"Acoustic Guitarist on Brick" PE5 - PhotoPaint - A Last Gasp!

Acoustic Guitarist on Brick

I have reached an impasse. With this blog, I have tried to educate many in the use of certain graphics programs. Now I must admit that I am unable to keep up with the Newest and Best of the programs being used now by many. This blog has grown obsolete as have my graphics programs.

Over 175,000 plus page views and almost 1,500 posts I find myself faltering in my efforts to use my personal workflow and the programs I use to create a truly exceptional experience for you, my readers.

I just can't find time to continue or reasons to keep posting to "gatzkART!" any longer.

I must allow my past efforts to remain for those who wish to explore all the posts here for their own reasons.

I want to thank those who were regular visitors to this blog. Your interest in my digital visual artwork and music has been greatly appreciated. Priorities change, advances march on and sometimes one finds oneself at a loss.

Please return and use this blog as a retrospective of digital artwork and music made with great enjoyment and a desire to share. It will remain until the curators of older and lost artifacts on the Internet fade away.

I will not delete it, but it will, from this time forward, become inactive.

Sincerely yours,
Kirk Mathew Gatzka
Digital Artist and Independent Musician

"Visit to Elderly Instruments Lansing Michigan"

Yesterday we were in Lansing Michigan visiting the Music store Elderly Instruments. I took a few photos. Notice the Mystery Piano Harp and the Mural.

Had a great time playing the guitars and visiting the owner, Stan Werbin, whom I had not seen for many years.

Elderly is family owned and operated Est in 1972. Great place to play the guitars and shop. Highly recommended for every guitarist. Both Acoustic and Electric.

"Young Lady Watercolor Texture - Guitar" Corel

Young Lady Watercolor Texture - Guitar

I got this photograph from the MorgueFile site and decided to add Texture to it. I opened with Corel PhotoPaint and applied the Threshold tool, which gave me some white space. I browsed for a Texture file and finding one I opened that in Corel Painter Photo Essentials 4 to paint it. I used two setting of Watercolors one with Random Brushstrokes and the other Wet on Wet Watercolor.

I saved the color Texture file and opened it in PhotoPaint. There I copied the Young Lady to the clipboard and pasted it upon the Texture. I applied the Texturize property to it for the grayscale look and feel. I then changed the property to Hard Light and gained a bit of Flesh Tone back into the image. I did not merged the layers yet.

I browsed for a large Guitar image and found one. The insides of a Taylor guitar showing the bracing, just as I saw at the Taylor Road Show I attended a while ago. I scaled that image to fit and applied the Threshold tool to it, I used the property Multiply I adjusted the Opacity of that and merged all the layers, including my Signature.

I used the Tone Curve to brighten the image a tad. Then using Filter Forge's Photo Effects Vibrance I gave some more punch to the colors.

I saved the large iteration. Then resampled for display here.

"Woman and Guitar in a Field with Textures" Corel

Woman and Guitar in a Field with Textures

Today I selected two Free photographs from StockVault. One is the Woman with the Guitar in a Field that you see here. I used Corel PSP Pro X3, opening the original photograph, and used two Free Textures from StockVault as well.

I first applied the Threshold tool to the image for a lot of white space. I then used a Vintage Paper Texture for the sepia toning. I added a Stone Wall Texture for some more interesting contrasts. I then used the Wand tool to make selections of the white space and added a light yellow to the new layer I created from the selections.

I added my inverted signature as a layer, as well as used the Image Information tool to add Title, Copyright, etc.

I saved the large iteration after I merged all layers to one. I then decided I wanted to use a light border and a golden frame to complete the image. I saved again and then resized the image for display.

All work was completed in Corel PSP Pro X3 as noted in the EXIF information. I am getting better at using that program, it can do many more things than I have learned at this point. I am looking forward to learning even more. As I have just invested in a faster Computer I cannot afford to upgrade my programs I use for digital creative artworks. I have to pay off the computer in full before investing in newer programs from Corel.

"Textured Blue Eyed Young Man Portrait" Corel - Mayang's Textures

Blue Eyed Young Man

Another of my Journal entries updated with Mayang's Textures. I am continuing to seek these freehand images, done in Pen and Ink and Pastels and adding texture to them. I have a few really nice ones as I have been displaying in my most recent posts.

I select the Journal scanned in image, then search for an appropriate texture from Mayang's Textures and layer them. I first boosted the color of the Young Man's Portrait using Corel PhotoPaint's Tone Curve. I then selected the texture, this time a stony texture that I rotated and layered over the scan. I used the property Multiply and reduced the opacity a touch for the texture, to allow details show through.

