"Acoustic Magazine" Fake Cover - Corel PhotoPaint

Acoustic Magazine Fake Cover

I chose a magazine motif for a creative activity this evening. I created a digital collage in Corel PhotoPaint. I found some images in old magazines and, after cutting them out,  scanned them in using my Canon MP495 All in one.

On the main face I added the eyes of a female singer and her lips on the Blues player wearing the hat, which were both cutouts as well. I applied the Image, Threshold bi-level, on the entire collage prior to adding any text.

I used the names of myself and two Guitar singer songwriters I met on the Acoustic Guitar Community. I also used the band name of the first band I was in in our senior year at high school for the exclusive interview. I added a blurb about using the free recording program Audacity. And using a bit of humor added the six-fingered Blues lesson.

The Fonts I used for the various text phrases were, Arial Narrow, Bleeding Cowboys, Abadi MT Condensed  Extra Bold and Berlin Sans FB. for a realistic touch I added the UPC code from a magazine blotting out the numbers on the code.

I saved the large file with my signature and resampled for display here.

Listening --- Cowboy Junkies --- Blue Guitar

The Acoustic Guitar - Vector Graphic

When I was a child I wanted an electric guitar, but my folks weren't having any. The got me an acoustic guitar instead. I counted my blessings and learned to play on an acoustic. Only later did I get a Seymour Duncan Woody pickup for it and an amplifier.

Visiting with my youngest sister recently she remembered how I would get all the local dogs howling when I played with the garage door open with that acoustic guitar and pickup and an inexpensive amp, all reverb, tremolo and feedback. It was funny that she remembered that the same way I did, policeman and all.

I don't know how my parents stood it as I had an attic bedroom and I would sit for hours learning chords and stomping my foot to the rhythm of my playing. And that was only acoustic at the time. But, that stomping foot must have caused come consternation!

As for the history of the Acoustic Guitar as we know it Ezine @rticles explains it.

"All about the Acoustic guitar

The bodies of cheap Acoustic guitars are typically made from laminated tonewood. More expensive Acoustics are made from higher cuts of solid spruce top wood On an Acoustic guitar, the material which the body is made from really matters, so those looking for a rich sound will want to choose a guitar with a body made from nicer wood such as spruce top wood.

The neck of the Acoustic guitar is usually made from maple, mahogany, or rosewood. However, some guitar necks are comprised of different woods. Yet again, the quality of wood does matter. Generally speaking, Acoustic guitars with necks made of a high quality maple or mahogany and bodies made with solid spruce top are quality guitars with great tone. These guitars usually cost $250 on up.

The vibration of the strings is amplified by the soundhole of the guitar. This is where all sound that you hear comes from."

My guess is my first Harmony acoustic guitar cost less than $250.00! But it was mine and I loved it. I learned "House of the Rising Sun" on that guitar! And so many more 60's songs. It was marvelous.

The image I am displaying today is an oxymoron of a acoustic guitar with both a soundhole and f-holes. I've not seen one like it but I am certain somewhere there may be one made like that. One does not really need both types of soundholes on a single acoustic guitar.

I did the vector graphic in CorelDRAW and used many different fills to give it such great coloring, as only a computer can. So bright colors for a bright and sunny day, seems reasonable enough.

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Now playing on Windows Media Player: Kirk Mathew Gatzka - Mischief Maker Makeshift Taker
via FoxyTunes

Gravel Beach and Mountains

More mountains! I have many differing images of them. They were so impressive in person, I have to say that it is hard to have a representation of them that do them justice.

I heavily cropped this photo as the gravel river beach was taking up a third of it. I again was using PhotoPaint to make my adjustments. I used KPT's Collection Pyramid Paint filter and increased the saturation by about 7 to boost the colors.

I decided to do a couple of covers of songs from songwriters that impressed me for my CD Beginnings. So I added two Beatles songs Norwegian Wood and Eleanor Rigby and John Sebastian's Daydream and, of course, Mr. Tambourine Man by Bob Dylan. I really enjoyed doing these songs as they hold many memories.

Many of the 60's and early 70's songwriters are my favorites as they helped me learn how to play guitar as I imitated them and played their songs over and over again to impress on my mind the chord progressions and the lyrics. All of course 'unplugged' on a Harmony acoustic guitar. My parents, you see, did not want to buy me an electric guitar. So I saved my money and got a Woody Seymour Duncan pickup for the acoustic and a small amplifier and had fun using tremelo and feedback, when they weren't home!

I remember one summer day when no one was home I opened the garage door and plugged in. I had all the dogs in the area howling! This disturbed the neighbors and they called the police on me.

So I received a visit from the local police who politely asked me to turn it down. So much for trying out feedback with tremelo on the amp! Back then the police were very sympathetic and nice about it. Today I doubt that they are as things have gotten worse in society. So I counted myself fortunate to have only a brief encounter and a good result from that day. It's actually a good memory.