April 2010 Issue of Digital Paint Magazine

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Tim O’Neill tim@digitalpaintmagazine.com Publisher John Derry john@digitalpaintmagazine.com Editor Contributors Skip Allen Victor Lunn Rockliffe Karen Bonaker Barb Hartsook Marilyn Sholin

Change. At Digital Paint Magazine we have been embracing change as we grow, the alternative is stagnation. Even though it is sometimes uncomfortable and the learning curve in various areas is steep, I love this period of change.

Everything it seems is in a state of flux and lightspeed advances in technology are having a profound effect on our personal and business lives.

I am currently at an event that one of my mentor groups had put together. Four or five hundred rabid Internet marketers are here in Atlanta for the week. Many types of new technology specific to communication and marketing are being displayed and the speaker line-up is a Who’s who of authors, performers and speakers. Much of it is intimidating to a non-techie such as myself but I believe the contacts and friendships available here will propel our companies to the next level.

In March we had the opportunity to acquire the Digital Art Academy which we have embraced wholeheartedly. I see the opportunity to combine resources as a positive move forward for both DPM and DAA. The synergistic nature of the relationships that exist with both businesses can only improve each area. The Academy has a reservoir of incredibly gifted instructors, students and well-wishers a like. Thank-you all for the many words of support and encouragement. We hope to serve you even better in the future.

I hope you enjoy this month’s magazine. We have some really great content lined up for you. Be sure and support the contributors here. They all contribute pro bono to bring you the best in Digital Paint education.

Live, love and laugh.

Tim A tectonic shift within the world of digital painting is rumbling underfoot. Adobe recently pre-announced Creative Suite CS5. Leaked images show an apparently new painting capability that appears to rival Painter. Full disclosure: I have been involved with the Photoshop CS5 Beta Program and am currently limited as to what I can disclose regarding new features. There has been online discussion regarding the fate of Corel’s Painter against juggernaut Adobe. What is my stance? I believe competition is good. It raises the bar of user expectations and leads to innovation...and it ultimately offers a wider range of tools to select from.

This magazine is free to distribute by any medium. You can print it, e-mail it, upload it on your web server. You may however not edit any part of this PDF, copy the content, or split the pages. This PDF must remain whole at all times, the content of which belongs to Digital Paint Magazine. All art and trademarks contained herein are the property of their respective owners.

The eminent flood of tablet-centric devices will no doubt encourage further exploration of novel painting tools, as well.

I’m convinced that the mountain Painter has been king of for nineteen years is about to be explored by many softwaredevelopers. The confluence of digital photography, inkjet printing, and cheap, fast processors makes the arena of expressive natural-media art tools a potentially lucrative market. In the end, it is the users who are the clear winners.

Let the Revolution Begin!

John

© 2010 Digital Paint Magazine

April 2010

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Contents April 2010

Features Revelations: An Interview with Woody Walters page 1 Photographer and artist Woody Walters shares his story.

Keep It Simple! Marilyn Sholin page 3 Marilyn demonstrates how having fun is often at the root of creativity.

An Elevator Speech? Tim Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Neill page 6 You only get the opportunity to make a first impression once. Tim explains how to get it right.

Right Click: Make Textures with Channels? Skip Allen

page 7

Auto-painting on a channel? Skip shows how.

A Pixelated State of Mind Victor Lunn-Rockliffe page 15 Victor makes a point.

Lost & Found Edges Karen Bonaker page 16 Taking the time to observe your reference image is what it takes to create a powerful painting.

With Pen & Brush: Why Take an Art Class? Barb Hartsook page 18 Barb provides some self-motivating inspiration.

Reader Gallery page 19 Woody Walters

This month featuring Joseph Johannes Willems and Bryn Geronimo Jones.

