APR IL 2022
E L E VA T E Y O U R A R T Bi-Monthly Magazine Featuring Photoshop Artists
featuring
DEB R ICE
Reviewer
Mem bers of the review team are integral to the success of hundre ds of P hotoshop art i st s. H i g hly trained, they provide over 15,000 video reviews a year for me mbe rs of Beyond t he Brushe s. Vid eo feed back is the key to success for many who are new to P hotoshop pai nt i ng!
Feat ured
A r t i s t : K i m b e r ly Guard i p e e w w w. g ua rd i p e e p h otog rap hy.com Kim b e r ly j o in e d B eyo n d th e Br u s h es wi t h t h e g oa l of enter i n g pr i nt compet i t i on s omed a y. S he d i d n’t fe e l l ike h e r p aintin g s co uld g o w here s h e wa nted t h em w i t h ou t a more pa i nter ly look . Well, t hi s wa s t he fi r s t p aintin g s h e s ub m it ted for pr i nt comp, a n d i t wa s a wa rd ed a Loa n C ollec t i on m e r i t !
W EL COME... “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.” We’ve all heard this quote at some point in our lives. Is there tru th to it? You bet there is! One of the best things you can do for yourself as an artist is to experiment and explore new ideas. Just as every April the spring flowers burst from the ground bringing color back to my little slice of the world, every spring becomes a time of artistic renewal for me. Read on in this issue to get insight into breaking out of the norm and discovering new things.
Michelle
C OV E R I M AG E BY Rowe n a C h e r r y h t t p s : //w w w. f a c e b o o k . c o m / I m a g e I n a t i o n by Rowe n a Rowen a g ot i n t h e Ea s ter s pi r i t a n d went on t h e h u nt to f i n d s omet h i n g u pli f t i n g to pa i nt . W h en s h e fou n d h er g old en egg , t hi s li t t le pu ppy, Lu n a , popped r i g ht ou t . Not on ly d i d Lu n a f i t t he b i l l for Rowen a , b u t a ls o s h e b r i n g s a b a s k et f u l of joy to h er fa mi ly.
Ma g a z ine © M iche l l e Pa r s l ey, M. Ph oto g . , M. A r t i s t , C r. , C PP St u d e nt im a g e s © re m a i n w i t h e a c h i n d i v i d ua l a s n ote d . Screen captur ing a rt wo rk fro m t he m a g a z ine fo r yo ur ow n us e - w h et h e r p e r s o n a l o r co m m e rc i a l us e - i s a vi olat i on of th e a rt ist s’ co py rig ht which is p un i s h a b l e by Fe d e ra l f i n e s of up to $ 1 5 0 , 0 0 0 p e r i m a g e . P l e a se b e re sp e ct fu l of t h e co py r i g ht of t h e a r t i s t s . T h a n k yo u.
CONTENTS p1 p2 p7 p11 p28
Featured Reviewer: Kimberly Guardipee Welcome from Michelle Time to Play Artist Feature: Deb Rice Rufus is a LIAR!
A rti s t: Sue Ander son https : //finear tphotog ra p hy 18 . my p ix ie set . co m /
Sue crea ted this compo s itio n f ro m 3 im ag e s w ith th e h ope of c rea t i n g a s pr i n g t i me pa i nt i n g t h a t ref lec t s t h e s eas on’s be a u t y. T he la m b rep re sent s G od ’s love, h e r g ran ds o n il l us trate s in n o cent c h i ld - li k e fa i t h , a n d t h e color s pa let te a n d i ntera c t i on s bet we e n t he la m b, he r gran dson, a nd na tu re re s e m b le s n ew l ife .
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M ASTH E A D & CO N TR IBU TO RS MICHELLE PARSLEY PUBLISHER HANNAH PARSLEY COPYWRITER CATH SMITH EDITOR ARTICLES: DEB RICE IMAGES: ROWENA CHERRY KIMBERLY GUARDIPEE SUE ANDERSON ANGIE CROMPTON EVIE SHOEMAN DENISE CAUCHI DEB RICE PAULETTE CASSIDY KATHY TERRY MELINDA FARRINGTON KELLY O’KEEFE LESLEY DAVIDSON SHERYL HESS KATIE KINSLER JENNIFER WYNNE
Ar tist: Angie C rom pto n A ngie hold s d ear ly th is p re c io us m e m o r y of h e r d a u ghter with her f ir s t g ran db aby. Th e love and d evotion shown p ul le d o n h e r h e ar ts tr in g s , and she k new she ha d to p aint it. W h ile p aintin g an emotiona lly mov in g im ag e , An g ie re -exp e r ie n ces t he emot ions. Wh at a m e an in g f ul tim e cap s ule for her loved on e s !
