… you may well ask! I started on the big canvas back in October, and got to the point where I couldn’t realistically paint indoors. So I moved out to the summer house. Problem is, it’s a small space, and already quite full of stuff. I found myself working on my knees or sitting on the floor, in the cold, without easy access to water and more than once putting my elbow into the paint. Hmm! Plus, I really wasn’t happy with how it was going. I thought and thought about my ‘beach scene’ idea and I just could not see it working.
So I covered up the canvas with a sheet and left it out in the summerhouse for a few weeks while I mulled over what to do. And then, I came across a painting via a Twitter link which really grabbed me. I decided to copy it. I know – not very original of me, and I’m hoping that the artist – if he or she ever saw my version – would be flattered rather than offended. Does copying someone’s painting breach copyright? I can’t imagine it’s anything like plagiarising a poem. It will never be identical to (or as good as) the original, and I’m not trying to forge someone else’s work or make money from it. Also, the original is much smaller, and I wasn’t able to copy all the subtleties, not least of all because I only had a small photo to go on.
Anyway, the canvas came back into the living room. I stopped messing about and acquired an easel. Here’s what happened.
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I love how the painting has turned out! Softening the colours in the final stages, as you did, has really brought all the elements together, I think. Good work!
Re copywrite old school art students had to copy the Old Masters as part of their training as so much could be learned. Designers have to make a minimum of six differences (even if slight ones) when copying designs to avoid copywrite issues.
I have copied a living artist’s work myself as I could not afford to purchase the originals and had them framed. I did not sign them as my own work even though there were various subtle changes but wrote ‘ after (artists name) ‘ on the back. They were not painted for sale either but to grace my walls and when people comment on them I always own up to them being copies of (artists) work!
I love Charleston and have been several times although not for about ten years!