April 2010

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by Tim O’Neill

Woody Walters is an artist that I met several ago. He was a quest speaker at a Professional Photographers of Nebraska Event I was attending in 2005. His work was brilliant and his message was inspirational. Woody graciously accepted an invitation to have lunch with me, my wife Allison and my two youngest kiddies. We had a great time as I picked his brain about his work and various techniques. I then signed up for a membership to Woody’s World, excellent DVD’s. Then at Heart Of America (HOA) that year I watched Woody’s prints score one 100 after another. (For those not affiliated with the Professional Photographers of America, a 100 deemed a perfect print by a panel of judges) Fast forward a few years and Woody was going to be speaking in Nebraska. I missed it as I was out of town with another conference but it got me thinking. I was interested in a joint venture with Woody and Ninya, and I was sure I could help with the marketing, distribution and fulfillment aspects of their business so I sent him an email and we started chatting. We then made arrangements to meet in Omaha and discuss some plans. I talked him into an interview as well as teaching a few illustrative classes at DAA (starting in a few weeks) and into doing a free webinar for our subscribers. (Thursday April 8) So, following is some information I snagged from his interview. For the full interview you will be able to see and hear it at the Digital Paint Magazine Blog. It is a nice interview and we cover the whole story of his time with Ansel Adams in the podcast.

April 2010

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I tend to study

more artists than I do photographers. Not many photographers see as I do — especially when it comes to illustrations.

So I studied a lot of illustrators, which helped me out a lot when it came to doing some of my images.

Tell me where you grew up and a bit about your childhood.

I grew up in a small rural community in Sarasota, Florida. Both my mother and my father had degrees in art. My mother taught drawing at very young age. She also supported me in music and the arts. My father had a photography studio but it was not a success and he ended up being a manager at Nationwide Insurance. Around the seventh grade I was really into karate and my father gave me an 8mm movie camera. The kids in the neighborhood and I went around and made these little silent Bruce Lee movies. That led into still photography where my father gave me a Praktika 35mm. This was one of the first 35mm that had a light meter built into it.

April 2010

In the 10th grade, Steve Katzman opened Sarasota’s first photography gallery. Their first show had a photographer by the name of Ansel Adams. I remembered seeing Ansel’s images for the first time, and I knew from that moment what I would be doing for the rest of my life.

Where did you go to college?

I went to Hawkeye institute of Technology in Waterloo, Iowa. There I learned the zone system and many other areas of photography. I was serious about learning photography, and all that I wanted to do was to eat, breathe, and drink photography, which is pretty much what I did. I was the only kid in my class that learned the zone system, which was not required to do at Hawkeye until I became an instructor there twenty years later. Within a short time I was

producing better B&W prints than many of the second year students. Hawkeye was only a two-year course.

The zone system really opened my eyes to the visualization aspect of photography. I really got into the philosophy. I spent a lot time try to depart from reality and inscribe onto film my personal vision both visually and with tonal value relationships. I did not know at the time how much that would aid in my visual growth as an artist.

By my second year in school I decided that I was going to send Ansel a print to thank him for his influence, not only my photography, but my life as well. So, I sent the print Kelly in the Trees.

I think my parents in Florida could hear me scream in Iowa when I received my first letter from Ansel, thanking me for

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Giger, Frank Frazetta, too many to list. I tend to study more artists than I do photographers. Not many photographers see as I do, especially when it comes to illustrations.

I studied a lot of illustrators which helped me out a lot when it came to doing some of my images.

the print. This led me to finally getting to meet with Ansel, and gave me the opportunity to print silver gelatin for him for a short time.

Ansel taught me about backgrounds. I remember exactly what he said. He was going through my portfolio and we came to the image of “Edna”and he said“Woody this is the first image I’ve seen of yours where the background tells the story of your subject. That’s a little secret of mine, I look for backgrounds then I find the subject. It’s the background that either makes or breaks the image.”

Who are some of your mentors?

I do not have a lot of mentors, Hendrix, Adams, Dalai, are all deceased. I guess for breathing mentors I would have to say my God, my wife Ninya, and my kids. Tim O’Neill is a major influence in my life right now and my guitar teacher Scott Schwestka.

So how about sharing a little work history leading up to where you are today.

What are your most immediate projects?

Like the fool I am, I started my own commercial photography studio the day I graduated from Hawkeye. Then I was hired to go and photograph the U.S. military bases over in Germany, which was a fun six month job. Then I went to New York City, I was going to break into the big commercial accounts only to find out that New York was not going to be home for me.“There was just too much concrete for a nature boy like me.So I went back to Florida where I met two reps and in no time I was shooting for Disney World, Blockbuster Videos, and some other big names.

