JUNE 2022
E L E VA T E Y O U R A R T Bi-Monthly Magazine Featuring Photoshop Artists
featuring
RUS S EL L K I NER SON V I CK I E BOL DUC
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 : C l aud i a N i x w w w. c l a ud i a ni xar t .com Cla udia p ainte d th is im ag e b efo re d u r i n g h er d a y s d oi n g more of a c lon e pa i nt i n g s t y le. Her g oa l t hi s time? To m ake it lo o k as o rg an ic as pos s i b le. St retc h i n g h er a r t i s t i c mu s c les , C la u d i a wa s n ot o nly a b le to s e e h ow m uc h h er s k i lls h a ve a d va n ced b u t a ls o love t h e res u lt !
W EL COME... I don’t know about you, but every time I begin a painting, I have high hopes that others will like the completed work. It’s normal as an artist to want your art to be desirable. You may even dream of being the next big “it” artist. After speaking to hundreds of students, I’ve come to the realization that most consider attracting a following a mystery. If you feel a flicker of dread every time you complete a painting — dread that nobody will like your work — never fear. The magic formula to creating artwork that is desirable, saleable, an d work that will naturally attract a following is just a page-turn away.
Michelle
C OV E R I M AG E BY Ta nya G r i f f i o e n Ta ny a ’s d a u g hter- i n - la w, Ta ra , ca u g ht on e of t h os e prec i ou s moment s of a g i r l a n d h er d og . T h e loy a lt y Tr i g g er s h ows ou t of t r u e love for Ella h a s a n i n n ocen ce t h a t cou ld n’ t b e ex pres s ed i n word s . S o w h a t b et ter wa y t h a n to d epi c t i t i n a pa i nt i n g to b e c h er i s h ed forever ?
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 p5 p15 p29 p36
Featured Reviewer: Claudia Nix Welcome from Michelle The Magic Formula... Artist Feature: Russell Kinerson Unframed = Unfinished by Vickie Bolduc Rufus is a LIAR!
A rti s t: Kelly O’Keefe www. kellyokeefephoto g ra p hy. co m
Ke l ly wa s va ca t ioning in S o uth C aro l in a an d p ut o ut a mod el ca ll for a c h i ld b ea c h por t ra i t . O n e mom res pon d ed w i t h t hre e love ly daughters, bu t the you n g e s t, Ava, to o k th e cake . Kelly ’s pla n s a re to g i f t t h e mom a pr i nt a n d , of cou r s e, g et li ne d u p for a not he r por t ra sessi o n
ait
M ASTH E A D & CO N TR IBU TO RS MICHELLE PARSLEY PUBLISHER HANNAH PARSLEY COPYWRITER CATH SMITH EDITOR ARTICLES: RUSSELL KINERSON VICKIE BOLDUC IMAGES: TANIA GRIFFIOEN CLAUDIA NIX KELLY O’KEEFE KATIE KINSLER MICHELLE HARLIN MARGARET GOODWIN KIM WEHNER RANDI SEGAL RUSSELL KINERSON SHEILA TENNES SHERRY PRATT CATH SMITH VICKIE BOLDUC PAULETTE CASSIDY LISA SCHNIEDER EVIE SHOEMAN ROWENA CHERRY SUE GERARD ANGIE CROMPTON ANN LAUWERS
T H E M AG I C FO R M U L A . . .
It’s so easy to get caught up in painting the latest fad. I don’t know an artist alive or dead that hasn’t fallen into this trap from time to time. But that’s exactly what it is — a trap! A fad is a flash in the pan. If you succumb to painting the latest fad, it might gain you a momentary following, but it will not attract long term followers that truly love you for you. And isn’t that what we as artists really want? Followers that love us for the art that is hidden deep within our souls? How does one find those people? It might sound cliché, but you need to paint. You need to paint a lot! Look at artwork of different styles, from different eras, by different artists and try to emulate the artwork that speaks to your soul. If you’re able to successfully emulate a favorite artist, then work on ways of incorporating bits and pieces of that artist’s style into your own. You won’t arrive overnight, but if you consistently work at studying other artists, emulating, and incorporating, you will arrive at something that is uniquely you that no other artist can copy. Even better? You’ll constantly be evolving to a better, more true-to-you finished product that will attract your own unique following.
