Why I paint Upside Down From Photos

Painting upside down from photos allows me to relax and to paint just the shapes, (circles , squares, and triangles), of different values and color temperature. It’s also easier to make composition improvements that lead your eye around the canvas because I’m working with a fun, loose, abstract painting.

Doing this exercise uses the creative side if my brain instead of the logical side. By training this way it’s then easier to paint outdoors, because I can then just see shapes, values and colors more easily.

Of course, near the end of the painting I turn the painting and reference “right side up” and then think of only the subject, the light, the mood and the center of interest.