I want to create a portfolio on Revelations. I’ve done three images so far, and I not quite done with the third one yet.

Some of my images can take a little while to create.

Where does your inspiration come from?

My inspiration comes from God, my wife & kids, and my emotions. I do not see different from anyone else, I just respond differently. The emotions that come up when I look at something are so over-powering that I have to express that in my work. Images for me are emotions that must come out on paper.

But my fine art B&W was always calling me. So then I decided to do the art circuit with just my B&W images. I learned that I could shoot what I wanted without anyone telling me how and people would buy it. So, that’s what I did for the next nine years.

I started writing for Shutterbug magazine. Mamiya had asked me to endorse their cameras and I was making a name for myself with my B&W landscapes. This was a good thing, but everyone was comparing me to Ansel Adams. I took this as a very high compliment, but it still bothered me that everyone would say “Wow, look at these images, they look just like Ansel Adams.” That’s when I decided to start the Reflections of Christ portfolio. Then Hawkeye called me and asked if I would be interested in teaching at the school. I was lecturing all over and giving workshops

April 2010

What hobbies do you have, what do you do in down time?

Spending time with my wife and kids, music and my motorcycle. on the zone system. I really enjoyed teaching so I said yes.

I taught at Hawkeye for ten years. In between that time, I got divorced, then re-married to my wife Ninya, and had a boy and a girl. Hawkeye was just taking all my time. I had no time for my kids. So Ninya and I decided to open up our portrait studio, which we are still running.

Who are some of your favorite artists?

God, My Mother, Jimi Hendrix, Ansel Adams, Bret Weston, Minor White, Bob Peak, Salvador Dali, H.R.

What methods of social media marketing do you employ?

We are learning that now…Facebook, blogging, all very new territory.

If you want to see any more of Woody’s work you can hit Pictures Jesus. Also, you can see his bi-monthly Woody’s World subscription, or sign up for his Photoshop Illustration classes at Digital Art Academy or for our free webinar.

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.HHSĂŚ,WĂŚ6LPSOH 0DULO\QĂĽ6KROLQ &RUHOĂĽ3DLQWHUĂĽ0DVWHU ĂĽ33$ĂĽ0DVWHUĂĽ&UDIWVPDQĂĽ3KRWRJ ĂĽ&33 'igital painting has been going through a growth spurt the last few years. Most recently there has been a trend to create some of the most complicated methods of painting that can be very challenging to beginners and can possibly scare some exceptional artists away from the medium. Like users of Adobe Photoshop who began developing actions and plugins years ago, I saw the future was going to happen with Corel Painter. I knew it when I explored installing Photoshop plugins into Painter and it worked on a PC. That was a great deal of the research I did for my book published by Lark, The Art of Digital Photo Painting. It was clear that digital painting was poised to make the big leap into the real art world and that endless means of creating the art was going to begin.

Using all the digital tools available to us as artists are as valid as using hundreds of different brushes to put paint on a canvas. One is not better than another. The only factor that matters is final product and the artistsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; happiness and satisfaction with the result. As artists, we all have masses of unfinished paintings that are not singing to us and others that took virtually minutes to create that are living on in finished canvas and prints.

April 2010

As a studio photographer for over twenty five years I nailed film and exposure to perfection but yet, I am not a technical person. I am not a techie. I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t care how things work, only that they do. So here is a painting that I had a great deal of fun playing with which is what itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s all about, isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t it? Having fun!

This is one of those simple lessons that I find enjoyable both as an artist and as an explorer of digital software and methods to paint.

Here is the out of the camera simple capture taken years ago at City Walk in Los Angeles with my point-and-shoot Canon camera that was maybe 5 mega-pixels back then:

After opening the image in Photoshop I created two copies of the layer so I would only be working on the layers and not on the original image. Using Topaz Lab filters I adjusted the image on two layers.

First Layer: Filter menu > Topaz Labs > Adjust 4> Spicify.

Accept the default settings and click OK.

Second Layer: Filter menu > Topaz Labs > Clean 2> CrispStyle Turn STRENGTH up to 3. Click OK.

