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Controversy over the Creation of Background Illustrations: The Use of Photo Materials
In the process of drawing illustrations, how to make the background both realistic and delicate has always been a major challenge faced by many artists. To solve this problem, many painters choose to use real landscape photos, combining them with their own drawn characters through color grading and retouching.
However, this creative technique has recently sparked some controversy in Japan, with many netizens questioning whether using photos is an act of “avoiding” background painting. Let’s take a look at the opinions of the artists on this.
History of using photo materials
Japanese information media scholar Rang Nakagawa often uses the pen name “Unifish” and believes that using photos as a reference for background creation is not a new thing. Renowned directors such as Makoto Shinkai have already publicly stated that they often use photo materials as references in their works.
For example, Makoto Shinkai extensively referenced the Tokyo cityscape on Google Earth in his 2019 animated film “Weathering the Sun”.
The process of transforming photos into animated scenes step by step not only requires tremendous effort, but also showcases the creator’s ingenuity and skills.
Unknown Fish mentioned that since the time of Vimel, using photographic materials for painting has been a common creative technique.
Even the famous French painter Angel in the 19th century was worried that photographs would threaten the status of traditional painting, but later he chose to use photographs for his creations. Therefore, I find it difficult to understand why some people still accuse this creative technique of being “despicable” today.
Photo materials are not a shortcut
Many artists agree with this, believing that as long as the photos used have no copyright issues, creators have the right to freely choose their creative tools. Illustrator Yu Wangaibi pointed out that using photo materials does not necessarily mean that the creative process will be simpler.
On the contrary, the use of photos may increase the difficulty of creation, as once a photo is selected as the background, the artist must be subject to more restrictions in terms of color, composition, and other aspects.
How to make adjustments based on photos instead of relying solely on them is a great test of technology.
Although photos can indeed serve as reference materials for illustrations, the composition and color matching of the entire work ultimately need to be adjusted by the creator based on their own aesthetics and skills, “explained Yu Caocaobi further
He shared his experience of using photo materials in the creative process, demonstrating how to perfectly integrate them with illustrations while preserving the original details of the photos.
The combination of photo materials and personal style
Many artists also believe that using photo materials does not mean a lack of creativity. On the contrary, how to integrate photos with one’s own style is the real test of a painter’s skill. Yuhao Haibi shared his creative process and demonstrated how to gradually adjust the photo background to better fit the overall atmosphere of the illustration. This process not only requires a high degree of patience and skill, but also requires the creator to have control over the overall work.
From history to the present, using photo materials as a reference technique for illustration creation has become commonplace. Through the combination of photos and hand drawn art, many excellent works are able to present richer details and realistic effects. For artists, finding a balance between technology and creativity is the most worthwhile topic to explore. Ultimately, the use of photo materials is not an escape from creation, but a way and tool of creation.
Whether this technique is “cunning” or “despicable” may not be the focus of debate. The key is how creators combine materials with personal style from a unique perspective, ultimately presenting works that move the audience.