T I M E TO P L AY
Learning to paint in Photoshop can be completely addictive. The private, Beyond the Brushes community is both an enabler and a support group for the addiction. I love to see members excited about painting! Interestingly, simply by observing how members work through the lesso ns, I can, with almost 100% accuracy, predict who will be successful as a Photoshop Artisan and who won’t. You may be asking yourself how I can make such a bold claim. Easy - they either blossom or wither based on how they work through the lessons. There is nothing more soul-crushing than focusing on lesson after lesson after lesson. It is a pretty normal thing for new members of Beyond the Brushes to be gung ho to do all the lessons and nothing but the lessons when they first arrive. There are plenty of practice paintings for each concept, and they whip them out one. right.after.the.other at a feverish pace. Sounds great, am I right? The reality is, flying through the lessons and only ever painting things that are from the lessons, one never really gets to apply the concepts to a painting that is all new. Painting only assigned lessons essentially makes one a copy machine. The techniques may be assimilated... or they may not. The last thing I want to be is an artistic co py machine!
It’s easy to mimic a painting when you can find hundreds of copies in the community. It’s tough to get a good read on how solid skills have become just from assigned paintings, which is why periodically through the course there are portfolio reviews available for those who would like an objective eye. I can easily evaluate developing skills fairly with paintings that are not from the lessons. When I only see lesson paintings — especially in a portfolio — I grow concerned. I find those who only paint lessons go from loving all things Photoshop painting to dreading and despising it very quickly. Why is that? Because, “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.” Artists need the freedom to use their newfound skills on personal projects... and I don’t mean once in a blue moon either! Artists that paint something personal for every newly introduced concept become much more proficient much more quickly than those that stick to only lessons. Not only does it give one’s brain a muchdeserved rest from learning new things, it also reinforces the skills already learned
A rtist: Evie Shoem a n i n stagram.com/sh e il ate nne s Ev i e wa nted to prac tice p aintin g tul le an d adding s h a d ows . Wh en h er s i s ter s ewed a d res s for sweet Jos i e, s he t he n had a n excited pa r tic ip ant fo r p h oto s . Jo s ie p ut on t h e d res s h a ppi ly, en joy i n g h er moment feeli n g li k e a pr i nce s s a nd lo ok ing lik e a n a ng e l .
A r t i s t : D e n i s e C a uc h i Den i s e d ec i d ed to b ra n c h ou t s i d e of h er comfor t zon e a n d c rea te a h a n d - d ra wn pa i nt i n g . Ins pi re d by a my r i a d of pa i nt i n g s , s h e h a d a s peci fi c vi s i on i n mi n d t h a t cou ld n’ t b e a ccompli s h ed u s i ng clone pa i nt i n g . S u r pr i s i n g h er s elf w i t h t h e res ul t , s he wa s t h r i lled w i t h t h i s c h eer f u l pa i nt i n g f i lled w i t h pi nk color s .
ARTIST FE ATU R E
DEB R ICE AN ART IST’ S A DV EN T U RE
H E R PAT H TO PA I N T I N G I N VO LV E D Y E A R S O F F R U S T RAT I O N , B U T W I T H A S PA R K FO R A DV E N T U R E A N D T H E R I G H T R OA D M A P, D E B H AS OV E R C O M E E V E RY M O U N TA I N A N D VA L L E Y T H U S FA R .
