"Myself and 12-String Self-Portrait - Ink" Corel - Paint.NET

Myself and 12-String Self-Portrait - Ink

I was working with my Logitech C260 Webcam today and snapped this Selfie. I opened it in Corel PSP Pro X3 and adjusted with the Smart Photo Fix, some color and sharpening. I used the Skin Smoother on the image. The I added the frame and signature. I saved that iteration.

I opened with Paint.NET and applied the Effects Artistic Ink Sketch. Boosting the color a bit and increasing the Ink size to 70. This gave me the line work in the piece. I would say that the only thing I may have done different is the signature, as it has ink "artifacts" all around it. But not so many I am that concerned.

I still have my Seagull C12 tuned to Open G and will be trying other open tunings soon, perhaps today for a time of practice and fun.

I have found an Alt Tuning website at: http://www.howtotuneaguitar.org/tuning/drop-c/ for alternate tunings, in this case Drop C. I love to experiment with making up chords from other tunings by sampling the sounds within the alternate ones. Or I even make up chords, and play scales by ear for the learning experience. It's a challenge I really enjoy on the guitar.

"Ground Cover, Black-eyed Susans and Stones" Corel PSP Pro X3

Ground Cover, Black-eyed Susans and Stones

Another photograph from our garden taken with our Canon Rebel XTi. Ground Cover, Black-eyed Susans and Stones, are the subject.

I browsed with Picasa 3.9 to this folder and picked this photograph for today's post. I opened with Corel PSP Pro X3.

I used the Smart Photo Fix feature, increasing the color and sharpness. Then for a punch to the color I used the Saturation tool Vibrancy setting at about a third. I applied the High Pass Sharpen tool for details.

I kept my approach simple for my adjustments in digital processing, the Blue of the wall in the background stands out as well.

I saved the large iteration after using the Visible Watermark to add my signature. I then resized for display on gatzkART!.

"Stones Dirt and Flowers" Picasa - Corel PSP Pro X3 - Plus

Stones Dirt and Flowers

Stones Dirt and Flowers, is the title of today's image. Another floral photograph from our garden. The purple flowers just planted themselves there and grew next to the Black-eyed Susans.

After I selected this shot I used Picasa 3.9 HDR tool and adjusted the radius a bit. Then I applied the Lomo effect in Picasa. I saved that and opened the photograph in Corel PSP Pro X3.

Here I adjusted the Curves for depth, and Saturation for Vibrancy (about a third.) It really brought out the purple flowers and subdued the yellow of the Black-eyed Susans.

I saved that iteration. I opened with Corel PhotoPaint to add my signature in White. I saved that and reopened in PSP Pro X3 to adjust the size for display and add some information to the EXIF data. I saved again.

The Guitar motif will have to wait until I get the bug again, which won't be long.

On an interesting note gatzkART! has surpassed 110,500 Pageviews this week! Thank you for your views and interest in the workflow.

"Echinacea and Daisies with Ground Cover" Corel PSP Pro X3

Echinacea and Daisies with Ground Cover

As we finished our walk with our Grandson I took some photographs of our garden flowers. I used the Portrait setting on my Canon Rebel XTi DSLR for some softness to the photograph. I opened Picasa 3.9 and browsed to that folder and selected this photograph. I opened with Corel PSP Pro X3.

I liked the Echinacea and the Daisies with the Ground Cover together. In PSP Pro X3 I used the Smart Photo Fix, brightening the colors a bit. I then used the High Pass Sharpen with Soft Light blending.

I applied Saturation Vibrancy at 12 for a punch to the colors. Using the Visible Watermark I added my signature. I saved the large version and then resized for display here.

I did not leave PSP Pro X3 for any other adjustments to the basic floral photograph.

"Unique Stone Covered Mail Box" Corel PSP Pro X3

Unique Stone Covered Mail Box

Took a walk around our neighborhood with our Grandson today. We have been very busy lately and a slow steady pace with a three year old was wonderful. The sky was partly cloudy and the temperature just right for a stroll.

I took my Canon Rebel XTi with me and captured a few  florals and this image of a Unique Stone Covered Mail Box. I avoided the side with the postal number and flag on it as this was the most interesting view. I took a couple of different exposures and selected one to open in Corel PSP Pro X3.

I made only a few adjustments. I used the Digital Camera Noise Removal tool, then the Smart Photo Fix increasing the color a bit for the stones on the mail box.

I tried using the Saturation tool at Vibrancy but it was too false in the colors so I rejected that use of that tool. I did apply the High Pass Sharpen effect for the lines in the wood post. I added my signature and a gold Picture Frame in PSP Pro X3.

A simple photograph that is curious as an object you don't find that often, an all stone covered mail box.

I departure from my guitars motif, but there is always time for that!

"Thunderstorm and Internet Outage - Seagull C12 Digital Collage" Paint.NET - Corel

Digital Collage Seagull C12

Had another Thunderstorm and the power went out. I was offline and had powered down my system before that so I spared my equipment some electrical harassment. But after the storm passed - now - no Internet from my ISP! The travails of the current age.

So I drank a cup of coffee, half decaf and half regular and settled in at my workstation. I plugged in my External drive and browsed the folders in Thumbnail view looking for guitar photographs.

