Lumi_Journey
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The beginning of still life.
Subject : Object-Study(1)
Saturday, 17 January 2026
Lumi-Journey, Gi So Jeong
Any feedback on the sketch would be appreciated!
Object-Study(1)
- Thread starter Lumi_Journey
- Start date
The beginning of still life.
Subject : Object-Study(1)
Saturday, 17 January 2026
Lumi-Journey, Gi So Jeong
Any feedback on the sketch would be appreciated!
I like that you have the mirror in this still life also. 
Grapes
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Txomsy, can be the photo. Lumi, are you doing this from life or photo?
I'd get my still lifes wonky if I did them from photos.
Enyaw
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… don’t forget you are looking at a picture of a bottle .. cameras lie .. oops, grapes got it before . Sorry, did not see the reply.
Lumi_Journey
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"Big thanks to txomsy, Enyaw, and Grapes!
I actually hadn't noticed that the spray bottle looked crooked until you pointed it out.
The reason I posted both the reference photo and my drawing was that I was confused. Even though I viewed the object from the same angle as the photo, my drawing seemed distorted compared to the camera image. Thanks to the feedback here, I've realized that there is a fundamental difference between a photograph and the physical reality.
To my naked eye, the actual spray bottle didn't look crooked, yet the photo clearly captures the angle I was looking at. While I've gained some understanding, I am now debating whether I should strictly reference the original photo or draw the object exactly as I see it in real life, without relying on the photo.
Someone advised me to analyze this 'distortion process'—specifically, to try translating my sensory perception into structure by comparing how I draw based on a photo versus how I draw based on my eye. I was really curious about where exactly the divergence occurs between the brain's visual processing and the camera's mechanical recognition.
For my next sketch, I plan to experiment with both approaches and upload the results.Your feedback really made me reflect deeply on my process. I realized I wasn't initially clear about what exactly I was asking, but I am so grateful to txomsy, Enyaw, and Grapes for your insightful advice!"
I actually hadn't noticed that the spray bottle looked crooked until you pointed it out.
The reason I posted both the reference photo and my drawing was that I was confused. Even though I viewed the object from the same angle as the photo, my drawing seemed distorted compared to the camera image. Thanks to the feedback here, I've realized that there is a fundamental difference between a photograph and the physical reality.
To my naked eye, the actual spray bottle didn't look crooked, yet the photo clearly captures the angle I was looking at. While I've gained some understanding, I am now debating whether I should strictly reference the original photo or draw the object exactly as I see it in real life, without relying on the photo.
Someone advised me to analyze this 'distortion process'—specifically, to try translating my sensory perception into structure by comparing how I draw based on a photo versus how I draw based on my eye. I was really curious about where exactly the divergence occurs between the brain's visual processing and the camera's mechanical recognition.
For my next sketch, I plan to experiment with both approaches and upload the results.Your feedback really made me reflect deeply on my process. I realized I wasn't initially clear about what exactly I was asking, but I am so grateful to txomsy, Enyaw, and Grapes for your insightful advice!"
txomsy
Apprentice of amateur
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Thanks to you for the confidence and bravery in facing open criticism. That's so uncommon it is laudable.
As for the bottle, I am not sure, it looks to me, from the picture, that the bottles is actually asymmetric in reality, and it matches my experience of this kind of spray bottles. That rises the point you brought up so nicely: should one paint things as they actually are or as one "sees" them?
Generally speaking, I think that painting things as they are (like a photo) is better for the viewer will notice, consciously or not, any deviation. But then, that's what photographs excel at. Where photos fail is at distorting reality to match our "feelings" or expectations, which is a freedom painting gives but Photography makes more difficult to achieve. Just by painting what you "see", you are already including that subjective factor. My personal point of view is that this subjectivity is best achieved when it is done consciously... but then one has to be careful not to overdo it or fall short.
