"Two Women Dual Textured with Map" Corel

Two Women Dual Textured with Map

Another image with layering of a Public Domain Map, showing Michigan and surrounding areas. The Dual Textures are the Map and a Stone Texture from StockVault. (The brownish tint to the Map is the Stone Texture.)

I began with the Women ( from Morguefile) in Corel PSP Pro X3, I used the Threshold tool for white and black space. I left enough detail to satisfy me for their faces and hair. I next copied and layered the Map with a slight change with Curves for the depth of colors.

I selected another Stone Texture and adjusted the darkness of the Stone to a light color before applying the property Burn (or was it Dodge?) one or the other. This gave the brownish tint to the Map.

I added my signature and merged all layers, saving the large iteration. I viewed the full image and found that the Map made a nice border for the sides but too much white on the bottom. I opened in Corel PhotoPaint and added a black border to the entire image. Here I also resampled the image for display with compression set at 75 and smoothing at 33, with the JPG Optimized. I saved that and then posted to "gatzkART!".

NOTE: You may noticed I have another Single Tune For Sale at CDBaby to the right. Called "The Roof," it is a three track instrumental done with my 12-String Guitar in the Alternate Tuning of DADGAD. It is a mellow and soothing Tune that builds to a climax. Go to the link and have a listen to a short excerpt about 30 seconds long. You can buy it there or click off the tab to close the purchase page. Thank you for your considering some of my music.

"Young Woman - Mountain Map" Corel

Young Woman - Mountain Map

I found some Public Domain Maps through a search. The one I used today in this image is a Comparison of Mountains from all around the World. I opened the Young Woman's portrait in Corel PSP Pro X3 and applied the Threshold tool. I turned that into largely into white space. I wanted to go light and not dark with this image.

I copied and pasted the Mountain Comparative Map onto her and played with the properties. I came out with one I liked. I also upped the Saturation Vibrancy of the Map for more distinct color. I added a black border to set it off along with my signature as a layer. I merged all layers and saved the large iteration.

I tried experimenting with the Export; JPG file settings but the higher I set the compression the more it pixelated the image. I just Resized it and saved as normal JPG, display size.

"Vintage Europe Map Textured Woman Portrait" Corel

Vintage Europe Map Woman's Portrait

Today I used Corel PSP Pro X3 to create this image you see. I opened the Woman's Portrait first and applied the Threshold tool for black and white space. I did some adjusting of the portrait to balance the black and white favorably. I got the photograph of the woman from MorgueFile. The map was garnered by searching for free vintage maps.

I used the layer property Multiply, on it to allow the map to show through onto the white space. I adjusted the Saturation by 33 and played a bit with Curves to add depth to the image. I added my signature and saved the large iteration.

Resizing to a display size was next. It was a very simple and straightforward creation. I am searching for public domain maps to use in future images, Leave a note if you know of any good sites for that, thank you.

"Free Download of 'Play This Game' on SoundCloud

Free Download of "Play This Game," a song about people who are game players and self-centered. The singer refuses to play along with their "Games." Listen and go to the SoundCloud to download for free! This is an original song written and recorded by myself. Too many Bosses and not enough Workers! So, do you want to continue to play their games? I would guess No!

https://soundcloud.com/gatzka-music/play-this-game-2-noise

"Taylor Guitar Player Pencil & Texture Blend" Corel

Taylor Guitar Player

I looked through some of my photographs from the Taylor Road Show, at Motor City Guitar, I selected this one. I opened it in Corel PSP Pro X3. There I decided to use some of the Effects available and I selected Pencil for the base image. It created almost an embossed look and feel to the photograph. All my Show photographs were taken with my Canon Rebel XTi DSLR.

I then looked through some new Textures I had received from Friday Freebies StockVault. I grabbed this incredible Blue Texture. I did this the other day and I believe I used the blend property of Multiply with Opacity adjustments.

I also applied Saturation Vibrancy for a slight boost to the colors. I added a black border and my signature, and merged all the layers, saving the large iteration. I added Image Information to the EXIF properties. All the work was done in PSP Pro X3. I resized for display here but did not mess with the default compression or smoothing.

"African Map - Woman's Portrait" Corel

African Map - Woman's Portrait

More fantastic files from MorgueFile! I clicked on their freebies and collected some photographs. I had had a comment on one of my images I did of a Woman's Portrait with a Vintage map. When I saw these two photographs I just knew that they would fit together in a unique way.

