Bi-Monthly Magazine Featuring Photoshop Artists
featuring Evie Shoeman
Members of the review team are integral to the success of hundreds of Photoshop artists. Highly trained, they provide over 15,000 video reviews a year for members of Beyond the Brushes.
Video feedback is the key to success for many who are new to Photoshop painting!
Artist: Kathy Terry kathyterryphotography.com
Kathy and her husband have had the opportunity to travel to South Africa several times. She snapped a shot of an impala on one of their trips, and voila! You see it before you now. What an amazing keepsake of a fond memory.
Happy fall, y’all! I don’t know about you, but in the summertime, I kinda loose my painting mojo. I just want to be outside doing summer things! With the cooler weather, I get my painting groove back, and I’m ready to start experimenting with new things! It’s always fun to see what the burst of creativity that comes along with fall will bring. Are you feeling it too? I hope so, because in this issue we’re gonna look at some things you can do to experiment with your art.
Shelly Ellis sellisphotography.com
Shelly captured this shot from afar because “you can’t get too close to these wily critters on foot.” Her zoom lens wasn’t quite strong enough, so how do you fix that? Why, you paint it of course!
Magazine © Michelle Parsley, M. Photog., M. Artist, Cr., CPP Student images © remain with each individual as noted.
Screen capturing artwork from the magazine for your own use - whether personal or commercial use - is a violation of the artists’ copyright which is punishable by Federal fines of up to $150,000 per image.
Please be respectful of the copyright of the artists. Thank you.
Artist: Sue Gerard
https://www.suegerardphotography.com
Sue took this picture when she started doing photography. It’s been one of those pictures that have stuck with her throughout her career, and she even painted it a year ago! With everything she has learned since then, Sue decided to return to it once again and is thrilled with the result.
MICHELLE PARSLEY PUBLISHER
HANNAH PARSLEY COPYWRITER
CATH SMITH EDITOR
ARTICLES: EVIE SHOEMAN
IMAGES: SHELLY ELLIS KATHY TERRY SUE GERARD MIRIAM STEIGER WANDA ANN KINNEMAN DIANNA RUCKER ROWENA CHERRY KELLY O’KEEFE
JANICE BATTERBEE BEKKIE HARPER EVIE SHOEMAN DEB RICE
RUSSELL KINNERSON
JENNY FROH
JENNIFER WYNNE SHERYL HESS
ASHLEY PHILLIPS
TRACY MUNSON
MAYRA E THOMPSON
Think back to when you were a child. A blank sheet of paper and some crayons was all you needed to be an artist. No one had to tell you what to do. It was instinct. Experimentation came naturally, and it was fun. We need to go back there as adults! One of the most important things you can do for yourself as an artist is to experiment and have fun with your art. When you rediscover that childlike, reckless abandon where failure isn’t in your vocabulary, every brushstroke you make becomes a new adventure.
But… experimentation.
That’s a big, scary word for most artists. We are creatures of habit. We want to do what we know, what’s comfortable, and, if we’re being honest, what’s easy for us. To become better than we were yesterday, we have to get outside our own box. One of the best ways to do that is to experiment!
Let me give you just a few ways you can
• Look at the work of an artist you admire. Zoom in (if you can) and really take a close look at the brushwork. Is there a way you can emulate that artist’s brushwork in your next painting? Emulate, but don’t copy. This is a great way to experiment!
• Notice the choice of materials other artists use. While we focus on an oil painting look in Beyond the Brushes, there’s no rule against experimenting with a more mixed media style. Adding unique textures and elements to a painted artwork can create a totally unique look that is unachievable any other way. This is a great way to break the monotony of day in, day out oil painting!
• Think about a technique that has worked particularly well for you in the past. Is there a way you can apply that technique to a totally different subject for a unique result? This is one of my personal favorites for experimentation.
These are just three simple ideas but the possibilities are actually endless.
But… what if you fail?
Why is failure such a dirty word in the art world? Any time you’re creating things, you’ve got a potential for failure. For whatever reason, no one wants to admit that they’ve created a work of art that was a total flop. It’s like the dirty little secret that every artist tries to shove in the closet.
Newsflash: If an artist tells you they’ve never had a total fail, they’re lying.
I could wallpaper my bathroom with the number of failed paintings on my hard drives! The thing is — I don’t consider them failures. Why? Because I learned something from each and every “failure.” Every single one has made me a better artist. If they’ve made me into what I am today, how can that be considered a failure?