But what about technique? Learning proper technique is a necessity for all artists. It is most often done by way of generic exercises that were never meant to be an end point. Beyond the Brushes’ lessons are an excellent example of this. Lessons are meant to teach the tools so that you can express the art that is deep in your soul. You don’t need anyone to teach you to be an artist — it’s already deep inside you. Most importantly — if an art piece speaks to you, don’t let anyone sway you from your vision. Don’t stress too hard about pleasing others. Feel the piece. really feel it deep in your soul. If it doesn’t feel right to your soul, it’s not you. Once you’ve found and followed your artistic vision, you’ll wake up one day to find that you’ve naturally attracted a following. These people will be the ones who love you for you. They will be ecstatic over every new piece. They’ll be fiercely loyal to you as an artist and support you always. The magic formula for finding and attracting a following can be summed up in four simple words: BE TRUE TO YOU.
A r t i s t : K at i e K i n s l e r @ a n _ unf i n i s h e d _ p a i nt i n g Ka t ie ha s p h oto g rap h e d h e r daug hte r wea r i n g t h i s c rown for ever y mi les ton e s i n ce s h e wa s b or n . He r d a u ghter tur n in g fo ur was n o exce ptio n , a n d t h i s por t ra i t of t h e b i r t h d a y pr i n ces s ma k es you feel li ke h e r b ig g es t d rea ms a re comi n g t r u e.
A rti st: Michelle Har lin M i chelle thou ght this im ag e did an exce l le nt j o b por t ra y i n g h ow a n i ma ls en r i c h o ur lives. They a re o ur p laym ate s , b e s t f r ie n ds , an d conf i d a nt s , w i lli n g to len d a p aw, a shou ld er, o r an e ar w h e n eve r we j us t n e ed s omeon e. Wh a t a prec i ou s tri bute to a ll a nima l s th at h ave b e co m e “ m an’s b e s t f r i en d .”
A r t i s t : Ma rg a ret G o o d w i n w w w. p i xe l s a n d p a i nt . c a Ma rga ret h as a de e p -s e ate d ap p re c iat i on a n d love for Ja pa n . T h i s pa i nt i n g wa s i n s pi red by h er fond memories s tan din g b e n e ath th e c h e r r y b los s om t rees i n Kyoto. T h e peta ls wou ld f loa t a ll a rou n d , a n d s he wante d to capture t h a t s u r rea l ex per i en ce i n t h i s pa i nt i n g .
A r t i s t : K i m We h n e r K i mWe h n e r. co m Kim p h oto g rap h e d p e o p le in co s tumes a t a loca l pi ra te fes t i va l. Her i ma g i n a t i on ra n w i ld ly a fter the ir s tr yin g to capture it. S h e s t r i ved to c rea te i ma g es por t ra y i n g pi ra tes wh o plu n d ered merchant s h ip s dur in g th e 17th an d 18 t h cent u r i es w h i le ma i nta i n i n g t h a t s en s e of a d vent u re an d ro m an ce conveyed i n t h e ma ny ta les .
A rti st: Randi Seigel la u g hinglightstudio s. co m Rand i’s cu riosit y wa s tic kle d w h e n s h e s aw th is l it t le fox si tti ng in the snow. Wh at exac tly do e s h e s e e? H is ex pres s i on and t he wa y the light h it h im an d th e s n ow m ade pa i nt i n g the s cene a gra tifyin g exp e r ie n ce .
ARTIST FE ATU R E
Russell K inerson DO W H AT YO U LOV E R U S S E L L’ S V E N T U R E I N PA I N T I N G B EG A N A B O U T 4 0 Y E A R S AG O W I T H WAT E R C O LO R S . H E D EC I D E D TO G E T BAC K TO H I S R O OT S A N D TA K E H I S P H OTO G RA P H Y TO T H E N E X T L E V E L . E XC E P T T H I S T I M E , H E WAS LO O K I N G THROUGH A WHOLE DIFFERENT LENS.