I merged the layers, saved the large iteration with my signature and resampled for display here.

For the middle of my day I participated in an HOA "Let's Talk About It." hosted by +George Miller. We talked a bit about art and music and how being creative can help those experiencing depression. We differed in a discussion about which guitar was harder to play the 12-String or a 6-String guitar. I feel that the 6-string is harder as you must be very accurate in finger placement. But On a 12-string you have other strings as a "backup" if you happen to play a slightly sloppy chord. Two others disagreed with me.

It was stated that the 12-String Guitars strengthen your hand as you are playing twice as many strings. I could not disagree with that.

Practice is what is very important with any musical instrument or the creating of art works, traditional or digital. So practice was agreed upon.

"Stringed Instruments in Foliage" Corel - Plus

Stringed Instruments in Foliage

Returning to the Guitar motif I used a couple of photographs of an unknown stringed guitar like instrument, and three classic guitars. I opened with Picasa 3.9 from my folders and used the Pencil tool on both. Saving them both I opened the largest with Corel PhotoPaint, there I applied the Tone Curve to deepen the line color.

I opened the other of the three guitars and pasted and erased unwanted background elements, resized them to fit and pasted. I saved that iteration and used Corel PSP Pro X3 for the sepia tone and vibrancy of the tone. I added a brown border there as well.

Saving that I used Picasa to add to the sepia depth. Back in PhotoPaint I added my signature first changing the color with Replace Colors tool. I cut and pasted the large file. I had resized to display in PSP Pro X3.

Simple changes made for an attractive Sepia toned image.

"Intense Blues Digital Poster" CorelDRAW - Plus

Ain't Nobody Gettin' Away

Short post today. I combined some old "Blues Performers," into a Digital Poster. I used Corel PhotoPaint for the photos and the processing. I copied to the clipboard and pasted onto a new file in CorelDRAW. I added the blurbs and the backgrounds with the black signature and frame finishing it off.

I saved the large iteration and then resampled to display size. Funny I had more time when I got up this morning! Now it's dark out already. Amazing!

"Digital Collage Painted Martin Guitar" Paint.NET - Corel Painter

Digital Collage Painted Martin Guitar

I selected a "Martin Guitar," photograph from Picasa 3.9 and opened it with Corel PSP Pro X3. There I applied the Smart Photo Fix to it upping the color and softening it. I added some hatching to the image surrounding the guitar and saved the file.

From Picasa I opened with Paint.NET and used the Collage Paint tool to create the next version of the image. Still recognizable as a guitar I saved that file and opened with Corel Painter 11. I then painted the brushstrokes by hand, using the Artists, Sargent brush set for cloning, though I was not cloning at the time. I outlined the guitar and the framing using this brush. I saved that iteration.

Next I opened with Corel PhotoPaint and went two iterations back to the PSP image in Picasa. I copied that to the clipboard and pasted it onto the painted collaged guitar. Using the property Multiply I added back in details of the guitar. I merged these together added my signature in white and saved another iteration.

"1,000th POST Enter the CONTEST" "Acoustic Magazine No.10 Parody" - Corel - Plus

1,000th Post - Enter the CONTEST

My Blog gatzkART! hit the 1,000th Post mark TODAY! I am offering a CD of some of my music to the winner OF THE FOLLOWING CONTEST:

NINE songs - EIGHT hand picked by the winner and one BONUS song on a CD with a jewel case, Artwork and notes, signed by me.

Here is how it will work:

1) Visit the blog from Anywhere, Twitter, email notifications, Search, including my Google+ Post marked 1,000th post.

2) Comment on the BLOG, NOTE: the comments need to be on the BLOG!

3) Leave name and/or email address (so I can contact you personally.)

4) These go into the hat,

5) I'll have my wife pull a name/email address. We email the WINNER! So we need your email address or some way to contact you!

6) The winner gets to select which songs they want (up to a limit of 8 with a bonus song added by me.)

7) I get their mailing address and they tell me which 8 songs they have chosen.

8) I make the CD, with a jewel case and Artwork and notes.

9) I pay for shipping (USA only, sorry.) And send to the WINNER!

10) It will take time to make the CD and the Artwork and notes so patience will be needed but this becomes a priority when the winner is chosen.

I have over 35 songs to select from on Acoustic Guitar Community which link is BELOW.

All names and email addresses will NOT be added to a mailing list or followed on Google+ (unless you want me to follow you.) Your Privacy is very important to me. I will have to approve each blog comment so no spammers will get through so your post will not
show up until I approve it.

