Technical Art History: Using camera lucidas in painting class. 

Hi Tim! Great movie - your Vermeer! The reason for the long distance between mirror and subject was my preference only - I like the "shorter/tele"? perspective when working myself. Light was an issue of course and the short duration (two days) - but all in all a appreciated event. I have some ideas for a follow up on this subject (but in relation to the technique of Caravaggio especially the engraved contour lines in the painting surfaces - if you are interested in my theory PM me on Facebook or preferred way) Regards Anders

Another issue, is making sure the easel and subjects are square to each other. Or one will get distortion, I believe (?). My easel is vertical, so that will be OK for me. I am just using the desktop experiments for now, you set-up is pretty interesting for a larger scale situation.

Tim, if you get back here... Now that there are many artisans working with your equipment as part of your ongoing research, have you found a commercial source to the 710 mm objective lens? Has anyone else got a source? Extra points for Chinese origin, since they have the best delivery options to Canada.

Tim -- do you have a recommendation on a source for calculating focal lengths/lens diameter to transcribe your subject onto the correct canvas size (as you did in fitting an entire room onto a defined canvas size, as opposed to a 1:1 scale copy)? I would buy a variety of lenses and experiment, but the large lenses get very expensive -- I'd prefer to be intentional.

​@@brownjh91 Hi Jacob, all the basics are here: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Focal_length and here en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinhole_camera_model I have a source for low-cost 700mm lenses if you email me.

Here is my 3d model: drive.google.com/open?id=1bT49UQznmj1a8hxCZGaawiAw9CXzYE3v

Hi there! I’m also an art teacher and would love to try this in class! How does this object work? I 3d printed the object. Would love to hear more about the new mount. Thanks, Mark

The distance can be changed to change the scale. But square is correct

It is a choice, he deals with it in the response to Tim. Oil painters often prefer to paint from the shoulders, and use those long brushes. I will admit some of those students looked overstretched.

Sorry about the delay, I've made an improved version of the old mirror mount suitable for a standard microphone tripod. 2 stl files here: drive.google.com/open?id=1bT49UQznmj1a8hxCZGaawiAw9CXzYE3v

realy did you take the short bus to school?

Giuseppe Roma , l arte non è tua, anche io dipingo e disegno da bimbo... ma sono d accordo con quello che affermi, voglio ricordarti però, che anche Leonarda da VINCI lavorava con questo mezzo... e a quanto dicono non solo lui!

@@gimnasiumclub9175 "Leonardo lavorava con questo mezzo"...get the fuck away from here !

@@romulusbuta9318 you must inform yourself before speaking

@@romulusbuta9318 Leonardo usava degli specchi ottici, gli stessi che abbiamo oggi in commercio , più elaborati. QUINDI COLIONS, prima di mandare a fare in culo gli altri.. vedi di rimanerci tu , in c.. so ma ro , che altro non sei!

@@gimnasiumclub9175 beato me che non conosco bene la lingua tua....lingua di merda !😁

drive.google.com/open?id=1bT49UQznmj1a8hxCZGaawiAw9CXzYE3v

You're a champ, Anders! Been using a mirror setup I built out of Legos (most accurate 90 and 45 degree components I could find) but now working on a more permanent/exact setup. Thank you, sir!

Oil brushes are longer than watercolor brushes for precisely this reason: to extend one's reach (I am a painter).

@@blallikutube, that's not true not all oil brushes are long handled, on a painting that size I use a short handled brush, and for large paintings then move to long handled paint brushes.

The good bit is the set-up for a full scale easel; Demo of how to teach this in a class with minimal equipment; Commentary from Tim Jenison; STL files now available for the device.

Lawrence Stanley thats not true, how do you explain painting than more than 200 years into cameras?

habit

Woodworking tools are all about destroying talent and creativity, and empowering it. An interesting question is what is this tool a "mold" for. Even something as simple as a 1" wide chisel is a mold for that cut, flat across it's width. It isn't a gouge, or a v-grouver. Hand planes function at multiple levels, but some of them are very programed: A given width; curvature in two direction; and the sole length determines the lengthwise curve it can make for a given blade projection. There is a lot of craftsmanship in designing in 3 dimensions. I build boats and while computers really speed up the calculations, and limit many shapes, it is still a highly skilled process to think in 3d and keep all the factors in check. Automation is like when you set up a machine station to do one thing over and over, for speed, quality, and economy. 3D printing is special because it can automate non repetitive tasks. That puts it in a different class. You can dream up something that never previously existed, then make it. Not exactly the assembly line. Though over time, the files will cover everything we normally need, and we will be automating life. It can lead to a higher standard of living though. What if clothes actually fit, and were detailed like the finest hand made suits, and I really mean the finest. Those skills would be replaced. And we would never get new deep clothing, that was really deeply rooted, we would have old forms, and whatever transient crap follows...

then you never will. Believe me, if you want to be an artist it takes work work work lots of discipline, andrelentless practise. I learned the hard way, I went to art college 40 years ago thinking "talent"was enough to "make it" and didn't apply myself and got messed up with drugs etc, just wasted a great opportunity. "Working" really is learning to overcome our natural inclination for laziness.

In these instances, they are painting from life. You would have to photograph, then print out, then color correct for the projection, etc... It would not be cheaper, faster or more accurate to do it with the method you suggest. This was a 2 day vacation from their regular work