Next lower the opacity of the Spicify layer to approximately 60% and on the Crisp layer change the blend mode to VIVID LIGHT. This will bring together the layers with strong saturation and less detail yet retaining plenty of edges to paint in Painter.

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Settings the brushes category will automatically default to Smart Stroke Brushes. This tells you that the settings are correct and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s important to remember to choose your brush AFTER clicking both settings and not before.

Last I changed the Composite Method from Default to Luminosity which brought back a great deal of the edges details:

Here is a close up of the painting to see how the brushstrokes show detail and yet retain their impressionism.

Flatten and save as with a new name and open in Corel Painter 11. We are going to do a fast autopainting with a simple Painter brush.

As in Photoshop, the painting will be done on a layer and not the original. In Painter, create a duplicate layer of the photo.

SELECT>ALL>EDIT>COPY>PASTE IN PLACE Now it is all on a layer to autopaint.

Open the autopainting palette: WINDOW>AUTOPAINTING Click QUICK CLONE and check SMART STROKE PAINTING and check SMART SETTINGS Choose the brush category ARTISTS>IMPRESSIONIST Use the brush defaults and be sure the CLONE COLOR rubber stamp is clicked so the brush is clone painting and not laying down original colors. Click the green PLAY BUTTON at the very bottom right of the autopainting palette and let the brush paint until it stops.

TIP: After clicking both Smart Stroke Painting and Smart

April 2010

After dropping the layers and saving again with a new name, I have my so far final painting. Because I can still play with so many of the features available to bring back details or add other interesting areas to the painting I still think of it as a work in progress.

For purposes of this lesson, it is also an incredibly fast and easy painting and will print rich and detailed on either watercolor paper or canvas. My choice of watercolor paper is any of the papers from Red River papers have been tested with all printers and they hold the ink well and retain rich colors.

As luck would have it, Topaz Labs has their Bundle on sale until April 15th and they always have free trial downloads. Go to: http://bit.ly/topzbundle and download where it says FREE TRIAL. Try out all their filters on your paintings both before painting and afterwards. I have found many new paintings within a painting by playing with the filters.

More and more depend upon your own heart and soul to decide if your painting is done and donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t let the complexities of the software get in your way. I have found that the more complicated techniques I try the more they take away from my organic flow of painting that comes from doing the painting rather than thinking about the technique. This is my way of Keeping It Simple!

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:KDW WKH KHFN LV DQ (OHYDWRU VSHHFK DQG ZK\ GR , QHHG RQH" Tim Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Neill Telling stories is the best way to sell and also the most fun.

An elevator speech is a quick summary of what you do for a living or at least a quick summary of the area you would like to have a conversation. You only need an elevator speech if you are interested in starting conversation about your art.

Malcom Gladwellâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s book, Blink, sums up why this is important to us. I am a big fan of Gladwellâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s other books, as well: Tipping Point, and Outliers. Not only is he an excellent business guy and Author but he is an incredible marketer as well. Anyway, Blink is a book about rapid cognition. What happens when you first meet someone for the first time, or you see the first few seconds of a movie trailer, that kind of thing. The blink or first impression is why we need an elevator speech. So Whiff emâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, Kiss, Shoot, and Run. Those are the four steps we will take to develop our short little speech.

:KLII Â HP Well really it is WIIFMâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s In It For Meâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;that is what people you meet want to know when you begin to talk about your business. A big thing to remember is that people donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t care what you do; they want to know what you can do for them. You have to give your elevator speech the WGAP (Who Gives A Poo) test.

A book called The Leaders Voice by Boyd Clarke talks about theâ&#x20AC;&#x153;details, dialogue and dramaâ&#x20AC;?of storytelling.

Those important elements are typically what we will remember from presentations and discussions. So our job is to find the best stories that illustrate the essential points of your business and put them into the WIIFM format.

April 2010

.,66 I first picked up this term in the military. As a combat photographer I had the privilege an honor of going through S.E.R.E. training. (Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape). For an ADD adrenaline junkie, this was the bomb. In the resistance phase after capture, it was drilled into us to: Keep It Simple Stupid. I have adhered to this in business for 25 years. You have heard an egomaniacal sales geek spout indecipherable meaningless blather at a business function before. ZZZZZZ..snore. Short and simple in plain language is best. DaVinci said,â&#x20AC;&#x153;Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.â&#x20AC;?

