Paintover #3 : Lorenzo Tosi

For week we'll be looking at some studies by Lorenzo Tosi

As we can see, Lorenzo has a good feel for light and space in many of these. Notice how the most successful studies have clearly defined spacial groups defined ( fore ground, middle ground and background ) as well as a clear sense of light.

 Since Lorenzo has a good grasp of these principles, I'll take this opportunity to talk a bit about staging as another way for you to make your pieces more successful

If we take a look at study A, we see a fairly neutral camera angle- it's not high or low, wide or narrow angle lens. As a result, there's not alot of drama or emotion to this piece. But let's take a look at what would happen if we tweak the camera just a bit

As you can see in this sketch I've brought the camera way down low, to roughly eye level. Low camera angles are generally considered more 'intimate' because this is how humans view the world. As a result a view like this might communicate a more personal story- now this shot could be suitable for telling the story of a main character- perhaps this is the lake where he grew up, or maybe the top of the mountain is where he must travel to. Notice how a low angle makes it easier to create more dramatic space with foreground elements.

In contrast, higher angles tend to be less personal. A shot like this could be used as an establishing shot ( the opening shot to the story or scene which gives the viewer a sense of the area where the story takes place ) to give an overview to Lorenzo's story- perhaps giving the history of this lake or introducing a small village at the edge of the lake where the hero comes from.

Finally, a way to make a static scene more dynamic is to tilt the camera a bit ( in English this sometimes called a 'dutch angle'). This gives a sense of movement and energy to the shot-as though the viewer is flying through the scene. It also can imply some kind of conflict or instability for this scene- Lorenzo's original lake seemed peaceful, but this lake seems like something's not quite right.

 These kinds of angles as part of a flyover shot are also sometimes used as an establishing shot as well.

So, the point is: depending on the needs of your shot, you may want to consider changing the camera angle to help tell the story that you want to tell! Experiment with different angles to see what works best for you!

 Happy painting!