and picture up to the window and trace.Once in awhile a student will just cut to the chase, grab some scissors and paste the element right into their art work. Inevitably another student will cry "cheating."
But is it? I really think it depends on the artist's goals and the purpose for the project.
So, I made this pen and ink watercolor painting for a friend for Christmas and I cheated. In my practice sketches I was really struggling to get the roof angles correct. I was working from a photograph so I just printed out a couple in the size I wanted for my final painting. I cut the houses out of the background and traced the roof lines. Because my goal in this painting was to record a specific house, I wanted to be fairly accurate. In a different painting I might be more loose and less concerned with precise lines and angles. I hope my friend will forgive me for cheating!
This is so beautiful! The art is in the flow of the paint - so well done.
ReplyDeleteI think it is only cheating if the photo isn't yours, or you don't have permission of the photographer. I think it this case you are fine, it looks beautiful. I explain to my students to credit the book, magazine, or url where they found their inspiration.
ReplyDeleteThanks Kelly! Such a good suggestion to remind students to give credit where credit is due!
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