When delicacy, softness and femininity are summarized in a photograph

There are as many types of pictures as photographers, even one photographer can develop different styles, but there are some who leave their mark on their work with a style that highlights them and makes them recognizable. This is the case of Anna Sheradon, her photographs reflect delicacy, softness and femininity in an exquisite way. No matter whether it is landscapes, flowers, buildings or nature, she portrays them with supreme harmony and balance.

Her art also includes digital paintings created from her own photographs and abstract images using a variety of creative techniques. 

I invite you to see Anna Sheradon's photograph and click on them to know more about her.

What a digital painter and photograph can do

As I mentioned in other posts there are many forms of contemporary art. Following with photography and digital art, we can work with post production and photographs or create our own works through digital tools. 

Lines, spots and constrasts are the determining elements of this style when we try to make it modern and not a simple recreation of a traditional painting. Some may say that digital art is simple to perform, the question is: Do we all have the imagination, creativity and skill to do it? Of course, not.

Regarding this, I want to show you Maciej Mackiewicz's artworks, he is a digital painter and photographer and shows us how to create a great work from a photograph or just with our creativity.

You can see more of his work in his gallery (just click on the pic).

Three important tips on photographs

Three important tips on photographs

There are lot of important issues regarding how to take a good photograph, but we'll focus on three of them right now.

The first one is the kind of shot we want to make. We can make a panoramic view, a close up, among others... Depending on this we'll give a different meaning to the photograph.

The second item is about composition and elements. We don't need many elements to compose a good photograph. Sometimes only a couple of elements give a better idea of what we are trying to express while a variegated and confusing set of elements only distract the attention.

The third and final. What is the focus or center of the photo? Whether dealing with just a couple of elemementos or more, we must define a spotlight, a specific point at which the view is directed. Otherwise we run the risk that the viewers disperse their attention.

As examples of these tips, I want to show you George Martinez's photographs, in which you will see how these principles are respected. George Martinez's photographs are totally correct and take us directly to the idea of what the artist wants to express, he doesn't distract the attention, he perfectly knows which is the best shot and he is able to express his idea with a couple of elements without disturbing the viewer's attention.

You can check his gallery to see more of his artworks.

The right moment for the perfect photograph

The right moment for the perfect photograph

Some photographers perform compositions for their photos while others specialize in searching and waiting for the best time to shoot. It's a real art to look for the right scene at the right moment, neither a second earlier nor a second later, but just at the right time and shot. 

A great knowledge and experience about photographic technique are necessary for this kind of photographs. We all see things around us but we not always know how to recognize the details that make what we see in a work of art.

As an example of this type of art and photography, I want to show you Randy Dyer's work. He is a clear example of what every photographer should take into account when making  photos. He looks for the right thing and the right moment and and he has the ability to capture images highlighting the beauty.

Randy Dyer has been into photography for over 25 years and he specializes in railroad photographs, however his work is still much wider.

You can visit his gallery to learn more about his work.

When photography highlights the concept

When photography highlights the concept.

Here we have an artist who has no doubts about how to stress the importance of the concept in a photograph. Allen Beatty, a versatile photographer, who perfectly knows which is the best image to show beauty, feelings or emotions. He creates interesting abstract works with digital tools, one of the most prominent manifestations of contemporary art since this tool didn't exist until a few decades ago. 

As Allen Beatty says in his biography: "Images are much more than a simple record. Photography speaks to the best and most generous part of our human nature--the desire to share what we find beautiful and interesting with others. Photography allows us to express ourselves through an art form. We notice a beautiful landscape or a sunset and we want to capture it. Each of us will have a different reason to do so but, essentially, we want to create something that speaks to our spirit. A well executed photograph grabs our attention and speaks directly to our emotions. Photography at it's best, is a powerful language which evokes emotion. It allows us to tell our story and show others our framing of the world around us. And for the photographer who trips the shutter, it feels good. "

Check out these photographs and you'll find his complete gallery.

What about acylic?

What about acylic?

Acrylic is one of the most used techniques in recent decades. It takes time to get adapted to this kind of material, but you can get very good artworks.

It works layer upon layer and it dries extremely fast. It is one of the most used materials today.

If oil makes you lose patience because of its drying time and  if you don't fading away but with layers, then acrylic is the right medium for you.

Despite of what many believe, you can get very good transitions in light or dark, it's just practice. 

Others use it for spot painting and abstract, for which it's (at least to me) the best one.

It can also be used combined with other materials in a mixed technique.

Everything is up to you!

You Chose

Laura Greco

40 x 60 cm

Acrylic on Canvas

I'll post other artists artworks soon!

Which is the best medium for us?

Which is the best medium for us?

Sometimes we wonder which medium is best for us. Oil, acrylic, water color, pastel? There are lot of mediums and techniques now and to choose one depends on what we want to do. It may take us some time deciding and more to practice with them.

Beyond the drying time, I think it's a matter of pleasure. Do you enjoy working with acrylic and volumes? or Do you love the soft slide of oil? and besides that, do you prefer contrast or softness? We can create magnificent works with any technique whether if it's ancient or modern. The most important is to enjoy what we do and choose the one that help us to really show what we want to say with our paintings.

In next posts we'll talk about each particular technique, meanwhile, just paint!

Ancestral fear of hell

Acrylic on canvas

60  x 40

Illustrations and commercial artworks

Illustrations and commercial artworks

Most of us work with illustrations and commercial works to earn our life. There are many ways to sell our work, some better than others. The matter is that during the last decades things changed a lot. 

There was a time when we had to go with our portfolio (on paper) to show the potential clients what we do. Now, things are different, and we have the opportunity to show what we do online. 

Like this:

And remember, when a door closes an other gets opened...

Starting point

Starting point

There are two ways to start a work: we know what we want to say from the very beginning and we try to find de way to express it or we simply know perfectly well what we want to compose. The other is when we want to please the others, so we try find a subject that could be interesting to other people.

Both are valid, one is for our own pleasure and the other is to earn our life with a commercial artwork. Whatever the reason is let's not stop to do what we love: "painting".

But going back to the tittle of this, the only way to start is just starting, forgetting about what other people might think about our work, that's what make us original.

Woman and social stablishment

Oil on canvas

50 x 40 cm

Why not sharing?

Why not sharing?

I have had several initiatives to build sites to share the work of other artists, however, I have found that many don't want to show their work in the midst of other authors.

It makes no sense to feel insecure to show what we do with others, since there is no comparison in art. The perception depends on the other, but we will not be better or worse for that. It is a matter of parameters, some judge the technique while others favor what is expressed. So, why some artists refuse to share a space with other artists? It's a way to make our way in its difficult world that is art.

Let's forget about ancient parameters and let's trust ouselves. if you want your work appear on this blog just send me a message and I'll be pleased to add your works.