"Cheating"

I recently overheard someone referring to using photos as source material for making art as "cheating". This sentiment suggests that they give one an unfair advantage. It is understandable considering the scope of subjects and access to detail photos provide. 

Nude Study, oil pastel on toned paper, 8 1/2" X 6 1/2", 2016

From the moment of their invention the usefulness of photographic images would have been immediate and obvious to a painter. But in the early years they served merely as tools augmenting an artist's traditional training and knowledge. The problem arises when photos become the primary or even sole source for a picture.

Working from live subjects is exhilarating. It challenges your abilities and has the capacity to stir ones passions. If anyone is being cheated by using photos it is the artists themselves.