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6KRRW \RXUVHOI 12: OK, I mean video tape yourself. This is part of the practice part. You would be surprised how much you can tweak your short speech by practicing in front of the camera, the mirror and all other manner of embarrassing techniques. Hey, it works! Rest assured that most people wont do this so it gives the few that do even more of an advantage.

5XQ That is, run with it. As you begin to internalize your elevator speech it will become more natural and will evolve over time. You will add a few things subtract a few things until it becomes a part of you.

So, there you have it. Following are a couple of examples that I am currently using for my businesses: My company provides imaginative cutting edge online education that helps people discover and learn digital art techniques in bite size chunks.

I specialize in creating unique one of a kind heirloom portrait commissions for discriminating clients across the globe.

Anyway you get the idea. Write something down then practice it until you are comfortable, as you move along you can tweak it in the areas that you feel need a slight change.

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For more information, download the Workshop PDF, or contact Tim Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Neill at tim@digitalpaintmagazine.com

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hile I was playing around with channels in Painter 11, I discovered that you can auto paint on a channel. One thing led to another and I created a pretty neat texture. From the texture I created a paper and a pattern.

The process is fairly simple, fun and a little bit addictive. It is always exciting to see what develops.

Before we get started making a texture, let’s explore the channels palette. Most of us have not looked at it; actually we have probably ignored it. On close inspection, we will discover it is remarkably similar to the layers palette.

April 2010

1. The RGB Channel is the default channel; all images have this channel. You cannot edit it, but it must be selected if you want to work on the document. It is also a key player in making an Alpha Channel visible.

2. When you create a channel in Painter, regardless of the manner, you are creating an Alpha Channel. Like layers, Painter automatically names them Alpha 1, 2, etc.

3. This icon loads a channel as a selection. It is identical to the Menu Command, Select > Load Selection.

4. You can save a selection as an Alpha Channel with this icon; it is identical to the Menu Command, Select > Save Selection.

5. Invert a Channel can be a very useful tool. When a selection is created from a channel, the white areas are available for painting, the black areas are not. The lighter the grey area, the more it will receive paint and the converse is true for the darker areas. Inverting allows you to apply paint in opposite areas.

6. Create a new Alpha Channel is the function of this icon.

7. Click here to delete the currently selected Channel 8. All palettes have a menu associated with them. Click here to open the Channel Palette menu. 9.“New” will generate a new Channel. It is identical to # 6 in this list.

10. “New From” is the most useful command in the menu. It opens a window that allows you to create a channel based on Paper, 3D Brush Strokes, Original Selection, Image Luminance, Original Luminance, and Current Color.

11. “New From Color Range” is pretty slick. You can pick a color range using hue, saturation, and value sliders and create a channel based on the range.

12. This list is self‐explanatory. Feather softens the transitions from light to dark, which makes them smoother.

13. Channel Attributes is similar to Layer Attributes and allows you to change the name of the Channel among other things.

14. This is where you can change the size of the icons showing inside the Channel Palette. I like using the large icons because it allows me to see the channel better. Click here for a quick look at Channels: Channels Palette Video

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Open a New Document and the Channels Palette I was pretty surprised to find out that we can auto paint on a channel. It was one of those “what if ”and then “Ah Ha”moments. We can clone paint, too. In this exercise we are not going to be using a source; we are just going to select strokes and shades from black to white and let auto paint supply the elbow grease.

First we have to open a new document and it can be any size at any resolution. I am working 10 x 10 inches at 150 ppi.

File > New

Make a New Channel 1. The easiest way to make a new channel is to click on this icon in the bottom of the Channels Palette. A Channel layer will appear and the document window will turn red.

2. Painter automatically names the channels, Alpha 1, 2, etc. The channel will be solid black.

3. The document window will look red. This is actually a transparent overlay. The default color is red, but you can change the color and the opacity in the Channel Attribute Window. Remember, right click on the Channel and click on Channel Attribute to bring up the window.

Next we need to make sure our Channel Palette is visible. It may be nested in the Layers Palette Group; check there first. If it isn’t there, then we need to open it from the Menu Bar.

