Hi Chris
First, how come there are all those equal twenties (=20) in my quotes?  I
sent the message from your site and I'm reading and responding to it there. 
What's going on???
-> 
-> > And what has this to do with photography?  Well, I took a=20
-> > photo of a window, complete with things on the window sill=20
-> > and reflections in the glass, and now I'm trying to paint=20
-> > that picture. =20

-> A friend of mine does something like this. He takes a photo of a scene
-> he thinks will look good on canvas, then he prints out the digital photo
-> and turns it into a grid, complete with lines drawn on the actual
-> photograph. He then sets about painting is using the grid as a reference
-> - wow! You should see some of the stuff he's done - it's marvellous.

I cheat even more than that  .  I can't draw and I don't bother with
the grid.  I run the photo through Photoshop, and turn it into nothing but
outlines and print of and trace it onto the surface I plan to paint.  It's
then like a colouring book picture and I have to fill in the colour and
shading.  I'm new to all this, and will never be called an artist.  But I
find playing with the paint relaxing.  
-> 
-> > happened by with a camera. I'll upload the original photo of=20
-> > the window to Chris's site, just so you'll see what I'm=20
-> > working with....and in keeping with our photographic nature.
-> 
-> Look forward to seeing it!

It's up there now.  I replaced the first picture so it's the first to load
up.  I'll show you the finished painting in a few weeks, when I've gotten
around to finishing it.  Maybe I shouldn't promise that as I could screw it
up considerably by then.  Maybe I'll post it as it currently stands, so you
can see where I'm going and what I was talking about above.  The outline of
the bricks is now in place.  You may notice I have straightened the photo
for this, but that's about all.  The glazing that will go over the window
area will dull down the colours a bit, I'm told.

Karen

--- Platinum Xpress/Win/WINServer v3.0pr5