Song Lyrics and Chords -Selections and Gel Layering in Painter 11

I started this experiment with a floral grunge wallpaper background opened in Painter 11. I selected a portion of the background to work with and pasted it as a new image. I found some faces of some young ladies and opened the files in Painter and used the selection lasso to cut out and paste into new layers, each face.

One of the faces is by Da Vinci from my collection of his drawings - Leda. The others are from WetCanvas forums galleries of photographs. I placed each face where I wanted them and used the Gel layer setting to add them to the grunge piece.

I decided it needed some poetry or lyrics done in my hand printing so I scanned in, using TWAIN Acquire, two pages of my song, "One Time I Am Laughing." It's a song about having conflicting feelings and is done in a Double Drop D tuning. If you look closely I even have chord charts drawn out for this song. I used the Gel layer setting again to allow the words and chords to show but not too much of the paper.

I merged all layers, Applied Surface Texture> Paper> (Italian Watercolor Paper adjusted to a light texture) and saved to a jpg file for placing on the web here. I then opened it in PhotoPaint to add a Filter Forge film frame. Resampling it to a workable size I saved it anew with less compression than usual.

While you are here please check out my new Zazzle Panel of my artworks turned into cards and posters and products for you to purchase if you would like to own a piece of my digital visual art. It is towards the bottom of the page and it scrolls the products for you to look at with no obligation! Thank You! If you have a particular piece you don't see in my store at Zazzle, write me and I can add it for you to purchase.

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Now playing: Kirk Mathew Gatzka - One time I Am Laughing
via FoxyTunes

Muscle Cars 1971 Classic - Grunge Design

"Its about Horse-
power," he said on his cell phone, "You Gotta Come See It!" Yes, Detroit Iron, Muscle Cars and Speed! Its all at the Woodward Dream Cruise on Woodward Avenue this August in the Detroit Metro area.

This image continues my motif of Grunge Design with the Classic Cars theme.

I used PhotoPaint for this piece, a photograph taken in 2006 by my son, Keir M Gatzka. I started out using the Image> Transform> Threshold> filter to create a black and white image of this 1971 Muscle Car. I added color by using the selection wand on the white in the image to mask the black out, and Harry's Plugin filter Gradients> Mystic Mountain>. I applied the Effects> Custom> Alchemy> filter for the painterly appearance for some of the colored areas. I added some paint splatters using a font called WC Rhesus B Bta sizing them large enough then as an object I used the Effects> Distort> Wet Paint> filter to add the drip factor.

Late last night I picked up my 12-string guitar and played using the DADGAD tuning at first then changing to the Double Drop D tuning, and on to the Standard tuning. I played around with the tunings improvising chords and lead. I used a chord progression I have already shared on this blog with a little change to it, uptempo and nice.

No recording but I did almost write something with the chord progression. I have the kernel of an idea percolating in my mind. We'll see what comes of it if anything. Seems I come up with ideas when I should be sleeping.

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Now playing on Windows Media Player: Kt Tunstall - Another Place to Fall
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Old Arsenal of Film Cameras - Collage

I used to have two decent film cameras for photo-
graphing. The best 35mm I ever owned was a Pentax K1000 Student body SLR camera. It was my mainstay for many years. Here I am sharing a collage of this camera and the following.

They came out, pre-digital days, with the Advanced Photo System cameras. So I got an expensive Fuji Fujifilm Endeavor 4000SL for a princely sum. Now you have to buy the APS film on Ebay to find it.

Now I moved to the Digital SLR's and it's no looking back. Both my son and I like the Canon Rebel XTi that we have. And we sometimes have a disagreement as to is going to use it and when. But it's my camera so I have first choice.

Musically I have not had much time for any new songs. I need to do some practicing and just plain fun playing on the guitar. I've been reading about different tunings again and will probably be using the DADGAD tuning on the 12-string for some fun making up chords and general all round creativity. I also like to use the Double Drop D tuning as an alternative. I just love to let my creative juices flow with these alternative tunings. The drone you get with the 12-string is marvelous, sounding like a sitar at times.

That ought to prompt some thoughtful playing and perhaps a song or instrumental. It only remains to be seen.

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Now playing on Windows Media Player: Kirk Mathew Gatzka - In A Bright Room
via FoxyTunes