# Show your artwork! (Regardless of talent!) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 6, 2004, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/show-your-artwork-regardless-of-talent/267947 "2004-10-06T23:48:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![RikWriter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/49beb7/32.png) [@RikWriter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RikWriter)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2004, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/show-your-artwork-regardless-of-talent/267947/61 "2004-10-08T23:19:36Z")
I’m into photography myself. [![](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v260/RikWriter/LowryParkDannyinfrontofWaterCannonSplashsmall.jpg) ](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v260/RikWriter/LowryParkDannyinfrontofWaterCannonSplashsmall.jpg) [![](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v260/RikWriter/Lake_Powell_Mesa_staightened_black_and_white_small.jpg) ](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v260/RikWriter/Lake_Powell_Mesa_staightened_black_and_white_small.jpg) [![](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v260/RikWriter/Sedona_Danny_in_Oak_Creek_Arm_in_Flow_adjusted_black_and_white_small.jpg) ](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v260/RikWriter/Sedona_Danny_in_Oak_Creek_Arm_in_Flow_adjusted_black_and_white_small.jpg) [![](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v260/RikWriter/Valley_of_Fire_Elephant_Rock_cropped_black_and_white_small.jpg) ](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v260/RikWriter/Valley_of_Fire_Elephant_Rock_cropped_black_and_white_small.jpg) [![](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v260/RikWriter/Navajo_Rock_House_Shop_black_and_white_small_2.jpg) ](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v260/RikWriter/Navajo_Rock_House_Shop_black_and_white_small_2.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2004, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/show-your-artwork-regardless-of-talent/267947/62 "2004-10-08T23:48:00Z")
These two [small](http://www.teemings.com/gallery/lissener_01.html) [pieces](http://www.teemings.com/gallery/lissener_02.html) are up at Teemings. I’ve mostly been knitting since these. ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2004, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/show-your-artwork-regardless-of-talent/267947/63 "2004-10-08T23:50:01Z")
Nice stuff, Helena. I did a 360 mural on my niece and nephew’s bathroom walls; an all-around underwater, coral reef scene. Took me two years! ---
**Author:** ![picunurse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@picunurse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picunurse)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2004, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/show-your-artwork-regardless-of-talent/267947/64 "2004-10-09T01:36:37Z")
> [@hillbilly queen](#): > > They’re acrylics. Those are my only 2 efforts. Well, you need to get busy, girl! ---
**Author:** ![Gadfly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/aeb1de/32.png) [@Gadfly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gadfly)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2004, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/show-your-artwork-regardless-of-talent/267947/65 "2004-10-09T02:46:44Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Well, my main page is at [http://www.peterpawinski.com](http://www.peterpawinski.com) > > My second most recent wedding work is [here.](http://www.peterpawinski.com/Kern) I love your portraiture - it brings out a **huge** amount of character in the subject. Might you have any input on what I could do to improve my photography (or otherwise)? ---
**Author:** ![galen\_ubal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/galen_ubal/32/4440_2.png) [@galen\_ubal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/galen_ubal)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2004, 5:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/show-your-artwork-regardless-of-talent/267947/66 "2004-10-09T05:24:06Z")
Here’s [my stuff](http://galen1966.deviantart.com/gallery/) over at [deviantart.com](http://deviantart.com); mainly works done in Terragen, but there’s some photography as well. ---
**Author:** ![harmless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/2acd7d/32.png) [@harmless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/harmless)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2004, 9:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/show-your-artwork-regardless-of-talent/267947/67 "2004-10-09T09:17:20Z")
> [@galen ubal](#): > > Here’s [my stuff](http://galen1966.deviantart.com/gallery/) over at [deviantart.com](http://deviantart.com); mainly works done in Terragen, but there’s some photography as well. Pretty! 🙂 Whats Terragen? ---