A r t i s t : Ru s s e l l K i ne r s on
A rt i st :Ru ss el l K ine rs on
Little did Russell know that when he joined Beyond the Brushes back in June 2020, he was in for an enjoyable and addictive challenge. His love for this planet and his formal training in environmental sciences have been his kindling to get started and his fuel to keep going. All of his photographic efforts began because of those two things, and the result was beautiful captures of landscapes and wildlife. For Russell, it was only natural that he was drawn to paint that which he loves. The majority of his paintings are derived from his photographs, and you can see just why that is in this series. For the mountain lion, the background was altered to make it a bit more interesting. For the meadow, the moose were added as a focal feature, but no worries, they have been painted into a region where they would naturally occur. For the geese, several other geese had to be removed, and the background was simplified to draw the viewer’s eye. As for the artist, (yes, Russell photographed an artist painting and then painted him), he found the artist’s approach to painting to be a source of encouragement and aided in his learning to loosen up and simplify the image. If there is anything Russell struggled with in this series, it is exactly that.
After being a photographer and learning all of the rules, it is difficult to let go of the tendency for photo-realism. However, becoming more comfortable with let ting go of that tendency is a freeing experience and actually ended up being the best part of painting the series as well. Russell achieved this through employing freehand work. Once he began working freehand, it became easier to take a painterly view and realize that not everything he saw had to be copied. A lot of detail could be left for the viewer’s eyes to fill in. While working on this series, Russell allowed nature to direct the color choice for his palette, and the Bristle Multi-Painter Wet brush rose to the top of his favorites. However, if Russell could pick to be any brush, he’s leaving the digital age and going back to his roots in watercolors once more with his statement, “the one that’s well worn but not dried out.” That thought is pretty fitting for what Russell’s key piece of advice is for developing artists. “Do what you love. Love what you do. You’re doing this for yourself. Relax and enjoy the process.”
R U S S E L L I S A R E T I R E D E N V I R O N M E N TA L S C I E N T I S T W I T H T H E P H . D. TO P R OV E I T. W H E N H E R E T I R E D, H E D EC I D E D I T WAS H I G H T I M E H E E X E R C I S E D T H E OT H E R H E M I S P H E R E O F H I S B R A I N FO R A W H I L E .
Ar ti s t:Ru ss el l K i ne rs on
A r t i s t : Ru s s e l l K i ne r s on
COMING UP IN
JUNE H ISTORY OF ART
Frida Kahlo: the woman behind the legend ELEMEN TS OF ART
Line
A rtist: Sheila Tenne s i n stagram.com/sh e il ate nne s Sheila wa s d ra wn in by th e dram a e n cap s ulate d w i t h i n t h e or i g i n a l i ma g e. G oi n g t h rou g h t h e a lla pr i ma les sons , s he th ou ght this wou ld b e a p r im e can didate to te s t h er k n owled g e. A lla pr i ma rea lly pu s h ed t h i s pa i nt i n g to t h e nex t level, a nd Sheila lo o ks fo r ward to p e r fe c tin g h e r s k i lls .
A r t i s t : Sh e r r y P rat t s h e r ro n p rat t @g mai l.com S h er r y h a d a you n g g i r l com e i n for a s en i or ph oto s es s i on . Afte r revi ew i ng t h e i ma g es , s omet h i n g a bou t t hi s one ju s t s pok e to h er, s o s he d e ci d e d to t u r n i t i nto a pa i nt i n g . W ha t a u ni qu e wa y to celeb ra te ta k i n g t h e nex t s te p i n S h er r y ’s a r t wor k a n d t hi s g i r l’s l i fe .
A rti s t: C ath Smith www. cathsmithfinear t . co m C ath loved the energy f ro m th is m o de l and wanted to ca pt u re a s e n s e of it in h e r p ai nti ng. She u sed on e of th e al la p r im a backgrou nd s from Heath e r th e P ainte r to en hance the textu re an d m ove m e nt in th e fi n al p a inting.
