When looking for subjects to paint with my watercolor kit, I sometimes look through the pictures I’ve taken with my camera. It’s daunting to copy a photo and get proportions correct. The quickest method I’ve found to translate a photo to a painting is to use a grid. I edit the photo in my phone and draw lines dividing the photo in half horizontally and vertically. I then divide the four parts in half again. My photo now is divided up by a grid with 16 squares.
I divide my watercolor paper into the 16 squares lightly with a pencil. Now instead of having to worry about the whole photo, I sketch each square one at a time. This method forces me to look at each section as a collection of lines and shapes instead of a whole subject.
This is a watercolor painting below using the same technique. It is a colorful presentation of some delicious ramen that I had at DTLA Ramen in Los Angeles. I posted it on my Instagram and the restaurant included it in their story!
I also used the same idea to create portraits of my cats! Below is Cleo with her blind, dilated eyes.
Below is a side profile of kitty King Tut in the cubby-hole. His nose was supposed to be white (no watercolor). Watercolor does what it wants sometimes, and the paint ran over and gave him a brown nose. Oh, well.
