Special Effects in Photoshop - American Toad

Special Effects in Photoshop - American Toad

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Post Process Digital Photograph, 800px x 600px
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Imagine finding this at the bottom of the garden!

As with yesterday's image, the post-processing for this picture involved cropping and reducing the resolution of the photo, setting up an edge mask and applying several filters, and placing the resulting image on a neutral background in another document.

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Special Effects in Photoshop - Twisted Stalk Flower

Special Effects in Photoshop - Twisted Stalk Flower

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Post-process digital photograph, 800px x 600px
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I've been exploring the capabilities of my new camera, which has incredible zoom and phenomenal macro features. Now to bring up some Photoshop tricks to match these wonders!

This is a photo of a "Twisted Stalk" wildflower, which grows in zig-zag segments, each segment with a tiny, exquisite flower, hanging bell-like under its own leaf.

The post-processing for this picture involved cropping and reducing the resolution of the photo, setting up an edge mask and applying several filters, and placing the resulting image on a neutral background in another document.

You can bet I'll be playing with more images like this!
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Contour Drawing - Touching the Surface with the Pencil

Contour Drawing - Touching the Surface with the Pencil

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Graphite on paper, 8.5" x 10"
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One of the challenges of learning how to draw is the exercise of "Contour Drawing."

When you make a blind contour drawing, your eye travels along the contours of an object and you convince yourself that the pencil in your hand drawing on the paper is actually touching the surface where your eye is tracking. You don't take your eye off the object, and therefore you don't get to see the drawing develop on the paper. That's what makes it a "blind" drawing.

This exercise is like practicing scales on the piano, it's not supposed to look good, it's just part of getting better as an artist.
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All Thumbs!

All Thumbs!
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Graphite on Paper, 9" x 11"
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When I was in school I used to doodle in my books. A lot of the time it was "thumbnail sketches," quick scribbles I made of my thumb. I liked the visual pun, I liked the escape of drawing in class, and I liked that I could erase the pencil sketch quickly before I was caught.

No longer - now I fill the pages of my sketchbooks with studies of hands, feet and anything else I am interested in observing.
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Linoblock Print: Pincherries 1

Linoblock Print: Pincherries - 1 - Planning

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Digital drawing, 800px x 532px
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Relief printing from a linoleum block is a technique that can be as simple or as complex as you choose to make it. I have a drawing of pincherry blossoms that I want to print in three colors - yellow, green and blue. I can print this from a series of three linoblocks, one for each color, or I can print it as a reduction print, cutting the same block down each time I change colors. The multi-block technique gives me additional colors, while the reduction print on one block is easier to register each time it goes to the press. I'm still trying to decide.

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