UNFR AMED = UNFINISHED BY V I C K I E B O L D U C
B E FO R E B EC O M I N G A N A R C H I VA L F R A M E R , T H E AS P EC T S O F P R E S E RVAT I O N A N D C O N S E RVAT I O N E LU D E D V I C K I E . H E R C O N C E R N WAS M ATC H I N G D ÉC O R . S I N C E B EC O M I N G E D U CAT E D A B O U T F R A M I N G , S H E H AS L E A R N E D T H AT D ÉC O R H AS V E RY L I T T L E TO D O WITH CHOOSING THE PROPER FRAME. A s a f r a m e r w i t h n e a r ly 2 0 ye a r s o f ex p e r i e n c e , I c a n t e l l yo u t h a t “ yo u g e t w h a t yo u p ay fo r.” I re c e n t ly a s ke d a f r a m i n g g ro u p “ w h a t wo u l d b e s o m e o f t h e m o s t i m p o r t a n t i n fo r m a t i o n yo u wo u l d s h a re w i t h a r t i s t s ? ” O n e o f t h e a n swe r s wa s , “d o n’ t p u t yo u r a r t wo r k i n a c h e a p f r a m e a n d ex p e c t yo u r c l i e n t s t o va l u e yo u r wo r k ! ” Wow ! H ow yo u p re s e n t yo u r f i n i s h e d a r t wo r k m a ke s a d i f fe re n c e . I t i s t h e f i n a l t o u c h , t h e i c i n g o n t h e c a ke , i f yo u w i l l . W hy wo u l d yo u wo r k s o m a ny h o u r s t o g e t a p i e c e t o p e r fe c t i o n , p ay t o h ave i t p ro fe s s i o n a l ly p r i n t e d , a n d t h e n s t i c k a w h a t eve r-yo u - h ave - ly i n g - a ro u n d f r a m e o n i t , a l m o s t l i ke i t ’s a n a f t e r t h o u g h t ? I f yo u d o n’ t k n ow w h a t l o o k s g o o d , I h i g h ly e n c o u r a g e yo u t o b u i l d a re l a t i o n s h i p w i t h a l o c a l f r a m e r. J u s t a s we c a n l o o k a t o u r wo r k a n d n o t s e e a f l aw s o m e o n e e l s e s e e s r i g h t away, we c a n h ave t h a t s a m e b l o c k
when it comes to picking out the right f r a m e t o c o m p l e m e n t o u r a r t wo r k . M o s t l o c a l f r a m e r s wo u l d b e h a p py t o h e l p yo u i n m a k i n g t h e b e s t c h o i c e s . M a ny o f u s a re h a p py t o p rov i d e yo u w i t h a few s a m p l e s fo r yo u r g o - t o f r a m e s t o s h ow t o yo u r c l i e n t s a n d l e t t h e m m a ke t h e c h o i c e . I f yo u a re wo r k i n g w i t h a c l i e n t w h o wa n t s t o b e i nvo lve d i n t h e f r a m i n g p ro c e s s o r w h o wa n t s m o re c h o i c e s , a c c o m p a ny t h e m t o t h e f r a m e s h o p ! I p e r s o n a l ly h ave a b o u t 6 d i f fe re n t h a n d - s e l e c t e d f r a m e s t h a t l o o k g re a t w i t h my s t y l e o f p a i n t i n g , a n d t h o s e a re t h e f i r s t o n e s I s u g g e s t . M a ke s u re t o p r i c e yo u r wo r k a c c o r d i n g ly. K n ow i n g p ro p e r f r a m i n g w i l l b e a p a r t o f t h e c o s t , s o i n c l u d e i t i n yo u r q u o t e . D o n’ t s e n d yo u r wo r k o u t t h e d o o r u n f r a m e d a n d ex p e c t t h e c l i e n t t o t a ke c a re o f i t . G o t h a t ex t r a s t e p . G i ve t h a t p e r s o n a l t o u c h . U n f r a m e d a r t wo r k i s u n f i n i s h e d a r t wo r k !
A r t i s t : V i c k i e Bold uc w w w. j v p h otos .com
A rti st: Paulette C assid y P aulette sa id this imag e s c re am e d, “ p aint m e !” It ha d t h e per fec t comb i n a t i on of compos i t i on a n d emot i on a l conte nt , not to mention Pa u let te love s C lyde s dale h o r s e s . S in ce i t wa s g oi n g to b e a c li ent pi ece, i t wa s es s ent i a l t h a t t h e d eta i l s of the ha rness a nd cos tum e b e retain e d fo r th is s h ows topper.
A rt ist: Lisa Schnie d e r L i sa wa s scrolling th ro ug h p ic ture s w h e n s h e ca me a c ros s t h i s on e. Af ter recei v i n g per mi s s i on f rom t h e ph otog ra phe r, L i sa u sed textu res an d b raye r b r us h e s to g ive it a u t h ent i c i t y a s a pi ece of a r t wor k . It pa s s ed t h e u lt i ma te test w he n t he o ri gina l photogra p h e r as kin g h ow to p urc h as e it .
