"Madison Avenue" by Lesley Spanos. Oil on Gessobord panel, 6 x 6". Copyright ©2009, all rights reserved.
Here’s another painting for Karin Jurick’s Different Strokes From Different Folks painting challenge.
The reference photo. Photograph by Karin Jurick, copyright © 2009, all rights reserved.
Karen tells us that our location is the corner of Madison Avenue and 39th Street in New York City. This is useful information, because it allows me to look it up in Google Maps using Street View.
I can’t paint from a photo unless I can imagine myself inside the scene, and Google Street View helps me do that. I can see what’s behind me, up, down, on the next block, etc. I can even see that beyond that red awning there’s a McDonald’s in case I want some virtual high octane coffee while I paint. Photos are never as good as being there, but Street View is the next best thing. (BTW, if you haven’t seen it yet, check out Bill Guffey’s Virtual Paintout challenge. They paint – with Google’s blessings – from Google Street Views.)
By looking at the Google map, I can see that we’re facing north, and the time of day is probably – as I’d guessed – morning. That will help me make my color choices. Coincidentally, the Google Street View image looks like it was taken about the same time of day that Karin took her photo.
For comparison, I’ve also included Karin’s original reference photo. It’s the same scene, the same size, yet see how different these two images are? Photos DO lie! Always. Neither of these photos is completely accurate. The Google image was taken with a series of wide angle lenses, creating all sorts of distortion and making distances appear much longer than they really are. My guess is that Karin’s was taken with a bit of a telephoto, compressing distances unnaturally. The truth can be found somewhere between these two images.
If I had time, I could try to correct the distortion by drawing the buildings using perspective. But I’m in a rush, and more attracted to the cars than the skyline (I like colorful shiny things!), so I’ll focus just on the lower right corner of the reference for my painting.
Here are a few photos I took along the way:
Hmmm… what color to tone the background? Well, the tail lights are my favorite part of this photo, so let’s try “tail light color.”
The background toning is acrylic. From here on out, I’ll be using oils. I didn’t want to get too fussy, so I’m drawing directly on the panel with a brush and Mars Black oil color.
(Note: The next few in-progress images are were taken in the studio with a camera at night, and I didn’t take the time to color correct them well. Too much red, too little blue.)
The painting progresses, and I can’t make up my mind about the figure on the street corner…
A woman striking a “casual” pose?
A businessman on his way to work?
An indistinct cluster of people?
Yeah, I think I’ll go with that last one. 
This final image was done on the scanner and color-corrected so it’s truer to the original painting.
Lesley Spanos
Lesley Spanos is a painter working in Indiana, USA.Translator
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This was a lot of fun to see your process, especially using Google maps – one of my favorite tools – but never imagined using it in my art. Thanks!
Once again, a great painting and an interesting crop. Thanks for sharing the process as well.
RR
Great painting! Love the comp.
Thanks for the mention re: the Virtual Paintout. I continue talking with reps from Google, and it’s not only my blog challenge that has the blessing. But all artists can use Street View as a ref without fear of copyright problems.
Really very well done, Lesley!! Nice progress shots…thanks.
I too, like to tone the support with acrylic before painting in oils. A mid value tone allows you tou work up and down in value. Plus the color peeks through and helps to harmonize the painting.
Dang girl! You are awesome. I love the quirky angle, the finished image and I adore you for sharing the process with us. I learn so much. Now I need to kick my rendition to the curb and try and again.
Excellent painting, Leslie – wonderful composition!
Thank you Nancy, Robin, and Edward!
Sheila, you never fail to put a smile on my face. You’re like a ray of California sunshine. Thanks.
Bill, thanks for stopping by! How cool that all artists can paint from the Google Street Views. You’ve done a good thing, sir!
Dean, I’ve noticed your toned grounds, and learned from them.
This is great. You do well with a challenge or two.
I like the under painting and that you change your mind. I do that a lot! You help me see that it is not always a bad idea. Thanks.
Great piece, love the colours!
Leslie, this is one of my favorites, great job! I love the colors and the sense that the taxi is practically careening out of control…much like real NY taxis!
Thanks for the progress photos as well.
I admire your work very much. I enjoyed your step by step photos. Thanks for sharing.
I had not thought to use the Google photos, so this will open a whole new tool / way of thinking for me.
fwiw – the time of day on the reference photo is 10:55 with temperature of 90 (or 98?) – which means the reference photo was taken during the hot part of the summer.
Lesley, I like your crop and the tilt on the taxi. It made composition a lot more interesting. Nice work!
Beautiful DSFDF I love how you handle it.
I really like your cropping of this scene! It makes it so interesting. Wonderful colors!