Finding some I made my selection, my Seagull C12 sideways (horizontally.) I opened the file with Paint.NET and applied the Ink Sketch with no color and a setting of 28 for the ink pen. I Then saved this large version to my local workstation.

I opened the file with Corel PhotoPaint and began creating some Masks that allowed some pasting of a skyline and a blue gradient into the piece. I also used a woodgrain fill for the guitar body mask. I played around with pieces of the guitar making an unusual looking instrument.

Selecting another photograph of my guitar I cut it out with the lasso tool and copied and pasted it into the collage. I applied curved feathering to the object selection and duplicated it in differing sizes for balancing out the composition.

I saved that iteration to my workstation and opened with Corel PSP Pro X3. Here I increased the Saturation using Vibrancy upping the color threshold. I applied my signature with the Visible Watermark tool. Then I selected the Picture Frame Cyanotype and framed the image.

I saved that iteration and resized for display in PSP Pro.

As I post this my Stereo Amp died a popping death! Now using old OEM Speakers, Can't use my Toneport for recording or playing back, it is unplugged. Bummer!

"Guitars Dual Necks and Headstocks" - Picasa - Corel

Guitars Dual Necks and Headstocks

I browsed to my guitar folder in Picasa 3.9 and selected this photograph. We have since sold the Lyon by Washburn Guitar and now only have my Seagull C12 left.

I used Picasa's Brighten feature to lighten up the darker parts of the photograph. I then applied the Warmify tool. I like the HDR look and feel so I used a light touch of that on it as well. I saved that iteration in my Working folder.

I opened that with Corel PSP Pro X3. Here I used the Saturation Vibrancy for some punch to the colors. I did a High Pass Sharpen on it to make those strings and tuners show up distinctly. I added my signature using the Visible Watermark and saved again.

Using the Image Information tool I gave it a title, myself as Artist and also myself as copyright holder. This is added to the EXIF JPG information.

I saved it again in the larger format and then resized for display here.

Our Internet ISP had problems today so I had plenty of time to do this image and take my notes for the workflow. I am still without it at 2:00 pm and am waiting for them to fix the connection to post and read my email.

4:00 pm back online! Yes!

"Oil Painted Guitar Headstocks - Polar Inversion - Textured" Corel - Plus

Headstocks Polar Inversion
Click for more Detail

I took a photograph of a shot of two Guitar headstocks on a patterned pillow. I browsed to it in Picasa 3.9 and opened with Paint.NET.

I applied the Distort Polar Inversion with Clamp as the setting. I played around with the cursor setting, moving about the mini picture of the screen until I liked the image.

I then used the Effects Artistic Oil Paint and pushed the settings to the max. This resulted in fewer details and more textures. I saved the large iteration.

I opened with Corel PhotoPaint and used Filter Forge's Photo Effects plug-in Vibrancy to add some punch to the colors. I then applied the Texture Elephant Skin to the image, set at 48 / Black, for additional texture. I added my signature PNG and set it.

I saved it large again, Then for a lark I rotated the file 90% and resampled to display size.

"New Song on SoundCloud 'Come Along II' in Open G Tuning"

Seagull !2-String Guitar Open G Tuning

 Come Along II - I recommend headphones or a good set of speakers to listen to this song.

https://soundcloud.com/gatzka-music/come-along-ii

"Artists In The Plus - Studio Sessions with Tom Strasser" Picasa - Corel

Studio Session with Tom Strasser

+Artists In The Plus +John Voshell +Tom Strasser

Image manipulation with Picasa 3.9 and Corel Products

1. Full Screen Capture in .BMP converted to .JPG
2. Cropped
3. Warmify
4. HDR
5. Lomo
6. Museum Matte

Signature added in white - Corel PhotoPaint
Softened in Corel PSP Pro X3

NOTE: This is a "G" rated blog and some swearing was in the show so I did not include the YouTube link. But you can follow +Artists In The Plus for links.

"In The Spotlight" with Christina Cecrle Picasa - Corel

"In The Spotlight" with Christina Cecrle

"In The Spotlight" with Christina Cecrle

Hosted by +Artists In The Plus Interview by +John Voshell

Full Screen Capture in Picasa 3.9 as .BMP converted to .JPG

1. Cropped
2. Warmify
3. HDR
4. Lomo
5. Museum Matte
6. Signature added in Corel PSP Pro X3

Wonderful show you may have missed:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=voIZD0Phg4w#at=78

"Dual Guitar Wrap" Paint.NET - Corel

Dual Guitar Wrap

I opened from Picasa 3.9 a Dual Guitar photograph with Paint.NET. There I applied the Effects, Distort, Polar Inversion to the image. I used the settings Wrap with the Quality set High.

I used the Adjustment tool Hue/Saturation and increased the Saturation a bit. Then I applied the Curves set to RGB and lightened the colors back slightly.

To Soften the tones I used Effects, Blurs, Surface Blurs on the image. I Then Sharpened the image with a setting of Seven.

The resulting image is a Kaleidoscopic style piece, which I saved the large iteration. As you peer into the center you kind of get lost in the fractal likeness of the guitars.

I opened with Corel PSP Pro X3 and using the Visible Watermark I added my signature, saving again, and resizing to display size and saved the final.