Let Us Now Praise Photorealism

On a late watercolor workshop, we were invited to bring art books to share with the group. I knew that my selection of painters would get at in the most suitable way mixed reviews, but I   wanted to test some nascent theories of my own about painters and painting. I choose two unrestrained b generally-format retrospectives, one Robert Bechtle and the other, Richard Estes, both  reigning deans of photorealism. The reactions were predictable. Tactful rejections of work by my fellow painters on the bases that the stuff looked just too much like photography. “What’s the applicable of painting like that?” This came despite the fact that almost one quarter of the plates in the Bechtle book were watercolors.

Bechtle’s watercolors of mundane suburban motifs are a course into one of the essential contradictions in the nature of photorealism painting as fine art. In those watercolors, particularly in the enlarged details, Bechtle’s mastery of usual watercolor technique leaps from the pages. Despite the photographic effect of the image, there is no mistaking that these are nothing less than extremely proficient and painterly watercolors. The same is true for the watercolors of another photorealist, Ralph Goings, whose back and forth between media had opened my eyes to the use of abstraction to generate an effect otherwise taken for a mechanical process.

Richard Estes shows only oils, and among many figurative purists he is reflexively rejected for the vivid dazzle of his work. Unlike Bechtel and Goings, there are no Estes watercolors or drawings to force the viewer into insomuch as why these are paintings of the highest order. To realize just what Estes accomplishes with pigments and brushes, the paintings have to seen in person. Looking at reproductions of Estes’ photorealism in oil, no meaningfulness how perfect the process, the paintings will always appear to look just like (ready for this), photographs! Duh… 

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A Taste of the Arts Photorealism Lecture March 17 at Barron Arts Center in ... myCentralJersy.com - Mar 04, 2010 He will be discussing Photorealistic Painting - why customary artists choose to make paintings look like photographs. These lectures are free and everyone Sony's new hit game Comment (subscription) - Mar 04, 2010 Sony's new hit gameFlying a folklore performance of photorealism, creative director David Cage debuted the spiritual successor to Quantico Dream's Indigo Divination (2005), and more » Crytek to Unleash New CryENGINE – Report TechFreq News - Mar 04, 2010 TG DailyThe new machine is reputed to be near photorealism in its rendering. Crytek also plans to give developers a new tool called LiveCreate. Crytek revs stereoscopic 3D motor3D graphics coming courtesy of CrytekCryEngine 3Dall 28 news articles » Bad Ads: Misrepresentation in Video Game Advertising GameZone - Mar 06, 2010 Of path, our modern games have yet to reach true photorealism. Most games are rarely mistaken for “real-life” footage. The metastasis between a living Museum and Gallery Listings New York Times - Mar 05, 2010 Painting dominates, as always here, but with everything from photorealism to geometric abstraction, the show still feels comical in variety. all 4 news articles » Pop goes politics for Richard Hamilton This is London - Mar 04, 2010 Made doubtless with nods in the direction of the king of icons, Warhol, and the master of photorealism, Gerhard Richter, this was originally a photograph of and more » Homer and His Guide Journal of American Medical Association (subscription) - Mar 03, 2010 Bouguereau's sort has been described as "photorealism," because at first glance his paintings look as lifelike as photographs. Makeup team works fast Variety - Mar 02, 2010 Looking at creator-exec producer Ryan Murphy likes to shoot tight, it's good that photorealism is the cornerstone of their attainment. and more »

Photorealism - 9 items found

	Original Oil painting by PierreRaby:"Blue shot no.2" Directement de l'artiste > Peintures Photorealism on gessoed masonite,7 x 4-1/2 inches $120.00 Bids: 0 End time: 12-Mar-10 14:58:13 PST
	REALISM PHOTOREALISM Art Book Catalog John Arthur Books > Nonfiction $22.95 Bids: 0 End time: 17-Mar-10 19:29:10 PST
	DUANE HANSON Survey of His Work Photorealism Sculpture Books > Antiquarian & Collectible $28.99 Bids: 0 Best Offer Enabled End time: 17-Mar-10 17:36:00 PST
	Advanced 3D Photorealism Techniques, Bill Fleming, Good Books > Textbooks, Education $21.40 Bids: 0 End time: 26-Mar-10 12:26:59 PST
	School of Photorealism Very Fine Oil Ernest Hemingway Art from Dealers & Resellers > Paintings $185.00 Bids: 0 Best Offer Enabled End time: 03-Apr-10 11:40:10 PST
	customize yourself portrait photorealism painting Direct from the Artist > Paintings $159.00 Bids: 0 Best Offer Enabled End time: 04-Apr-10 18:07:04 PST
	James Torlakson 1976 Photorealism signed print LISTED Art from Dealers & Resellers > Prints $625.00 Bids: 0 Best Offer Enabled End time: 07-Apr-10 11:24:24 PST
	Photorealism by Louis K. Meisel Books > Nonfiction $134.99 Bids: 0 End time: 07-Apr-10 05:13:22 PST
	Photorealism and Ray Tracing in C by Christopher Watkin Books > Nonfiction $40.46 Bids: 0 End time: 19-Mar-10 18:39:07 PST

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Speed Painting Photo Realism

I did this as an excercise for the plan of, quite simply, practice. It's been a while since I attempted anything photo-real... It's very good ...