Experimentation is essential to the creative process. Without some degree of risk taking and pushing boundaries by experimentation, we will become stagnant as artists. In my opinion, that is far worse than the occasional artistic fail.
My advice? Experiment. Fail. Fail spectacularly! Eventually you’ll find the perfect experiment that makes you, YOU as an artist. Then, every single experimentation (and fail) will be worth it!
Artist: Miriam Steiger facet-fotografie.nl
Miriam’s husband is a classic car lover, and they both enjoy driving to classic car rallies. The Mini Innocenti is their favorite, and Miriam happened to have the perfect background on hand from a photograph she took on one of their trips through England.
Artist: Wanda Ann Kinnaman www.wandaannkinnaman.com/
Wanda took on this special piece to honor her grandmother, who passed away about 30 years ago. Painting the people we are closest to is usually more difficult, and Wanda wanted the added challenge of using an old, damaged snapshot from a family gathering. Its restoration is definitely something special.
Artist: Dianna Rucker ruckerphotography.smugmug.com
Dianna turned this quick cellphone shot at her son’s recent wedding into so much more. The goal was to use veils since that is something Dianna struggles with, but it turned into a painting that could easily become an heirloom. Her son and his beautiful bride were swept off their feet.
Rowena finally got to travel and visit a friend. Together, they went to a special garden in Northern California called Filoli. It has always been a delight in the past and didn’t disappoint. The wisteria and tulips were delightful, so Rowena decided to bring the beauty home with a painting.
Artist: Rowena Cherry facebook.com/ImageInationbyRowena
Artist: Kelly O’Keefe www.kellyokeefephotography.com
Kelly had an idea for a cute picture and a puppy, carriage, and dress already on hand. What does that mean? Model shoot time! Little Lucy is a perfect and willing model whenever Kelly has an idea. You can imagine Lucy’s excitement when she was told to take the puppy for a stroll.
Artist: Janice Batterbee instagram.com/janicebatterbee1695/
Janice’s local market town hasn’t had any fiestas in two years, and she was thrilled to find an old favorite back on the street. “The Gooseman” strides through with his geese faithfully following behind him. What can she say? The image was begging to be painted, and she answered the call.
Artist: Bekkie Harper
Bekkie became enamored with an Alla Prima portrait when she first joined Beyond the Brushes. It became her goal to create a portrait using that technique, and now, with the help of Michelle and the reviewers, (insert trumpet introduction) presenting her first Alla Prima portrait!
ARTIST FEATURE
A PHOTOGRAPHER BY HEART, EVIE WAS LOOKING TO RECONNECT WITH HER HAPPY PLACE AFTER SUFFERING A BACK INJURY THAT PUT HER ON THE SIDELINES. BEYOND THE BRUSHES ANSWERED HER PRAYERS.
Artist: Evie Shoeman
Evie fell in love with photography and Photoshop, and they quickly became her happy places. Her family noticed her entire demeanor changed when she got behind a camera. The world came into clearer view looking at it through a lens. However, tragedy struck when Evie hurt her back and had to have surgery, preventing her from doing photography, but that didn’t stop her artist heart. She had a desire for something more and courted different options.
Experimenting with other programs proved to be frustrating for Evie. She felt like she had to relearn everything every time she decided to paint. Then one evening, Evie and her cousin happened across Beyond the Brushes while looking at different styles of fine art. The paintings spoke to her, and she knew this was a style she wanted to learn. As soon as the class opened, Evie joined, and from there, the rest is history.
With time, patience, and practice, Evie progressed to the point of being able to happily paint in Photoshop. The added bonus was only having to work in one program took hours off each painting. And speaking of hours, Evie happily spends them with her precious grandchildren, who were the inspiration for this series. She wanted to perfect her painting skills, but once she started to have grandchildren, that desire turned into a flame. No more flirting. She wanted to be committed to learning techniques and creating paintings for her grandchildren that would last a lifetime.
The biggest struggle has been what started her passion in the first place. Breaking the photographer’s habit of attention to detail is a struggle, especially when it comes to loosening your brushstrokes. To work on this, Evie will get the facial and main details down and then paint freehand. Animals and still life afford her a lot more freedom in that department, but there are other factors that apply too, like the brushes. Brayer and Brushy Goodness are her favorites with Brayer playing a key role in this series. Evie believes they both help to break up the paint and give the effect of real oils on canvas.
