Tips for image picking in Acrylic Overlay technique.

Start with a photograph. As you paint over it becomes less like a photo and more like a painting. The two that I tried that weren't photos became more comical, less professional looking. This rose is sideways but when enlarged to fit your page you can turn it any way you want.

The next step is to make 2copies on a printer to the size that fits your canvas. In my class this will be 9x11. So you will want to enlarge the subject part to full size. If you want you can copy one slightly smaller than the other. One copy we will used to put your subject on the canvas and the other will be for looking at while painting and shading. Elliot here makes a great subject because he has light colors and very little small detail.

This is an image off of flicker. When you get done the printing won't show, and I would leave the butterfly off. The subject would show but the back ground would be some paper that I like.

I really like pictures like this as the dresses are great for stamping on. I will have half a dozen stamps on hand for that.

The last step is optional, but picking some background paper to make up part of your back ground often adds color and interest. Sometimes this is what helps me pick colors to use in painting. Please feel free to e-mail me if you have any questions.