How can you transform an exceptional photograph into a great painting

Original Photo (Whitbourne 2024)

A beautiful photograph can stop you in your tracks. But turning that image into a great painting—that’s where vision, skill, and interpretation come together. If you’ve ever wondered how to take an outstanding photo and translate it onto canvas, this guide is for you. I have therefore separated this blog into two.

Part 1 A guide first on how to approach your transition from photo to painting.

Part 2 bit of background on why I wanted to paint the image you see here. Having read the original blog I decided to rewrite it adding Part 1. My initial reflections on the painting are Part 2 which whilst relevant will I hope give more background and be less technical.

Part 1

Why Photograph → Painting Works So Well

Photographs capture moments, light, mood, and detail. They can offer:

• A tangible starting point for composition and colour

• Emotional inspiration: what first caught your eye

• Reference for light, texture and form

But a strictly photorealistic copy doesn’t always yield art. Great paintings add something extra: intention, interpretation, and creative choices.

Key Questions to Ask Before You Start

Before picking up your pencil or brush pause and ask:

1. What drew me into this photo in the first place?

   What was the feeling, light, subject, or moment that made you stop and snap the picture?

2. What elements in the image will make a strong painting?

   Consider composition, colour contrasts, shapes, light and shadow.

3. Where will the viewer’s eye go?

   Determine a focal point. What’s the centre of attention? What details are essential, and which can be toned back?

4. What will I omit or simplify? What might I add?

   Sometimes less is more. Remove distractions. Maybe enhance or exaggerate something to give depth or theme.

5. Which medium suits this vision best?

   Acrylic, oil, watercolour, charcoal, pastel… each one offers its own character and possibilities.

Transforming the Image: From Photo to Painting

Here’s a more detailed walkthrough of how I transformed my photo into a work of art:

1. Capturing Inspiration

It often starts with a spontaneous moment. For example: walking “the loop” in Whitbourne one winter’s day, seeing three cows basking in low winter sun. Light, silence, and composition all spoke to me. That scene led to the painting I now call “3 Cows.”

2. Composition & Mood

• Enhance natural light and highlight what drew you in. Maybe it was rays of sunlight, silhouette, or shadow play. In my case it was the rays of sunlight and the silhouettes of the cows against the moody sky

• Adjust ambience (weather, sky, tones) to heighten drama.

• Don’t aim for exact photorealism unless that’s your goal—often what matters more is capturing the feel.

• Use cropping and horizon placement (e.g. “rule of thirds”) to give balance and tension.

3. Focal Point & Simplification

• Identify your focal point clearly (in my photo, the three cows).

• Reduce elements that distract. Simplify sky, background, perhaps convert some details to shapes or shadows.

• Decide what to keep and what to leave out (or downplay).

4. Medium & Colour Choices

• Choose a medium that enhances your mood. If the artwork is large or dramatic, acrylic or oils might serve better; for lighter, ephemeral scenes, watercolour might be magic. There was no doubt in my mind it had to be acrylic.

• Play with colour temperature: warm highlights, cool shadows; saturated vs muted areas to guide mood.

5. Consider the Viewer & the Setting

While the finished artwork was for me I didn’t really give this element a lot of thought as I looked upon the creation as personal development. However for completeness these are the normal points I consider.

• Commissioned work: what does the client want? What mood or theme do they envision?

• Where will the painting be displayed? Lighting in the room, nearby colours, frame style—these all affect how the work is seen.

• How does it fit into existing décor? Harmony vs contrast can help the painting stand out or blend.

Mindset: Practice, Patience & Self-Reflection

I can’t emphasise this enough you have to enjoy what you are doing and understand that there isn’t a single artist I have ever met who gets it right on every occasion, so accept that :-

• You’ll make mistakes. Early artworks often teach more than later ones.

• It’s not about becoming perfect but about loving the process.

• Art is subjective: what’s “great” depends on personal taste, style, and emotional resonance.

• Keep pushing your comfort zone (new media, challenging scenes) to grow.

Example: “3 Cows” — From Photo to Painting

• Initial photo: taken spontaneously, natural lighting, the scene spoke to me.

• Changes made: cropped to focus more strongly, emphasized sunlight, adjusted sky for contrast and mood.

• Medium chosen: acrylic, because the piece was large and needed boldness.

• Final piece: more than representation—the painting carries mood, feel, intention.

Part 2

Summary and Background.

Over the Christmas holidays on a walk around "the loop" as we call our regular walk around the village of Whitbourne in Worcestershire I was stopped in my tracks by the scene above. Three of farmer Tim's cows who, only a few months before had been grazing in the field at the back of our home were standing quitely basking in the winter sun and it was one of those moments that, as an artist,shouts paint me.

Spring in Whitbourne, Worcestershire

Whitbourne sits in the beautiful Worcestershire countryside and regularly provides me with inspiration. It's home to my wife and me and is where we decided to retire from our busy work schedules. I've been retired for three years, and art has become my new passion.