Evie also finds painting images that touch her heart make a difference. When she paints something or someone that matters to her, she can see a difference in the way she paints and the outcome. It helps when the original capture is in focus, but Evie has learned not to draw everything from the capture. Instead, she does a lot of compositing to make it the way she envisioned.
And the last word of advice from Evie?
“Art is so individual and each piece is beautiful and different. This quote is so true: ‘If I create from the heart, nearly everything works; if from the head, almost nothing.’Marc Chagall.”
EVIE ENJOYS FINE ART AND PAINTING AND EXPERIMENTED WITH OTHER PROGRAMS BEFORE FINDING BEYOND THE BRUSHES. FAMILY IS HER MOTIVATION, AND SHE STRIVES TO SPEAK FROM THE HEART.
Artist: Evie Shoeman
Artist: Evie Shoeman
Artist:Evie Shoeman
Artist: Evie Shoeman
Deb wanted to express the beauty of a long-haired white cat. She used the Streamer Brush to emphasize the flowing fur on the cat, and do you see that hint of excitement in the cat’s eyes? Well, that inspired her color palette for the background.
Artist: Deb Rice
Artist: Russell Kinnerson
Russell exercised his hand painting sea shells in a Beyond the Brushes class exercise and daydreamed back to a relaxing time spent surf fishing on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Using one of his canvas backgrounds and the MP Non-Mixing Breaker, he recreated a cherished memory.
Artist: Jenny Froh https://jennyfroh.com/
Jenny’s favorite flowers are peonies, so when her parents gave her this bouquet for her birthday, she was touched by the gesture and beauty. Of course, flowers don’t last very long, so Jenny painted them instead! Now, she can look at them every day. Problem solved!
Jennifer met this grandmother on one of her trips to Kenya. Fittingly, the grandmother was called “Bibi,” which can mean lady, delightful, and life. How true for the painting? The light and colors show the lady of the house’s delightful beauty as well as that of the Kenyan people, their environment, and their lives.
Artist: Jennifer Wynne www.jenniferwynnephotography.com
With fall upon us, your mind is likely spinning with creativity (inclement weather has that effect on me!). I am ready for some serious artistic experimentation!
Rufus knows this and, being a rotten little trickster, he is ready to pounce! He is sly in his tactics, playing us against ourselves to start a battle of wills. He knows just when inspiration has struck and works his subterfuge to dupe us into giving up before we even get started.
His favorite tactic on me? He tries to convince me that I should skip the experimental piece I have in my head for the sake of something else. He works his ruse masterfully to convince me this other thing is more important.
Rufus is no dummy. This season, he’s throwing the budget and supply chain at me. If you look up “frugal” in the dictionary, you might just find my picture. I really dislike wasting things. I also don’t like to run out of precious things — art supplies fall under that heading for me. Art supplies rank right up there with breathing and dinner in my life.
“You can’t waste those art materials on an experiment! Have you noticed the inflation?!”
“If you waste that now, you may not be able to get anymore. Supply chain issues, you know?”
Those are especially dirty tricks, Rufus.
He’s hitting me where it hurts!
The reality is, experimenting and “wasting” art materials is what makes good artists great. One does not wake up one day having miraculously arrived at artistic greatness. It takes a good bit of experimentation and “waste” of materials along the way to get there!
I’m pretty sure even the words “waste” and “wasting” are straight from Rufus. Even if the art materials end up in the trash, you’ve learned a thing or two and learning is never a waste!
Luckily for most of us — with Photoshop painting, the only thing we’re “wasting” is time. But don’t let Rufus use that form of “waste” against you either!
I’ve called out Rufus’s tactic on me for this fall. In doing so, I’ve taken his power.
Is he using the same tactic on you, or is it something different? Find him. Call him out! When you do, you’ll find all his tricks hollow. Now, let’s get back to the business of creating art!
Sheryl was captured by this painting. That’s right, it captured her, not the other way around. Captivated by the emotion, she felt like it spoke to her. She enhanced that emotion in her painting, so now, it can capture each of us.
Artist: Ashley Phillips www.tapphotographync.com
Ashley had an artist’s version of love at first sight with this image. She knew she had to paint it and capture the moment. You will definitely be drawn in by the innocent love and adoration between the two. Painting is the solution for the times when we wish time would stop.
Tracy wanted to practice painting an image closer to what clients usually send — low resolution! Something about this moment grabbed her, which made it even more true to its purpose. This is an instance where we can actually be thankful for the annoyance of flies and a bit of added drama.
Artist Tracy Munson tracymunsonphotography.com
