I'm a drummer and I feel like this device is like a metronome for musicians. We use a metronome to keep a steady beat and if we struggle we can adjust it to go slower or faster or have more beats to make the music easier to follow. Using this device you can get instant feedback on what you're doing and you don't have to rely on your visual imagination or muscle memory or any of that, so you can learn to imitate the brushstrokes, identify the shapes and make progress without worrying about proportions measurements and everything that is so daunting about drawing and painting. Thank you for your work
13:39 What I find fascinating about this stage is that having added those shadow shapes, two things happen. One, the face jumps from being a two-dimensional flat tan-colored oval to something that conveys three-dimensional volume. And two, that the overall face, without much detail, now looks like a skull. A skull onto which she's painting lipstick, but a skull just the same. Given how much traditional art instruction focuses on understanding the bone structures underneath soft tissue, I find it quite striking that this process of adding layers of refinement seems to naturally walk through that same sequence of structure-to-final form that traditional techniques emphasize.
That is an excellent point. The thing is that traditional teaching methods require the teacher to describe what becomes implicit using the mirror. Many thanks for this comment, it really does hit the nail on the head.
I'm so happy for her! The bit when she relates her school experience tugged at my heart - I feel for her! I love how her attitude changes as the video goes, you really did such a cool thing! I found you through James Gourney and I'm so stoked for this tool. I'll look for the DIY video you mention in another comment because I really want to try this!
Hello Ren, thanks so much for this comment. It really is incredible when content really connects with people... Just email us at contact@paintinglab.com and we will send a kit to you for the cost of postage.
@@paintinglabofficial Just done so! Sorry if you said this elsewhere and I missed it (I watched the DIY video): is there a specific size of mirror we should go for?
Thanks Ren!! I NEVER thought I'd be able to paint, let alone on this scale. The comparator mirror gave me a kind of portal into how to paint, and I'm so glad you can see how my confidence grew! It was a really exciting experience for me 😊
Interesting comment you made at the beginning of the video, about school experiences. I was enjoying art when I was about 15. Then, because I wasn’t very good at maths I had to change class - meaning I had to switch to ‘technical drawing’. My main achievement in that class was dropping a chisel on my foot…
Couldn't agree more Richard. Tim has been a terrific supporter of my work too. The basic principal is genius and Time Vermeer research is so doggedly hard won, but then to allow others to take that idea and evolve it says something else entirely.
I've seen a number of these teaching aids being used on relatively small studies. Using a larger subject, say 18"*24" to 4'*6' using a LED TV screen as an image source. I am having a hard time wrapping my head around , moving around. Tim's Vermeer for example, he had to have moved to cover the scale. What exactly is moving. Lens, mirrors? .. ?
Hi Kevin, many thanks for this question. Importantly Tim's setup uses essentially 3 elements, a lens, a convex mirror and then a comparator mirror. Tim's process is very delicate, requiring (at times) extreme patience to paint, 're calibrate three elements relative to the scene. In 17th c Holland an effort like Tim's (or Vermeers) would have led to a painting of great value and the effort required should be understood relative to that. Tim has plans to tackle larger paintings but not wanting to compromise those efforts I will say that I will be posting a video explaining how this can be done most simply.
I tried this in the past myself with a similar setup. I didn't see how you could complete an entire painting without moving the mirror which then threw everything out of whack. If you move the mirror, then you've changed the size of the image that you're reflecting. It seemed to me that you have to move the image that you're copying and it was at least a hassle if not impossible.
Hi Bender. I know that frustration very well. But because they do so much that is of benefit half my work over the past decade has been concerned with designing a CM which makes setup a complete no brainer. I realised if I didn't do that we couldn't hope do much else, apart from turn people off even more. Have a look at our 'HOW to build a comparator mirror' video if you want. It may help. I am also going to make a few videos about extended CM technique and adapting our DIY kit to suit your needs.
I’m fascinated by this but puzzled by the physics. Does this set up mean you can only paint the image exactly the same size as that on your reference photo?
J Robson, yes, that's broadly correct but I'm always keen to encourage people to think about the reflected image as a guide. Really your response to that image can be whatever you want it to be.
As I understand, the comparator mirror is failing to reflect the right side of the source to become the right side of the painted picture. This means the result becomes a swaped object between sides, left becomes right and right becomes left. In my opinion this is a major mistake. Else, I did not understood how to use it. I thougt about purchasing one, but this phnomenon of swapping sides of the paint vs the source is holding me not to purchase.
@@chalmhthis is true, the image you paint is a reversal of the source image but you can just work with a reversed source image. Most importantly we advocate for the CM as a way to learn how paint behaves. It is a device that allows you to self teach all the complex, messy stuff that teachers cannot usually describe which in fact make realistic painting possible.
@@paintinglabofficial Thanks for the prompt reply. I was thinking about using a mirror imaged source (sidewise). My main drawings are in pastel, graphite and charcoal and I use the A3, 30X40cm formats mainly using an easle (stand or/and table). Can this mirror comparator fit those conditions?
@@chalmh yes, in fact Tomas builds a fairly rough and ready CM for painting upright in our second 'how to build a CM' video. Have a look and do get in touch if you think our kit would be useful in building your setup.