I opened Corel PSP Pro X3 and layered three layers together, I used differing properties for transparency. The African Map and Woman's portrait also made her eyes just glow in the merged piece.

I saved the large iteration. Then I opened in Corel PhotoPaint. Here I resampled for display. after I had done that I wanted to punch up the colors more.

I used Filter Forge's Photo Effects Vibrancy on the full image. This made the colors just right.

I saved this time Optimized, compressed by 75 and smoothing at 33 for a smaller file size. It was ready for posting.

"Creating a Music Artist Page on Facebook" - Confusing Set-up

12-String / 6-String Redux

I have been working on a new Facebook profile and Page for my Music promotion. I find that Google+ is easier to work with posting and trusting the public. I already have people I don't know wanting to join my profile and Page, I'm anxious about this move.

I mainly did it because CDBaby has a Facebook app that allows you to sell your music there and it is always available on the Page. So, given I have avoided Facebook for all this time, I am finding it a challenge, to say the least.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Kirk-Mathew-Gatzka/812702152122935

And I am doing it when the News states that many younger people no longer are using it. Go Figure, I don't think that that teenagers would like my Alt Folk/Rock, but I may be wrong.

I am uncertain of the security changes I have to make, but if you would like to take a look, click on the link above, if you are a Facebooker. Hmm, is that offensive? I hope not.

"Tired Man Collage" Paint.NET - Corel

Tired Man Collage

This particular image is of a "Tired Man," with Collage items added for interest. The face is from MorgueFile and the paper texture is from StockVault. The others, the woman, ferns, steampunk balloon, are all from Dover Publications Sampler Clipart. 

I did the majority of the layering and placing of the individual pieces of this little Digital Collage in Paint.NET. I started with the man's portrait, I flipped it horizontally first. Then applied the Outline tool for the reverse color. (It was Black and White to begin with.) I added the colored Paper Texture as a second layer. This placed the Portrait in the upper left hand corner, as the texture was a larger file.

Rather than adjust this I decided to search for some Clipart pieces, to make a Digital collage, on my External Hard Drive. After some time I picked the pieces here at random, hoping the viewer would make up a storyline for the resulting image.

I used Multiply as the transparency property on the layers, including my signature. I did some Curves adjusting still in Paint.NET then saved the large iteration.

I reopened that in Corel PSP Pro X3. Here I boosted the colors with Saturation Vibrancy set at 33, and I again touched it up with Curves for depth. I saved again and opened in PhotoPaint, after adding some Image Information.

In PhotoPaint I resampled the piece for display. Saving the Medium sized image compressed by 75 and smoothing at 33, for display here.

After viewing the image of today, click HOME and scroll down - Please don't forget to View my new video slideshow, a retrospective of some of my 2014 artwork along with a soundtrack of an Original song I wrote and recorded, "Reality Show." It is only vocals and my Seagull 12-String guitar, I wrote the lyrics and used an upbeat chord progression for the song. Simple is sometimes better, I did not add any lead or piano to it. 

Click on it and go to YouTube and like it for me, and comment on the Artwork and the song there if you wish! Thank you.

Music and Digital Visual Art by Kirk Mathew Gatzka

"Homeless Da Vinci - Textured" Corel

Da Vinci by Francesco Melzi

Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci; 15 April 1452 – 2 May 1519) was an Italian painter, sculptor, architect, musician, mathematician, engineer, inventor, anatomist, geologist, cartographer, botanist, and writer. He is widely considered to be one of the greatest polymaths of all time and perhaps the most diversely talented person ever to have lived. His genius, perhaps more than that of any other figure, epitomized the Renaissance humanist ideal.**

Homeless Da Vinci

My Homeless Da Vinci is from a photograph of a man of maturity from MorgueFile. I opened the photograph in Corel PSP Pro X3. There I applied the Threshold tool for a black and white image.

I had just received from StockVault Friday Free Textures a few colored paper textures. I opened them also in PSP Pro X3 and copy and pasted as new Layers on the black and white Portrait. I first used the greenish aqua colored one, adjusting Saturation Vibrancy and Curves for more color, I applied the layer property for Transparency, thus leaving the black and white to now reflect the greenish aqua and white image.

I used a Vintage colored texture and also added that with transparency properties. I then added my signature and merged all the layers to one background.  I adjusted with the Saturation and Curves again for an added boost to the overall piece. I added a partially Transparent Frame to it. I saved that large iteration.