**Author:** ![Maastricht](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a88e57/32.png) [@Maastricht](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maastricht)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2004, 11:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/show-your-artwork-regardless-of-talent/267947/68 "2004-10-09T11:00:27Z")
**Yosemite** , very good, very _strong_ drawings. I don’t have the patience for artwork. The only thing I can finish before I get distracted are little three-minute [silhouette-portraits, like these ones.](http://members.lycos.nl/kwispelgerst/photoalbum0.html) The’re also great conversation-starters. I ask my subject to sit still and then drway his silhoutte. That ususally takes two minutes. Then another minute of cutting, and _voila._ ---
**Author:** ![harmless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/2acd7d/32.png) [@harmless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/harmless)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2004, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/show-your-artwork-regardless-of-talent/267947/69 "2004-10-09T14:42:39Z")
> [@Maastricht](#): > > I don’t have the patience for artwork. The only thing I can finish before I get distracted are little three-minute [silhouette-portraits, like these ones.](http://members.lycos.nl/kwispelgerst/photoalbum0.html) The’re also great conversation-starters. \* Is that upper right one a silhouette in a silhouette, or are my eyes playing tricks on me? Looks like a smaller, lighter head inside of the main one. ---
**Author:** ![Maastricht](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a88e57/32.png) [@Maastricht](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maastricht)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2004, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/show-your-artwork-regardless-of-talent/267947/70 "2004-10-09T17:39:13Z")
You’re right, I never saw that before! I had them in an envelope a long time before scanning, and maybe another silhoutte left an imprint on this one. ---
**Author:** ![harmless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/2acd7d/32.png) [@harmless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/harmless)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2004, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/show-your-artwork-regardless-of-talent/267947/71 "2004-10-09T17:44:37Z")
> [@Maastricht](#): > > You’re right, I never saw that before! I had them in an envelope a long time before scanning, and maybe another silhoutte left an imprint on this one. HA! Cool. 🙂 I just realized the other week where a white box that kept showing up every time I printed out Sheryl Crow was coming from - I had taped the original up at my store and when I took it down, instead of removing the tape and possibly damaging it, I had cut a small rectangle to size and put it over the tape. So when I scanned Sheryl in, it had somehow picked up the paper, even though it was on the back. PhotoMAX fixed it up real quick though. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2004, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/show-your-artwork-regardless-of-talent/267947/72 "2004-10-09T17:55:38Z")
> [@Gadfly](#): > > I love your portraiture - it brings out a **huge** amount of character in the subject. Might you have any input on what I could do to improve my photography (or otherwise)? Thanks. For me, I always find portraiture the most difficult. Some people are absolute naturals at it. With me, either it all clicks together, or I feel like I’m wrestling a bear. Having a good source of directional lighting always helps to bring drama and character out of a face. I’ll have a look at your work again tomorrow morning and see what suggestions I have. ---
**Author:** ![galen\_ubal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/galen_ubal/32/4440_2.png) [@galen\_ubal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/galen_ubal)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2004, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/show-your-artwork-regardless-of-talent/267947/73 "2004-10-10T05:14:04Z")
> [@harmless](#): > > Pretty! 🙂 > Whats Terragen? [Terragen](http://www.planetside.co.uk/terragen/) is a landscape renderer - you can download it through that link. You can control the landscape, the clouds, the size, color, brightness of the sun, depth of the water…it’s pretty cool to play around with. ---
**Author:** ![SPOOFE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c5a1d2/32.png) [@SPOOFE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SPOOFE)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2004, 11:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/show-your-artwork-regardless-of-talent/267947/74 "2004-10-10T11:44:19Z")
> [@](#): > > SPOOFE, those are wonderful. I remember seeing your work a few years ago, and while it was good then, it’s dramatically improved over the years. Great job! And what a twisted imagination you have! I love it! Well, thankoos. I am proud of how far I’ve come… I would pinpoint my improvements as mostly in the realm of sharpness and overall cleanliness of the image, whereas, in the past, I used to have far sloppier pencil/pen strokes… 'At said, I’ll post up a [work in progress](http://www.madaproductions.com/spoofe/pics/largo2.jpg) and then call it a night… ---
