LiveBrush - Watercolor - Painter 8

As I worked with LiveBrush (see previous post for link to the free Lite version) I created this plants and tree scene. I've enjoyed using LiveBrush for a few images to share. I like the lineart it makes as you try to compose an image that makes sense.

After I did the lineart work I opened it in Painter 8 and added the watercolors using a couple of different brushes at varying sizes. I added a watercolor frame from Filter Forge in PhotoPaint and reopened in Painter to Apply Surface Texture> Image Luminance>.

In PhotoPaint I used the Tone Curve to increase the depth and a touch of saturation increase as well.

For fun I've also included an image from Dover Publications of a Degas painting with an overlay of lineart both from Dover. I used PhotoPaint to open both images and then copied to the clipboard the lineart and pasted and adjusted that into the painted version. It was actually a page to print out and color by hand but I merged the two together for an interesting use of Dover clip art.

I got my 12-string out late yesterday night as I could not sleep and I tuned to DADGAD and used the new chord chart I recently downloaded. I learned some new chords, found some I was already using and found out I had made up a few of my own that aren't listed on the chart!

The tones you can get playing DADGAD tuning are just marvelous and as my wife said, "very pretty."

As always I enjoy learning new things for the guitar and truly enjoyed myself playing in this tuning. I improvised as well playing notes while strumming and flat picking at varying speeds and styles. Wonderful fun!

LiveBrush - Painter - Watercolor - Vector Art

I was given a link to LiveBrush by a friend on PainterTalk forums. I found the free program LiveBrush Lite to be really fascinating for creating vector driven line art. I created the image of linework shown here in LiveBrush and exported it to a png file.

I drew the bulk of the face and lineart in that program. Then I loaded it up in PhotoPaint and resaved as a jpg file. I opened that in Painter 8 and used the Watercolor brushes to add the soft colors.

Saving that file I opened it in PhotoPaint and altered the Tone Curve to add depth and upped the saturation to boost the colors up a bit.

LiveBrush allows you to use various tools or brushes to create vector linework that has its own characteristics - floral, celtic, smooth, thick, thin, fractal, etc.

I just did a sketch of a woman's face and added the surrounding "hair" and foliage. Adding the colors in Painter 8. I kept it simple and experimental for a loose fun piece.

Musically I found a great chord chart for the DADGAD tuning on my 12-string. I have an abundance of chords to select from, whereas I was making them up on the go while playing before, now I will know what chords I actually am playing. I enjoy the open tunings as a refreshing way to experiment playing the guitar. Though it is harder to write a song for me in these tunings (I've only written a couple in Drop D) I love the droning sound you get from them, almost like a sitar on my 12-string. So I look forward to playing today.

Listening --- DADGAD Theme --- Kirk Mathew Gatzka