Ar ti s t: D eb Ri ce
Ar ti s t: D eb Ri ce
Ar tis t: D e b Rice
Deb realized textures in Photoshop weren’t achieving her vision, and she longed for more. Seeing Michelle’s artwork ignited her spark for adventure. The road to becoming a Photoshop Artisan hasn’t been easy. For instance, the charcoal lesson produced speed bumps, but Deb analyzed the challenge. Realizing value reveals the form, she was off to the races. Now, she enjoys working with charcoal and each new challenge that comes her way. Though the journey is far from over, Deb knows she has the tools in he r belt to keep moving forward. Inspired by that thrill for adventure, Deb wanted to try new brushes, brush settings, and techniques. Even as an avid photographer, she didn’t limit herself to original captures. She transformed and combined images from stock websites, public domains, and her son’s cell phone for this series. “The Long Walk Home” originated from an old photo by Edward Curtis. Charcoal conveyed the subject’s heavy burden, while the negative space gave perspective for the distance walked. “Board Game Anyone?” utilized charcoal again to create the form of her son’s cat through shadow and highlight. “Golden Joy” sprang from the desire to paint fur and improve her brushwork, and Brushy Goodness played a key role. Finally, “Lovely in Blue” demonstrated what Deb is capable of achieving. She disliked painting portraits before but learned it was because she didn’t know how. After developing the skills, she’s grown to love painting people. Deb utilized an analogous color scheme for “Golden Joy”
and a split complementary color scheme for “Lovely in Blue.” Working freehand rewarded Deb with uniquely painted results that only 2 years ago she wouldn’t have imagined possible. The best part was giving her son and daughter-in-law the painting of their cat. Sharing the gift of art is what it’s all about for Deb and work she did! A poor reference photo for “The Long Walk Home” meant digging deep in her tool belt. But what inspires Deb? Well, if you visit her studio in Scottsdale, Arizona, you will hear classical Spanish guitar. This prevents her from getting caught in the weeds and helps her paint in a free-flowing manner. Visually, the brushwork of Joaquin Sorolla leaves her awestruck, but she doesn’t stop there! Her vast artistic library covers anything from composition to color to compilations of artists’ works. Of course, her favorite book is Sorolla: The Masterworks. Deb left this advice for others on their artistic journey, “Follow the Beyond the Brushes process and be patient with yourself. Do every lesson. Paint every image. Then, paint outside the lessons. This practice and process will create muscle memory so you can focus on being creative. Also, I would suggest not painting too fast in the beginning. It’s so easy in Photoshop to quickly paint on and take off without thinking. Think about your brushstrokes and elements of art as you paint.”
D E B J O I N E D I N N OV E M B E R 2 0 1 9 W I T H A M AS T E R OF SCIENCE FROM PURDUE UNIVERSITY AND ZERO PA I N T I N G E X P E R I E N C E . A L L I T TO O K WAS A G E N T L E N U D G E , A N D D E B WAS U P FO R T H E A DV E N T U R E .
A r t i s t : De b Ri ce
A r t i s t : Deb Ri ce
Art ist : B ek k ie Har p e r B ek k ie wa nted to f lex h e r ar tis tic m us c le s an d a pply t h e wor k ou t s s h e’s d on e s o fa r i n Beyon d t h e Br u s he s . B eca u se she is detail-o r ie nte d, B e kkie c h al len g ed h er s elf to complete a por t ra i t i n on e h ou r. T h i s on e end e d u p ta k ing two, b ut th at’s n o is s ue ! It g ive s h e r s omet h i n g to a s pi re to!
COMING UP IN
APR IL H ISTORY OF ART
McTaggart’s ‘The Storm’ ELEMEN TS OF ART
Line
D e n i se went ba ck a few ye ar s to an im ag e s h e capt u red of a b ee on la ven d er. T h e b a c k g rou n d i s a ca nva s s h e m a d e , b u t s he changed the color u si n g an ove r lay f ro m He ath e r th e P a i nter to b et ter s u i t t h e s u b jec t . T h e b ee a n d la ven d er a re com plete ly p ai nted with B ru shy Go o dn e s s .
Paulette a nd her fa mi ly we re o n a caravan n in g h o l id a y t h rou g h t h e Au s t ra li a n O u t b a c k w h en t h ey ca me a c ros s t hi s m i x of cha ra cte r s . S scen e , a nd with the hi s to r ic p ub , “ N in dy Gul ly,” as th e b a c k d rop, t h e g rou p ma d e t h e per fec t s u b jec t s for a n O u t b a ck s t u d y.
She was i ntri gu ed by the
A r t i s t : Paulet te C as s i d y
A r t i s t : K at hy Te r r y www. kat hy te r r y p h oto g ra p hy. co m Ka t hy s tum b le d ac ro s s h e r refe re n ce i ma g e on Un s pla s h , a n d t h e s h eer b ea u t y of t h e or i g i n a l ma d e it n e ar ly im p o s s ib le fo r h e r to k eep s c rolli n g . A n d h er a r t i s t i c ren d er i n g of t h e i ma g e i s q uite th e s h ows to p p e r too! Wh a t a c la s sy a n d s oph i s t i ca ted res u lt .