Next I opened with Corel's PhotoPaint to resample the file size to display here and to compress (75) and smooth (33). I saved for display.

Da Vinci's Study of Man

Leonardo's work is very famous, this is one example of one that is frequently used in design and artworks. I had to censor it due to having a "G" Rated Blog. Please excuse that if you object. Remember I am highlighting the full piece and the wonderful symmetry of it's details. Some may object to not having censored it.

** http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leonardo_da_Vinci

"Redhead with Flowers Textured" Paint.NET - Corel

Redhead with Flowers Textured

Another Portrait from MorgueFile and a Free Texture Friday from StockVault. I opened the Redhead with Flowers in Paint.NET as a layer. Then I searched for a recent Texture and found one I liked. I opened that also in Paint.NET and copied to the clipboard, pasting it as a new layer over the Portrait.

I adjusted the Texture trying differing layer properties and finally found one and I texture blended the layer with the photograph. I did some slight adjustments to the color with Curves. I also opened my signature file and copy - pasted as a layer to them.

I saved the large file after I merged all the layers. Then I opened with Corel PSP Pro X3 for adding Image Information and to resized for display. I did that and saved the image in a Medium iteration.

I'd like you to listen to some of my Singer Songwriter Alternative Folk/Rock on SoundCloud. At:

https://soundcloud.com/gatzka-music

The first song is the full version of my new single "Open Secret." Which is for sale on CDBaby. I invite you to have a listen and consider buying it.

Comments, Pluses and Shares on Google+ are welcome and any Tweets would be appreciated. Thank you!

"Boats and Skies" Corel

Boats and Skies

I received a photograph from StockVault's Freebies of this wonderful scene. I opened it in Corel Painter Photo Essentials 4 and watercolor sketch painted it. I used Intense colors to highlight the skies and reflections. I saved the large iteration and opened with Corel PSP Pro X3.

There I added my signature and a frame with Picture Frames. I used Image Information to add Title, my name, date and sources.

A very simple and straight forward way to create a acceptable Digital Watercolor.

Please Don't forget to listen and consider buying my new single, "Open Secret." Thanks for your kind attention!

"Now On Sale At CDBaby = Open Secret" - CDBaby

See shopping cart to your right ->

I've finally done it I have placed one of my Original Songs up for sale on CDBaby.com! Please see the shopping cart on the right hand side of this post.

I am quite excited to offer this song for sale. It is an intimate tune for those that are in a relationship without any secrets. It was once said that this song "has a honest quality to it." It isn't easy to be this open in any relationship, but communication is one of the most important parts of one.

Please consider buying this song. I am very proud to offer it as my First Single on CDBaby!

I thought that you might want to read the lyrics:

Open Secret ©2014 Kirk Mathew Gatzka

It's an open secret

It's a big idea

Nobody knows it better

Than you

It's an open secret

That I'm trying to endure

Nobody knows it better

Than you

Time to see clearly

When I'm being obscure

That you can freely

Read me

Something's are well known

Everything is not

But what's to disown

When nothin' is what you got

I've got to grow up

Time to take on what's tough

Even though I know it's rough

I think I've had enough

    

It's an open secret

It's a big idea

Nobody knows it better

Than you

It's an open secret

That I'm trying to endure

Nobody knows it better

Than you

  

It's an open secret

It's an open secret

It's an open secret

It's an open secret

It's an open secret

Thank you to all who have listened to it on SoundCloud, Now you can own your own copy! Click on the Cart to purchase at $0.99! Visit my CDBaby page Here

"Shy Guy" Corel

Shy Guy

I did today's portrait with a photograph from MorgueFile and Free Texture Friday from StockVault. I really like these photographs of ragged men. Their faces tell stories of a life filled with hardship, you can't help but sympathize with them.

I opened the photograph in Corel PhotoPaint, here I used the Threshold tool on it for white space. I adjusted it for a bit more white space as the lower portion of the image is full of deep colors.

I added the layer of a Gritty Texture, rotated to portrait and fit to the subject. I applied the property Multiply for transparency, allowing it to blend with the man's face.

I added my signature with a new copyright date, in white. Also I gave it a small black border for the top of the image as a finishing touch.

I am enjoying this series of portraits and hope you are as well. Faces and Eyes tell tales we cannot ignore. Love that, don't you?