Many of us have heard of using a mirror as a drawing or painting tool to keep our working piece in check.

A similar modern tool that I use frequently is my digital camera. It has become indeed an invaluable instrument in my studio.

I strongly recommend to all artists out there, new and experienced, to take regular pictures of the drawing or painting they’re working on in order to spot flaws or possible areas to improve as the piece progresses.

As you continue observing your canvas or paper eventually your eyes get use to errors in your work. Even if you do notice them, for some strange reason you can start reasoning in your mind that after all they don’t look that bad.

The camera, on the other hand, is a cold hearted observer. It will capture a clear image of your art exactly as it looks. It doesn’t lie. If the lines are crooked or the values are wrong, it will tell you right away. It will be up to you to do something about it or ignore it.

Following is a good example of a simple sketch I was doing for fun. In the first photo you will see that the right side of the guy’s jacket looks puffed up. I didn’t notice that until I took the picture. In the following one you can see the correction.

I hope this helps you in improving your work, whether is a painting, an illustration, a comic book panel or simply a sketch.

Creatively yours,

~Oscar