Paint or Print

With astounding advances in photography, there has been a radical change in the way we decorate the walls. Always I wondered, will people still like paintings done by hand and paint? Still, unsure about what actually drags people to paintings in spite digital prints of excellent quality of photographs cost peanuts. Is it the magic of hands or the joyful appreciation for the pain behind the art or sheer love for colors that magnetize one into any painting? What is that which endears you?

To me, it looks like what eyes see a camera often cannot. The mind views through the eyes in a way much altered from a lifeless camera. This may be the difference between a photo and a painting, perhaps. This is never in offence to photography which is in itself an ocean of art. May be they are not comparable at all!

Painting seems to be collating of thoughts from the mind and the senses on to a blank canvas and not just copying. Camera copies a scene as it is, of course when not altered by digital software. When you paint, you feel the scene. You can feel the cool breeze when painting a sunset; you can hear the roar of waves smashing onto the shore which unknowingly get translated in the painting.  Painting is aided by all our senses. Though, the debate about painting and photography continues, painting to me still has its own vibrancy and versatility as against print that copies a stagnant scene. Painting seems more dynamic evoking instant response.

Here’s one such experiment that I did using a photo reference. It is never in any remote sense to conclude one is better than the other. It was only for exploring if photo could be limited to a reference point. I apologize for the poor quality of the painting photograph.