Time and time again I've heard the pros and cons of painting from photos.Personally I think that the camera can be a useful tool and as long as you don't just copy a photo slavishly, it can help remind you of how a subject looks when you're back in the studio.
In the case of "Blackie" on the left, this commission came from a lady whose cat I had never met so I had no option.
She sent me several photos of her, gave me hints as to her personality and said that she would like to me to add some Middle Eastern details in the picture.
I pinned the photos all around my drawing board so that I wouldn't just paint from only one. This gave a much more natural feeling to the painting, just as if she had been sitting in front of me.
Some of my own "props" in the form of locally made kilim cushions gave colour to the painting and I added the red curtain on the right to take the viewer's eyes around the picture.
I was told that Madame Blackie approved of her portrait!
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