« Older Archive for June, 2009 Newer »

More Digital Creations

Saturday, June 20th, 2009 by Alyice

I am having so much fun playing with my photographs and transforming them into beautiful works of art via my digital darkroom! And it’s really been helping with my depression—very therapeutic! When I create, whether digitally or by hand, it’s as if the depression has lifted and for just a brief moment in time, I feel normal again.

You see, dealing with seasonal depression doesn’t just last during the winter months; it lingers for months after the season has ended and just when you start feeling normal, BANG the depression returns full force—making it difficult to concentrate on the simplest of tasks like reading and writing and it’s really draining physically and emotionally. So while I have put my writing career on hold until I can get a better handle on things—or until the Sam-e, change in diet, and exercise kicks in—I’ve decided to use the free time to learn more about how Paint Shop Pro X2 and Corel Painter work and, hopefully, get my art room out of the dark and dreary basement so that I can, once again, practice my techniques.

Here are just four of my latest creations.

Keep Creating

Posted in The Cards | Comments Off

Creating Digital Works Of Art

Friday, June 12th, 2009 by Alyice

Call me naïve but when I first began manipulating my photographs and art digitally, I actually felt like I was committing the ultimate artist’s sin! I actually had it in my head that if I couldn’t create something stunning completely by hand that I had no right calling myself an artist. However, the more I play in the digital world, the more I am convince that it, too, is a form of art and one that should be appreciated more—cause seriously, it’s not as easy as it looks!

I love my computer. I love programs that allow me the flexibility to take my handcrafted works of art and transform them into beautiful, and sometimes, stunning prints. And I love that fact that I can do it without causing too much damage to our eco-system.

Take yesterday, for instance, after 7 hours of “playing” on the computer I was able to create nearly 3 dozen variations of art from one photograph. After pondering the creations, however, I—and my trusted critics—determined that only 14 were good enough to keep and possibly sale.

The best part was that there was no guilt in deleting the poor quality images and no money wasted. As for the time spent creating them, I simply chalked that up to time spent improving my skills. After all, you can’t become a better artist without practice, practice, practice. Right?!

While I am still learning how to maneuver my way around the digital realm and have yet to master the art of creating absolutely stunning images with intricate details and flawless transitions, I’d like to introduce you to someone who is a master at creating digital dreamscapes: Maggie Taylor. Click here to view her stunning artwork.

Keep Creating

Posted in The Cards | Comments Off

Thanks For Digital Darkrooms

Monday, June 8th, 2009 by Alyice

When I decided to get more serious with my photography a few years back, I became very disillusioned with the entire industry. I could not believe that many of the natural landscapes, that had literally captivated my soul, were actually altered in a digital darkroom or that so many people were airbrushed, touched-up, and given digital plastic surgery. And yet, it gave me hope!

I may never be a master photographer, but thanks to programs like Paint Shop Pro® and Photoshop®, I can take ordinary looking photographs—and even goof-ups—and turn them into beautiful works of art.

Take this Zebra for instance. I absolutely love the digital alteration but was very disappointed in the original photograph.

You see, I was visiting a small, family-owned, zoo in Wisconsin a month ago when I came across two beautiful zebras. They were full of energy and I desperately wanted to capture that energy on film. There was just one problem: they were surrounded by ugly chain-link fencing. After observing the zebras for awhile, I realized that the only clear shot I had was a tiny peep hole in the barn door. Looking through my camera’s lens, I knew the shot wasn’t going to be perfect but I had high hopes that I could manipulate it digitally.

I Recommend

Your purchase
supports this blog.

Upon downloading the images, however, I was really disappointed. The image wasn’t nearly as clear as I had hoped, I had cut off the zebras’ behinds, they were further away than I anticipated, and there were two golfers in the background that I hadn’t noticed before.

And yet, with a little digital magic, I believed I could salvage part of the photo so I opened up Paint Shop Pro® and got to work. First, I cropped out the part that I felt was worth salvaging, then I removed the digital camera noise, clarified the image, and played with the contrast. Once the colors were pleasing to the eye, I jumped over to the “effects” area where I played with various textures and effects until I was able to create something I could use.

Now, I have the perfect image for handmade greeting cards—as it only measures 2.2 x 2.9 inches. And, with a little more digital manipulation, I can also create an inchie for an altered trading card!

Give thanks…

Disclosure: I paid for the product mentioned here. This is “my opinion”. It is not an endorsement, express or implied. I was not paid to give a positive review.

Posted in It's Gratitude, Dude! | Comments Off

Pages: Prev 1 2 3 4 Next

AlyiceEdrich.com
I'm a freelance writer, mixed media artist, SMVA, and the owner of The Dabbling Mum.

Copyrights

All material on this blog belongs to Alyice Edrich, unless otherwise noted. No project, artwork, or text may be reproduced or displayed elsewhere without the consent of the creator. That includes making derivative works for resale. Please use project tutorials for personal use and/or gifts only.