**Author:** ![Largo62](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/45deac/32.png) [@Largo62](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Largo62)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2004, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/show-your-artwork-regardless-of-talent/267947/75 "2004-10-10T16:26:59Z")
> [@hillbilly queen](#): > > Here are a couple of mine. Don’t Laugh! :mad: > The second one is a little risque but should be work safe. > > [http://photobucket.com/albums/v494/kathysq/Art/?action=view¤t=shoe.jpg](http://photobucket.com/albums/v494/kathysq/Art/?action=view¤t=shoe.jpg) The mule was kule . . . but I liked the torso moreso. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2004, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/show-your-artwork-regardless-of-talent/267947/76 "2004-10-10T17:09:19Z")
Here’s a few photos: A couple of my dog, and two where I was experimenting with mundane objects (a remote control and a mouse) under a certain quality of light: [Photo Group](http://members.shaw.ca/danhanson/pictures/photoview.html) ---
**Author:** ![Largo62](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/45deac/32.png) [@Largo62](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Largo62)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2004, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/show-your-artwork-regardless-of-talent/267947/77 "2004-10-10T17:20:32Z")
Okay, here is some of the stuff I flatter myself is [art](http://community.webshots.com/scripts/editPhotos.fcgi?action=viewall&albumID=163368282), some [doodles](http://community.webshots.com/scripts/editPhotos.fcgi?action=viewall&albumID=164230324), and some [photos](http://community.webshots.com/scripts/editPhotos.fcgi?action=viewall&albumID=162793272) I’ve taken in my travels thither and yon. ---
**Author:** ![Maastricht](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a88e57/32.png) [@Maastricht](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maastricht)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2004, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/show-your-artwork-regardless-of-talent/267947/78 "2004-10-10T21:27:52Z")
**Desert Geezer** , those three links don’t work for me, and I’m curious. ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2004, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/show-your-artwork-regardless-of-talent/267947/79 "2004-10-10T21:57:33Z")
[http://members.aol.com/\_ht\_a/jomomojojomomojo/myhomepage/spiral1.jpg](http://members.aol.com/_ht_a/jomomojojomomojo/myhomepage/spiral1.jpg) [http://members.aol.com/\_ht\_a/jomomojojomomojo/myhomepage/starspiral.jpg](http://members.aol.com/_ht_a/jomomojojomomojo/myhomepage/starspiral.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2004, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/show-your-artwork-regardless-of-talent/267947/80 "2004-10-11T00:28:58Z")
> [@Gadfly](#): > > I love your portraiture - it brings out a **huge** amount of character in the subject. Might you have any input on what I could do to improve my photography (or otherwise)? Well, I checked out the website again, and from what little I’ve seen of your photography, it looks pretty decent. I’d have to see more of your portraits to give portrait advice, but your photographs show good use of light and good compositional skills. You fill the frame with your photographs and you’re clearly aware of lighting. Your still life with spoons and such attests to this. Personally, I would have cropped a little less tightly than that, but all in all, a good study. If there’s a specific complaint, it’s that I don’t see enough people in your pictures. This is what I react to, so this is what I want to see more of. The photo of the kid was OK but, honestly, nothing incredible. I’d like to see more of the face, a better composition, and less grain. Grainy can be good, and the picture does have a lot of mood, but I don’t think it works for this picture. The shadow areas are just too clumpy and muddy for my tastes. Given the scratch and dust across the picture, I assume this was taken on film, and I’m guessing at 800 or 1600 ISO. Either that or it’s a big blow-up. It’s not a bad photo, but personally I think it would look much better with a slower speed film taken at an angle further left of the baby, with a tad bit more of the face in view. Just my opinion. Generally, my advice with portraits is to take advantage of soft directional lighting (windows do wonders for this purpose). Light gives a lot of character to your portraits. If you’re doing head shots, a slight to moderate telephoto works best. Try an 85mm, 105mm, or 135mm. I’m a fan of very wide aperatures (my favorite portrait lens is an 85 f/1.8, shot at f/2.) Get in close, focus on the eyes, blur out the background by shooting at f4 or lower and, if you have good lighting (like someone next to a window), you will have a striking direct portraits. Easiest way to make a quick character study. Another word of advice is to keep on taking photos. Don’t take just one or two photos of a subject you like. If something catches your eye, just keep on taking photos. Film is cheap. If you’re digital, even better. Explore your subject, work with it. I often find that either my first picture or my very last picture in a sequence are the best. Either my first impression is right, or I have to explore and discover a subject to capture it as I see it. If you have any specific questions feel free to ask. I hope my advice is not too vague. p [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/show-your-artwork-regardless-of-talent/267947.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/show-your-artwork-regardless-of-talent/267947.md?page=5)