As for the bottle, I am not sure, it looks to me, from the picture, that the bottles is actually asymmetric in reality, and it matches my experience of this kind of spray bottles. That rises the point you brought up so nicely: should one paint things as they actually are or as one "sees" them?
Generally speaking, I think that painting things as they are (like a photo) is better for the viewer will notice, consciously or not, any deviation. But then, that's what photographs excel at. Where photos fail is at distorting reality to match our "feelings" or expectations, which is a freedom painting gives but Photography makes more difficult to achieve. Just by painting what you "see", you are already including that subjective factor. My personal point of view is that this subjectivity is best achieved when it is done consciously... but then one has to be careful not to overdo it or fall short.
Lumi_Journey
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I find it a bit challenging to visually capture the difference between drawing from direct observation and drawing from a photograph due to my current skill level. However, I will deeply reflect on your insights and make sure to refer to them in my future projects. Thank you so much, txomsy and Enyaw, for sharing such valuable perspectives!
Lumi_Journey
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Real picture (Drawing 0)
Photographic picture (Drawing 1)
Photographic picture (Drawing 2)
After feeling a bit discouraged by my previous attempts at drawing from life, I decided to challenge myself once more.
On Monday the 19th, I drew from direct observation but found it very difficult to establish proper reference points. Today, Saturday the 24th, I tried drawing from a photograph instead. In my first attempt (Drawing 0), I managed to find reference points, but because they were misplaced, I struggled to gauge the correct proportions. However, in my final drawing, I focused on setting clear starting and ending points as my guides, which resulted in a form much closer to the photo.
This process made me realize the importance of txomsy’s advice about practicing with photographs first. I now see that I had a self-imposed pressure to only draw from direct observation. I would like to sincerely thank txomsy and Enyaw for providing such valuable insights into the direction of my artistic journey.
Photographic picture (Drawing 1)
Photographic picture (Drawing 2)
After feeling a bit discouraged by my previous attempts at drawing from life, I decided to challenge myself once more.
On Monday the 19th, I drew from direct observation but found it very difficult to establish proper reference points. Today, Saturday the 24th, I tried drawing from a photograph instead. In my first attempt (Drawing 0), I managed to find reference points, but because they were misplaced, I struggled to gauge the correct proportions. However, in my final drawing, I focused on setting clear starting and ending points as my guides, which resulted in a form much closer to the photo.
This process made me realize the importance of txomsy’s advice about practicing with photographs first. I now see that I had a self-imposed pressure to only draw from direct observation. I would like to sincerely thank txomsy and Enyaw for providing such valuable insights into the direction of my artistic journey.
txomsy
Apprentice of amateur
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No need to thank me. It's common advice found everywhere. And, apropos, great work you've done there!
Drawing from life is difficult because we have two eyes, we get two images, and the brain "jumps" from one to the other as our attention drifts, picking different reference points each time. I usually find it more with "close" life, and usually less with "far" (e.g. landscape) life, but some people reports the opposite. Takes some time to realize you are seeing two different pictures and (for me) a willingly conscious effort to compensate. That, or accepting you do "perceptive" -not "realistic"- drawing. Any of them is OK, so in the end it is not such a big issue if one does it knowingly (if unknowingly, you end up tearing your hair apart because it never looks right and you do not know why). Thus, sometimes, taking a picture can be a great help.
Drawing from life is difficult because we have two eyes, we get two images, and the brain "jumps" from one to the other as our attention drifts, picking different reference points each time. I usually find it more with "close" life, and usually less with "far" (e.g. landscape) life, but some people reports the opposite. Takes some time to realize you are seeing two different pictures and (for me) a willingly conscious effort to compensate. That, or accepting you do "perceptive" -not "realistic"- drawing. Any of them is OK, so in the end it is not such a big issue if one does it knowingly (if unknowingly, you end up tearing your hair apart because it never looks right and you do not know why). Thus, sometimes, taking a picture can be a great help.
Lumi_Journey
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