"The Loop" is a one-hour walk around the small country lanes that connect the top of the village to the lower, and where one of the tributaries to the River Teme dissects it neatly in half. The Teme, in turn, joins the River Severn just south of Worcester. A regular flood area, winters are interesting and sometimes challenging, but spring and summers are stunning. The perfect place to set up a studio and paint to your heart's content. Now let me explain, I am not a professional artist; I have no formal training and, as a result, often make schoolboy errors in composition, according to the experts. The good news is, as Arnold Palmer was once heard to say, "the more you practice, the luckier you become." Painting in my retirement gives me purpose and joy, and when I come across a scene like the one above, I can't wait to get started on it. As my gallery on Art-Marco continues to grow, so do my confidence and willingness to tackle more difficult themes.

I work in charcoal, watercolour, acrylic, and oils to the point that, whilst I could be considered to be a "jack of all trades," I don't believe I will ever be a master of any of them and that's not the purpose of my hobby. Having said that, I take pride in my work and in everything I do so, if I am being honest with myself, I do strive to get better and master my art. I have rarely met any artist who ever believes they have produced the perfect piece of art. It never ceases to amaze me how subjective art is and, on occasions, how Hans Christian Andersen's tale of "The Emperor's New Clothes" fits the art world perfectly. Trends, fashion, and values move with the tides of change in art, just as they do in all things of perceived value. No longer is art driven by religion but by marketing, media, and politics. The choice you have to make as an artist is what you want from the medium. Is it an income, recognition or like me the satisfaction of producing something you would be proud of and is appreciated by others in whatever form that takes.

3 Cows - Abstract Acrylic by Art-Marco

Adding to the Photo

Please don't misinterpret the question: what will my painting contribute? If your finished painting brings you joy, does anything else matter? I framed it this way to illustrate my mindset when I look at a photo I wish to paint. It's about capturing the initial emotions that the image or scene evokes in you. Can you translate those emotions into your final artwork? Can you enhance them, interpret them in a new way, and ultimately, can you amplify those emotions and express them in your artwork to make it exceptional?

Composition

In this artwork, the composition was relatively straightforward, closely resembling the original but rushed photograph. I aimed to infuse a bit more drama and create a more vibrant piece. The sun's rays are emphasized to draw attention to my original point of focus the three cows. The drama added by the dark sky and clouds enhanced the composition for me. Over time, I've realized that striving for photorealism isn't for me. I lack the patience and don't see the purpose. If a photograph is good, frame it; it's an artwork in its own right. In my opinion, the artist's goal when transforming a photo into a painting is to convey the mood and emotions the scene created within the resultant composition, using the chosen medium to evoke distinct emotions and feelings.

"I don't agree," I hear you exclaim,.... "subjective response" is my reply.

Focal Point

I'm not going to go into this is in detail here. There are thousands of words written on the subject by far more capable artists and teachers. In some ways it's obvious, when it's pointed out, but positioning the horizon line and setting the focal point and perspective just take lots of practice and in my case lots of early mistakes.

What to leave out and what to leave in

The original hurried photo

Well lets tajke a look at the original photograph again. I'm no photographer and rely heavily on the camera, in this case on my phone, to do the heavy lifting.

It's pretty dark, badly lit and whilst dramatic isn't something I would frame and put on my wall. What it did for me though is to start the creative juices running. I have already cropped the image and positioned the horizon at roughly a third of the way up from the bottom.

I wrote a blog sometime ago called a watercolour landscape for me where I talked about how cropping an image down to the salient points is essential. Less is more and mastering composition are all elements I now do without even consciously realising I'm doing it. Ian Roberts' book on the subject is a must read for any artist wanting to understand composition. I've included a link to his web site here . Thank you Ian for your help and guidance and your instructive videos which I have found really helpful in my development.

What medium

I usually paint landscapes in watercolour but having just finished an abstract artwork called "Shh", the studio was all set up for acrylics plus this was going to be a large work. Well larger than I would normally paint a watercolour, so I decided on acrylic. Remember its important to enjoy what you are doing. I promised myself when I started my hobby that I would enjoy it. The minute it became a chore I would stop. I spent too many hours doing thankless chores in my business career to do them in my retirement. Constantly challenging myself to use different media is one of the things that I enjoy. I realise though that that's a very personal idiosyncrasy in my character.

Retirement

Self reflection is also something I've learnt comes with age. I regularly lose myself in it when sitting or standing working on an artwork in my studio. Retirement isn't for everyone and in itself its a journey of discovery. My life time partner, my wife and I have always been the best of friends and thankfully we still are. Transforming from living together when working,to living on top of each other for 24 hours a day in retirement, is a completely different matter. I think all retirees will agree, the older you get the less tolerent you become. So we all need a bit of space. For me it's golf and art. My studio is my old home office which is away from the house, is warm and bright with roof windows and good lighting. My studio also gives my wife the space she needs from me to do the things that she enjoys. It works.

So I think that's it for this blog. There will I'm sure be more to come but only when I feel like it. After all I don't want them to become a chore :-)

Marco.