I'm a drummer and I feel like this device is like a metronome for musicians. We use a metronome to keep a steady beat and if we struggle we can adjust it to go slower or faster or have more beats to make the music easier to follow. Using this device you can get instant feedback on what you're doing and you don't have to rely on your visual imagination or muscle memory or any of that, so you can learn to imitate the brushstrokes, identify the shapes and make progress without worrying about proportions measurements and everything that is so daunting about drawing and painting. Thank you for your work
13:39 What I find fascinating about this stage is that having added those shadow shapes, two things happen. One, the face jumps from being a two-dimensional flat tan-colored oval to something that conveys three-dimensional volume. And two, that the overall face, without much detail, now looks like a skull. A skull onto which she's painting lipstick, but a skull just the same. Given how much traditional art instruction focuses on understanding the bone structures underneath soft tissue, I find it quite striking that this process of adding layers of refinement seems to naturally walk through that same sequence of structure-to-final form that traditional techniques emphasize.
That is an excellent point. The thing is that traditional teaching methods require the teacher to describe what becomes implicit using the mirror. Many thanks for this comment, it really does hit the nail on the head.
I was really looking forward to more videos showing her progress.
It is all coming.
I'm so happy for her! The bit when she relates her school experience tugged at my heart - I feel for her! I love how her attitude changes as the video goes, you really did such a cool thing! I found you through James Gourney and I'm so stoked for this tool. I'll look for the DIY video you mention in another comment because I really want to try this!
Hello Ren, thanks so much for this comment. It really is incredible when content really connects with people... Just email us at contact@paintinglab.com and we will send a kit to you for the cost of postage.
@@paintinglabofficial Just done so! Sorry if you said this elsewhere and I missed it (I watched the DIY video): is there a specific size of mirror we should go for?
Thanks Ren!! I NEVER thought I'd be able to paint, let alone on this scale. The comparator mirror gave me a kind of portal into how to paint, and I'm so glad you can see how my confidence grew! It was a really exciting experience for me 😊
@@wendymorse-east6610 You did so well!
Love this!
Thanks Hyshler!
Interesting comment you made at the beginning of the video, about school experiences. I was enjoying art when I was about 15. Then, because I wasn’t very good at maths I had to change class - meaning I had to switch to ‘technical drawing’. My main achievement in that class was dropping a chisel on my foot…
I just watched ’Tim’s Vermeer’! What a fascinating film. Tim Jenison is an amazing man - astonishing!
Couldn't agree more Richard. Tim has been a terrific supporter of my work too. The basic principal is genius and Time Vermeer research is so doggedly hard won, but then to allow others to take that idea and evolve it says something else entirely.
Inspirational 🙌🏻🙌🏻
Brilliant Ben, thankyou... how are you getting on with your kit?
Sorry I need them for tonight
I've seen a number of these teaching aids being used on relatively small studies. Using a larger subject, say 18"*24" to 4'*6' using a LED TV screen as an image source. I am having a hard time wrapping my head around , moving around. Tim's Vermeer for example, he had to have moved to cover the scale. What exactly is moving. Lens, mirrors? .. ?
Hi Kevin, many thanks for this question. Importantly Tim's setup uses essentially 3 elements, a lens, a convex mirror and then a comparator mirror. Tim's process is very delicate, requiring (at times) extreme patience to paint, 're calibrate three elements relative to the scene. In 17th c Holland an effort like Tim's (or Vermeers) would have led to a painting of great value and the effort required should be understood relative to that. Tim has plans to tackle larger paintings but not wanting to compromise those efforts I will say that I will be posting a video explaining how this can be done most simply.
I tried this in the past myself with a similar setup. I didn't see how you could complete an entire painting without moving the mirror which then threw everything out of whack. If you move the mirror, then you've changed the size of the image that you're reflecting. It seemed to me that you have to move the image that you're copying and it was at least a hassle if not impossible.
Hi Bender. I know that frustration very well. But because they do so much that is of benefit half my work over the past decade has been concerned with designing a CM which makes setup a complete no brainer. I realised if I didn't do that we couldn't hope do much else, apart from turn people off even more. Have a look at our 'HOW to build a comparator mirror' video if you want. It may help. I am also going to make a few videos about extended CM technique and adapting our DIY kit to suit your needs.
I’m fascinated by this but puzzled by the physics. Does this set up mean you can only paint the image exactly the same size as that on your reference photo?
J Robson, yes, that's broadly correct but I'm always keen to encourage people to think about the reflected image as a guide. Really your response to that image can be whatever you want it to be.
@@paintinglabofficial thanks for the reply. And thanks to James Gurney for providing the link to Painting Lab!
As I understand, the comparator mirror is failing to reflect the right side of the source to become the right side of the painted picture. This means the result becomes a swaped object between sides, left becomes right and right becomes left. In my opinion this is a major mistake.
Else, I did not understood how to use it. I thougt about purchasing one, but this phnomenon of swapping sides of the paint vs the source is holding me not to purchase.
@@chalmhthis is true, the image you paint is a reversal of the source image but you can just work with a reversed source image. Most importantly we advocate for the CM as a way to learn how paint behaves. It is a device that allows you to self teach all the complex, messy stuff that teachers cannot usually describe which in fact make realistic painting possible.
@@paintinglabofficial Thanks for the prompt reply. I was thinking about using a mirror imaged source (sidewise). My main drawings are in pastel, graphite and charcoal and I use the A3, 30X40cm formats mainly using an easle (stand or/and table). Can this mirror comparator fit those conditions?
@@chalmh yes, in fact Tomas builds a fairly rough and ready CM for painting upright in our second 'how to build a CM' video. Have a look and do get in touch if you think our kit would be useful in building your setup.
@@paintinglabofficial Thank you for the information. 👍
Oops wrong message box 😂