Postcards From Paris: Painting from Travel Photos

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Transform those static tourist photos into dynamic paintings that exude je ne sais quoi.

By Jeanne Rosier Smith

Painting from Travel Photos

No matter how wonderful they are, no one ever finds our fabulous vacation snapshots quite as captivating as we do. While the photos may be executed with an observant eye and technical prowess, they’re likely to leave others — and possibly even ourselves — feeling flat. I think it’s because photos are less able to capture all the nuances of a scene or event. That’s where the artist comes in. Painting from travel photos affords the opportunity to re-create the magic and make a scene come to life in a way that a photo simply can’t.

But where to begin? And how can we go about painting from travel photos without just copying what’s there? Whenever I work from my own photos, I begin by reconnecting with the physical memory of the place. I jot down whatever sensations come to mind: sounds, weather conditions, emotions. They help to set the context.

I then work up a thumbnail sketch based on the photo, being sure to simplify my design into a few larger shapes and values. From there, I move on to the pastel painting process.

From Recording to Memory

On these pages, I’m sharing four photos from a trip to Paris, along with their evolutions from thumbnails to paintings. As you compare the move from reference photo to painting, you’ll see the choices I’ve made. The progression is from a mechanical recording — the photo — to a vivid personal memory — the painting. In each sketch, I determined what to exclude and what to emphasize.

Personalize Your Vision

As you work from your own travel photos, remember that the more personal your vision, the more interesting your paintings will be.

A little thought can push your paintings a long way and may just prompt you — and your beleaguered family and friends — to experience your vacation memories with a certain joie de vivre.

Get to the Point

Photo

I took this shot because I was attracted to the warm glow in the one lit window. Although the snapshot itself is fairly drab, I remembered the beautiful purple light of the twilight hour.

Thumbnail

I made a thumbnail sketch, simplifying the scene to four values. While the architectural information included is correct, it’s minimal. There are few windows—just a few perspective lines to indicate scale and depth. I also jotted notes to myself in the margin of the sketch to set my intention for the painting and clarify my color choices. The photo, along with these notes, serves as a memory boost.

Painting

I kept the focus on the elements referenced in the thumbnail: deep purples and blues, the inside/outside contrast,
a sense of peace and the twilight. What’s not in Paris at Twilight (12×8)? Lots of windows and doors. They’re unnecessary, although they’re quietly suggested on the right wall by turquoise strokes in the same value as the warm brown sanded paper. This allows them to be there without distracting from the light and shimmer.

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Determine a Focus

Photo

My blurry photo depicts a narrow street at dusk, with rain on the road and car headlights casting light on the scene.

Thumbnail

I referenced the left side of the scene more than the right, adding trees on the left with just a few strokes. Then I dropped in the streetlamp nearest the viewer, made a few pointed strokes to represent the church in the background and merely drew in an angled rectangle for the buildings on the right. I used a white pastel to indicate light-laden areas.

Painting

In Notre Dame in the Rain (12×9), I “turned on” the streetlights and deliberately chose not to render the parked cars individually. I wanted the focus to be on the effect of liquid light on a rainy evening instead of emphasizing the actual objects themselves.

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Plan the Drama

Photo

While the scene is beautiful, the photo doesn’t fully capture the feelings that the moment brought forth. It’s an iconic image, but lacking the romantic, magical feel that’s quintessential Paris.

Thumbnail

I used Tombow pens to sketch a quick notan, using a mid-value to suggest the dynamic light peeking through the heavy clouds. With a notan done in pen, I can catch a design idea quickly. Shapes suggest important design elements, and sometimes, but not always, correspond to values. I also removed the two boats that appeared in the photo, as they felt extraneous and utilitarian.

Painting

Evening on the Seine (8×8) emphasizes the dramatic sky and the twinkling lights on the bridge, which are nearly invisible in the photo reference.

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Tell the Story

Photo

When traveling with family, it’s fun to include them in the narrative. I took this photo on a visit to the Musée de l’Orangerie, where Monet’s Les Nymphéas (Water Lilies) collection is exhibited in two oval rooms.

Thumbnail

My comments read, “Stroll thru park, real life vs. walls. Splash of color… .”

Painting

My goal was to capture how my cousin’s daughter felt so at home, as if she were strolling through the park in Nympheas (10×10). In that room, we seemed to be outdoors rather than inside a museum.

Jeanne Rosier Smith is a professional pastelist and teacher living in Sudbury, Mass.

This article about painting from travel photos originally appeared in Pastel Journal.