A r t i s t : Me l i n d a Fa r r i n g to n Melind a ’s eye is draw n to th is s tyle of p or t ra i t u re. Wh en M i c h elle s h a red on e of h er ma ny b on u s v i d eos ou t sid e of th e le s s o n m ate r ial s th at h a ppen ed to b e a b ou t t h i s s t y le, Meli n d a ju s t h a d to t r y i t . T h i s p o r trays th e ca t ’s c u r i ou s per s on a li t y s o well!
Kelly al m o s t n eve r c re ate d th is p aint i n g . Wh en a mom wa nted a pi c t u re of h er t wo “ b a b i es ,” t h i s i m a g e wa s not hi g h on lea rnin g m o re ab o ut co m p o s itin g t h ou g h , s h e wa s a b le to s u r pr i s e h er s elf a n d t h e mom w i t h a che r i s he d wor k of a r t .
n Ke lly’s l i st, so she d itched it . Af te r
A r t i s t : Ke l ly O ’ Ke efe w w w. ke l lyo ke efe p h oto g ra p hy. co m
A r t i s t : Le s l i e D av i d s o n w w w. q q ui r k y v i nt a g e . co m Lesley p ainte d a lot of p e o p le an d dec i d ed to i mmer s e h er s elf i n f u r r y s u b jec t s for a c h a n g e. Her goa l wa s to wo r k o n exp re s s io n s , co lo r s , a n d es pec i a lly f u r tex t u res . Wh en s h e s t u mb led a c ros s t hi s Eng l is h B ul ldo g , h e j us t b e g g e d for a b ow ler h a t a n d mon oc le, a n d Les ley h a d to ob li g e.
r a i L
RUFUS IS A
Painting outside the Beyond the Brushes lessons solidifies technique and begins to develop one’s personal style. Rufus hates this and will do everything in his power to stop you from painting anything that wasn’t “assigned,” More often than not, Rufus will try to convince you that you’re wasting time and money by stepping outside “assigned” paintings. It comes through in statements like... ”I’m paying to be in Beyond the Brushes. I don’t have time to waste on personal projects.” If one takes this attitude toward learning to paint in Photoshop, one has failed already. Nobody can work day after day on really cha llenging skills without ever having any enjoyment whatsoever. It’s not if one quits but when. Painting outside the lessons gives your
brain a much-needed rest from learning new things, and it also reinforces the skills you already know making you a stronger painter. Painting personal projects is equally important to painting the lessons themselves. Don’t let Rufus convince you that it isn’t! Rufus’s other nasty trick? ”What if I get in over my head and end up with a mess?” So what? It’s not like you’re throwing $100 worth of oil painting supplies in the trash (been there, done that, got the t-shirt!). You’ve lost nothing but time. And believe it or not, I’ve learned more by figuring out what does not work than from what does. Taking the Photoshop tools you have and creating something new that you’ve never seen before — this is art! Don’t let Rufus and his dirty tricks prevent you from becoming who you were meant to be!
A r t i s t : S h e r y l He s s S h er y l loves h ow s t i ll li fe pa i nt i n g s a re ca pa b le of telli n g s tor i es a n d evok i ng emot i on s a n d memor i es . T h i s pa r t icu la r one d epi c t s h er per s on a l yea r n i n g for s pr i ng a n d h er memor i es of f lower s b loom i ng a nd rea c h i n g ou t towa rd s t h e li g ht . C a n’t you s ee t h i s d i s pla yed i n a n or n a te s t u d y room?
A r t i s t : K at i e K i n s l e r ht t p s: //w w w. i n s t a g ra m . co m / k i n s l e rc l a n Katie picked on e of he r favo rite fine a rt im a g e s fo r t h i s o n e . S h e co ul d n’ t re s i s t p a i nt i n g t h e l ov i n g re l at i on s h i p that her beaut ifu l d a u g hte rs sha re . This p ie ce w i l l b e c h e r i s h e d fo r ye a r s to co m e . W h at a p re c i o us me mor y ca pt ure d at s uc h swe et a g e s !
A r t i s t : Je n n i fe r Wy n n e www. j e n n i fe r w y n n e p h oto g ra p hy. co m Jennifer’s late fath e r capture d th is im a g e of a Korea n P a pa s a n d u r i n g t h e Korea n Wa r. Jen n i fer wa s a lwa ys fas c in ate d w ith it as a c h ild, s o w h en s h e fou n d i t i n h er fa t h er ’s old s li d es , s h e pa i nted i t i n h is m e m o r y to p ay tr ib ute to ever y t h i n g h e ta u g ht h er a b ou t ph otog ra phy.
E L E VAT E YO U R A R T. C O M
