The camera is a valuable tool for an artist. It’s a great guide to use when needing realistic facts. Personally, this is the main reason that I use it. However, I have found that photographs are generally useless to mix color compositions. The reason for this is that digital colors are made up of varying mixtures using cyan and magenta; paint pigments can’t pick up the hues as accurately as needed. Back at the studio, I change the photographs to black and white values on the computer, using them as ideas for paintings, preferring nature as my source for color.

Many artists have spent countless hours debating the worth of the camera in art. Some of them are totally opposed for its use. I’ve been told by more than one artist that a camera destroys the creativity of an artist, that an artist should get all the facts at the time with a sketch pad and paint and brush or pencil. As important and rewarding as is the habit of sketching, my suggestion is to always have a camera nearby. With digital cameras today, where you can pop a card into the computer, it makes even more sense; at least, dollars and cents, there is very little expense.

I enjoy sketching, and am seldom without a pad and pencil. This seems to be a family thing. My brother, Lynn, is a sketching freak. He can’t seem to talk without drawing whatever he’s describing. I think he was born with graphite pencils in place of fingers. However, as addicted to sketching as he is, he will always have his camera nearby. I’m glad he does; otherwise, we wouldn’t have near the paintings we do.

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