Okay, our channel is made. Notice that the channel layer is blue; that indicates that it is active. Our channel must be active if we want to work on it. If the RGB Channel is blue, then the document window is active and we can work in the document.

Window > Channels

Click here to see how to make a new channel:

Okay, now that we have our document and the Channels Palette open, the real fun begins. We will create a new Channel and play with the Auto Painting Palette to create lines, blobs, and other sorts of marks in the channel. Then we will load that channel as a selection and use it to create our texture in our document. But, first, let’s make a new Channel.

Make New Channel Video

April 2010

Let’s open the Auto Painting Palette.

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The Auto Painting Palette The Auto Painting Palette is nested with the Underpainting and Restoration Palettes. Open the Auto Painting Palette: Window > Auto Painting I am not going to describe the palette in great detail.

This exercise is designed for us to experiment and play.

We donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want to know too much; we just want to have fun.

1. This is the stoke drop down menu. It is currently showing Diagonal.

There are approximately 26 different strokes available, plus we can make, record, and save our own individual strokes. We will randomly decide on strokes to use with our auto painting on the channel.

2. These five sliders control the attributes of the stroke. All of the sliders are set in percentages of the preset stroke. Think of Randomness as an accidental quality being applied. Randomness affects the next three sliders. Pressure, length, and rotation of the stroke can all be manipulated as well as brush size.

3. We will want to adjust the speed slider. This controls how fast the brushstrokes are applied. Once the process is started, it will continue until we stop it. If it proceeds too rapidly, we will not be able to click the stop button before the document is completely filled with the stokes.

4. These two icons start and stop the auto painting process. The triangle represents start and the square is stop.

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April 2010

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Auto Painting on the Channel There is no right or wrong to this method. At this point, we just pick brushes, strokes, and auto paint with white, black, or any grey inâ&#x20AC;?between. I will tell you which brushes I used, but because of the random nature of the technique, you will not get the same thing. Why not experiment on your own instead. Have fun with the technique and see what happens.

In this first example, I used RealBristle Brushes > Real Fan Soft. I used a number of different strokes ending with squiggle in white.

Demo of auto painting here: Auto-Painting Video Demo

April 2010

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Auto Painting on the Channel (continued) I used three brushes with varying amounts of white, black and gray. The brushes were, FX > Fairy Dust, Calligraphy > Real Variable Tip Pen, and Artists > Skip Play (a custom brush I made from Artists Impressionist). I like my textures to be fairly complex and have depth. Variety is good; try to use dab strokes as well as line stokes.

Looking at this image it appears that I have obliterated the first image, but that isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t true. A blown up image reveals elements from the first image is still present.

Remember there is no right or wrong. Just continue until you have grayscale texture that looks good to you.

Adding color will enhance the image quite a bit.

April 2010

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Auto Painting on the Channel (continued) I finished the channel with Pens > Leaky Pen and Scratchboard Tool. I worked on one channel, but working on multiple channels can be very useful. With multiple channels, we can decide which textures to apply when.

Next we will load a selection based on Alpha 1 and begin to color the document. We can color the image in multiple ways from painting to filling a layer with color. Again, I hope you will experiment to see what you can develop. I am going to work with the fill function only.

April 2010

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Finishing the Texture with Color I prefer working on a layer instead of the canvas layer; it is a personal choice, you may prefer working on the canvas. To create this image I: 1. Added a layer; Layers > New Layer 2. I loaded a selection; Select > Load Selection > Load From Alpha 3 3. I hid the Marquee (Marching Ants); Select > Hide Marquee 4. I filled the layer with a creamy yellow; Edit > Fill > Current Color.

5. Inverted the selection; Select > Invert Selection 6. Filled the layer with darker brown; follow steps in #4

Demo for adding color here: Adding Color with Selections Video

April 2010

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Finishing the Texture with Color The resulting image is a nice texture, but I have found that a nice texture can be changed into a â&#x20AC;&#x153;Wowâ&#x20AC;?texture with just a few tweaks in the Underpainting Palette.

Following are the steps to complete the image: 1. I opened the Underpainting Palette; Window > Underpainting Palette.