A r t i s t : Ev i e S h o e m a n Ev i e loves to pa i nt pi c t u res t h a t s h ow emot i on or a n em ot i ona l con n ec t i on . S eei n g t h e ra n c h ma n a g er ’s d a u g hter h a n d fe e d i ng a ca lf, i t wa s a n o b ra i n er for h er to pa i nt t h e moment . A ni m a l s ju s t h a ve a wa y of tou c h i n g h er h ea r t , a n d s h e wa nted to s ha re t ha t ten d er h ea r ted con n ec t i on .
A r t i s t : Rowe n a C h e r r y Rowena wa nte d to re p re s e nt th e love th at M i s s Lu n a b r i n g s h er own er i n “ I ’ m A ll Ea r s .” Af ter rea c h i n g t he milestone of m as te r in g ke e p in g h e r e ar s u p, Lu n a d ec i d ed on a t h rowb a c k to h er you n g er d a y s for t he refe re n ce p h oto . Now, if Lun a cou ld ju s t con q u er pot t y t ra i n i n g , s h e’d b e g old en !
r a i L
RUFUS IS A
There is a recognizable ebb and flow to the process of learning to paint in Photoshop. As we gain skill, Rufus gets louder and bolder in an attempt to derail any success. We always begin every painting with care, choosing our colors and strokes carefully. At some point, usually right when we have invested so much time that it would be soul crushing to start over, we look at what we have painted, and we don’t like what we see. It’s commonly known as, “the ugly phase”. This is when Rufus will pounce. He knows you’re feeling insecure about what you’ve done. He knows the ugly phase is paralyzing. He knows you’re ready to toss the whole painting into the trash. “See? I told you! You can’t do this!” If Rufus has wor med his way into your head, the worst thing you can possibly do is feve rishly try to pull the painting up out of the ditch. If you find yourself scratching your Wacom Pen on the tablet wildly only making a bigger and bigger mess as you go — STOP. Rufus wants you to panic and scratch away without a plan. This is how many paintings are ruined. Instead… Put your pen down.
Take a deep breath. Stand back from your screen. Take a long, objective look. Squint. Take another deep breath… or three. Walk away for a while. Your painting won’t go anywhere if you walk away and col lect your thoughts. Sometimes, that’s the best thing for the final piece! Give yourself some time. Reconnect to your original vision for the piece and give your brain time to silence Rufus’s ugly l ittle voice. Everything you need to complete the piece is already inside you if you can just silence Rufus’s attack. When you come back to the painting, take stock of what you love (there will almost always be something). That first step will help silence Rufus. Then, pick out an area that you dislike and go to work. Focus on just one area at a time. This will help keep Rufus in check! Before you know it, you’ll have pushed the painting past the ugly phase blocks Rufus threw up in your way and created something beautiful!
A r t i s t : S ue G e ra rd ht t p s: //www. su e g e ra rd p h oto g ra p hy. co m Su e fell in love w ith th is p ic ture of a l ittle b a ller i n a pu t t i n g on her ba llet s h o e s . S h e wante d to us e lot s of pi n k i n t h e pa int ing with o ut takin g away f ro m th e b a ller i n a . T h en , s h e d ecid ed to h ave extra f un by addin g in t h e f ly i n g lea ves .
A r t i s t : A n g i e C ro m pto n ht t p s: //ww w. A n g i e c ro m pto n p h oto g ra p hy. Angie took a ce l l p h o n e p h oto of h e r g ran d d a u g hter a n d t h ei r b eloved d og . T h e d og i s g et t i n g old er and ha s hea lt h issu es , s o tran s fo r m in g a s m al l , p ixela ted cell- ph on e i ma g e i nto a c h er i s h ed k eeps a k e wa s s om et hi ng An g ie’s daug hter cou ld on ly d es c r i b e a s ma g i ca l.
A r t i s t : A n n La uwe r s ht t p s : //w w w. a n a r t i s t v i ew. n et / Ann sa w th is p r int an d im m e diate ly went i nto c rea t i ve mod e. S h e pla ced t h es e t wo li t t le g i r ls on a fa nta sy- f il le d tr ip to P as ade n a. He r o n ly c h a llen g e? Ad d i n g t h e s of t color wi t h ju s t t h e r i g ht tou c h of w h im sy to m a k e t h i s s tor y b ook i ma g e come to li fe.
E L E VAT E YO U R A R T. C O M