2. Reduced the Value Slider.

3. Increased the Contrast Slider 4. Increased the Hue Slider 5. Increased the Saturation Slider

Adding another layer, loading the selections, filling with different colors, and then changing the composite method is another way to enhance the image. Once satisfied, you can use the final image to create a paper texture, a pattern, or simply use it as a background for a painting. For more tips about Channels, check out my Class on Selections, Channels and Masks at Digital Art Academy.

Demo: Using the Underpainting Palette Video

April 2010

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A Pixelated State of Mind

by Victor Lunn Rockliffe

April 2010

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Cfjk =fle[ <[^\j BXi\e 9feXb\i

KXb`e^ k_\ K`d\ kf FYj\im\ Taking the time to observe your reference image is what it takes to create a powerful painting. The subtle changes in color, the crisp and blended edges are so important and often times overlooked. A found edge is one that shows contrast to its background, it shows clearly the tones (that is the lightness or darkness) at the opposite ends of the scale. A lost edge may be a rounded edge, as in a ball, sphere or dome where an edge is seen against something of the same color and the same tone.

The essential shapes of the form are simplified and emphasis is placed upon these forms in space.

Squint at the photo reference for about five seconds.

Where are the strongest contrasts you remember? Keep in mind that there may be many contrasting forms in any one picture, but for this exercise find the most essential ones. Changing your photos to black and white will greatly emphasize the contrast and make finding the boundaries much easier. Strong contrasts which will become your hard edges will become obvious, while darker midtones merge seamlessly creating areas of lost edges.

I will decide before hand where my light source will generate from and draw to that. Before you begin to sketch or paint you need to make clear decisions between light and dark. Light lights, mid darks and darks, with no almost lights or almost darks, remember that Light is light and dark is dark. How an edge reveals in your drawing or paintings is critical.

Here are some things to consider, and the first steps to ask yourself as you begin to draw or paint.

1. Conditions of the light 1. Found Edges 2. Lost Edges 3. Bridges between areas of similar value

GcXee`e^ ]fi Cfjk Xe[ =fle[ <[^\j There can be an infinite variety of half seen edges, especially in sun or artificial light and makes the connection and disconnection of forms forward and backwards.

April 2010

Each day I like to begin with a sketch. I may choose to paint digitally or in the traditional manner, but I rarely miss a day. I will often sketch tone and value changes.

2. The distance from the viewer (edges become more diffuse and values become lighter the farther away a subject is from the viewer).

3. The intrinsic sharpness or softness of the object. Soft edges always give the effect of light, and make things look luminous.

Edges are nearly as important as values. The edge of a shadow begins where planes of the form turn decisively away from the light.

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Cfjk =fle[ <[^\j (continued)

The big blur is the largest area in the picture where values on the subject and background are similar and where edges between them can be softened or blurred. Edges can be lost in the light as well as in the shadow. Try to blend or mass adjacent light and dark areas together, eliminating any lines between them wherever possible: a unifying effect. This does not have to mean the elimination of lines around the form. Instead try exaggerating hard or soft edges as you follow shadow shapes. Sometimes it is helpful to build the background first as I did in the example, knowing where my light source was I can then build hard and soft lines where needed. This is especially true when working with watercolors where hard edges are very desirable.

for shapes and delineation, then that is all you will see.

Think about softness and the merging of tones in your drawings and paintings. This is another part of the skills we so admire in accomplished artists. Moreover, you can learn them too!

This week try several thumbnail sketches of simple objects where you can apply these principles. If you enjoy still life set up one in front of a window, or try one in the evening with a desk light cast on a simple subject so you can see clearly edges soft and hard, lost and found.

Use a monochromatic color palette for these; they are far superior in helping you to see light and dark in an object.

Finally take it to the next step and paint the object, but this time with color.

Cffb ]fi Xe[ Zi\Xk\ ZfekiXjkj `e mXcl\# Zfcfi Xe[ \[^\ Ask yourself before you begin to draw or paint: 1. What is the hardest edge inside the figure?

2. What is the hardest edge on the silhouette?

3. What is the softest edge on the silhouette?

Halation is the spreading of light around an object. This is most often seen when bright light radiates through a window, creating channels of light that cross and fade into one another. This will soften the light behind it, especially where two light sources meet. There are only

4. What is the softest edge inside the figure?

Hard edges attract attention and make the form move forward. The best place to use them is within the light areas. The smaller the jump in value, the crisper you can make your edges.

Soft edges most often exist on the shadow side of the form. You will notice that the left side of the hat is cast in shadow, less light and less detail. Edges will be muted and soft. So soft in fact that the left side of the hat fades into the darker values, with just a hint of line revealing the form of the hat.

Lost edges are the softest you can make, mainly on the shadow side.

April 2010

shapes, values and edges. There is no magic formula for this. However, do remember that if you look only

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:i\Xk`m`kp `jeËk KXl^_k%%% Jf N_p Nflc[ @ NXek kf KXb\ X GX`ek`e^ :cXjj6 ave you ever heard, Creativity isn’t taught.

HIt’s inherent and unique to each one of us?

Well then, why would I need to take painting classes? Or even want to?

We live in a world filled with stories wanting to be told: • • • • • •

People walking or running through the day, or sitting quietly in conversation over coffee, not conscious of being observed.

A single coffee mug, empty now. Napkin balled up, waiting to be cleared. Who was there? Where did she go, with whom, and why?

A crocus bud shivering its way up through the snow banks in late winter.

The first iris to bloom in a patch of perennials... think of the color explosion to follow!

A dirt path meandering into and through the woods, inviting you to follow...

A child at play. Anywhere!

Artists of all sorts grab these tiny pieces of life and write lyrics or tunes, pick up their pens or paint brushes or scissors and paste, and tell the stories they observe every day.

They’re uniquely creative, these artists, and their creative expression is intensely personal. Something not entirely taught. And yet:

April 2010

K_\ Kffcj f] <ogi\jj`fe :Xe 9\ KXl^_k Yes, creativity is unique to each of us, exclusively ours.

But techniques and the tools we use to express our creativity are not exclusive. Techniques can be, and are being taught regularly.

Schools like The Digital Art Academy and LVSonline – and there are others – offer classes on the Internet, also workshops and webinars, taught by artists from all over the world who come into our computers live. With printable lessons and movie demonstrations, they share what they know and do so well.

I find that exciting! Painting is one of my passions, and my learning curve stays at a fairly high angle as I absorb new knowledge like an eager, wide-eyed child: • • • • • • •

Old painting techniques revisited.

New techniques explored.

Traditional and digital mediums.

Traditional painting done digitally.

Timeless art principles reviewed.

Digital art software: what’s new and how to use it.

How to create my favorite paint brushes and papers in the software.

• • • • • •

Belief in my abilities. Encouragement for my soul.

Practicing and refining my skills.

Where to find inspiration.

Learning from my fellow classmates.

Filling my mind with possibilities.

And always asking, ’What’s next?’ And wondering how I can share back...

Just being in the learning environment with others hungry for new brushes to pick up and fresh paints to open energizes me.

You will either find me running around the school corridors hunting for my classroom, or already in class with a fresh mug of coffee, my laptop open, my brushes loaded, and probably chatting with my class-friends.

I’ll see you there!

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ReadEr GaLlery 9ipe >\ife`df Afe\j 9Xk_# LB

I am a carpenter from Bath (UK)that has studied art through online tutorials.

My favourite artists are Sean Gordon Murphy and Doug Chiang. Almost all of my work is produced on Photoshop with the use of a Trust digital tablet. Most of y spare time is spent drawing; I hope to become a professional artist.

April 2010

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ReadEr GaLlery

If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d like to be featured in the Reader Gallery, email artwork and a short bio to tim@digitalpaintmagazine.com

Afj\g_ Af_Xee\j N`cc\dj DXXjki`Z_k# K_\ E\k_\icXe[j

www.josephpaintings.nl

The art-programs I use nowadays are Corel Painter, Corel Painter Sketchpad and Corel PaintShop, in cooperation with an i7 PC, 6Gb Ram, and a Wacom Intuos 4L tablet.Just like many other painters I use often photographs, my camera becomes than a kind of sketch-book. Now and then I switch back to the classic way of painting, but it is my computer with graphic tablet where I work mostly and it gives me a lot of pleasure.

April 2010

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5IBOL :PVí We are most grateful that you chose to download and read Digital Paint Magazine.

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