HERE IS THE LINK TO THE CHOICE OF SONGS:

http://www.acousticguitarcommunity.com/profile/KirkMathewGatzka





THIS IS A LIMITED TIME OFFER. CONTEST WILL BE CLOSED IN 2 WEEKS FROM MY POST TO THE BLOG AND GOOGLE+, TWITTER.

LISTEN, CHOSE, YOU MAY HAVE WON! THANK YOU FOR YOUR INTEREST IN THIS CONTEST AND MY BLOG AND MUSIC!

"Grunge 78 Travis Bean Artist Guitar" Corel PhotoPaint - Filter Forge - Plus

78 Travis Bean Artist Guitar

"Grunge 74 Travis Bean Artist Guitar," also taken from the Guitar Photographer site mentioned in my last post with link. I created this grunge image using both Corel PSP Pro X3 and Corel PhotoPaint along with Filter Forge's Photo Effects and Frames.

I had much to do today so this post is very short with little explanation of the workflow. I am still working towards the goal of 1,000 posts for gatzkART!, 957 and counting.

"Collage Painted 12-String Guitar" Paint.NET - Corel PhotoPaint - Plus

Collage Painted 12-String Guitar

Opening with Paint.NET I applied Effects, Artistic, Collage Paint to this photograph of a Seagull C12 12-String guitar. I resized it to display size, as it was a bit small. I also Sharpened it a tad to show the collage aspects.

Saving that file I opened with Corel PhotoPaint and used the Tone Curves on it to deepen the colors. Using Filter Forge's Photo Effects I applied differing variants of Grunge until I was satisfied. I wanted a Grunge look and feel, but also wanted to be able to see the Collage Paint effect.

I next used Image Adjust Color Balance to give a bit more punch to the colors of the image. I looked in Picasa 3.9 Mayang's Textures for a light colored texture. I found one and copied and opened as New from Clipboard in PhotoPaint. I resampled to the same size of the guitar image.

I switched to the guitar and copied that to the clipboard and pasted it over that texture. I used the property Multiply to create the transparency. With the colors now deepened I used Tone Curve to lighten them.

From Picasa I recopied the image of the guitar and pasted it over the image. I adjusted the transparency to allow detail to show through with Multiply and Opacity lessened. As you look at the image you can still see the squares of the Collage Paint, but now with more detail on the 12-String Guitar.

In PhotoPaint I added my signature and saved the new image for display.

Listening --- Soft Piano Music --- Various Authors

"Grunge Seagull S12 Cedar Guitar" Corel PhotoPaint - Plus

Grunge Seagull S12 Cedar Guitar

Today I selected another blown glass floral photograph from Painter Talk Forum. I auto painted it using Detailed Watercolor in Corel Painter Photo Essentials 4, as the background. I saved the file.

I took photographs of my "1990 Seagull S12 Cedar Guitar," and used the auto paint feature Illustration on one. Then I opened the other with Paint.NET and applied the Ink Sketch with full color.

Using Picasa 3.9 I opened the background with Corel PhotoPaint. There I copied and pasted the images of the guitars. On the Ink Sketch guitars I applied Effects, Creative, Alchemy which gave them a loose grunge feel. I duplicated the Illustrated guitars and placed them for a pleasant composition of repetition.

I used Filter Forge's Photo Effects Frame for a grunge look and feel for the entire image. I boosted the background color depth a bit with the Tone Curve. I saved that iteration.

I opened with Corel PSP Pro X3 and added some Vibrancy to the colors with Hue and Saturation. Saving the large file I resized for display after applying my signature with the Visible Watermark feature.

This guitar is my current instrument of choice for songwriting and jamming. I will even improvise Blues leads on it playing to backtracking MP3's in A minor and C major.

I am working on a new song I started last night called "Come To Terms." I have yet to work out melody and chord progression for it so I have some work ahead of me.

Maybe in the near future I will get an inexpensive but playable Electric guitar for improvising my leads and melodies.

Contemplating --- Kirk Mathew Gatzka --- Come To Terms

"12-String Guitar Headstock" Corel Painter Photo Essentials 4

12-String Guitar Headstock

I took this simple photograph with my Canon Rebel XTi of the rear headstock of my Seagull 12-String Guitar. I thought I would play around again in Corel Painter Photo Essentials 4. So I took the photograph and opened with that program. I selected the Impressionistic style and set the colors to Intense.

I applied the feature and got a lovely image of this photograph. I applied the Apply Surface Texture Luminance to it for the brushstroke textures. Then saved the file.

I opened in Corel PhotoPaint and used the Tone Curve for depth and upped the saturation to boost the colors. I also added my signature in PhotoPaint. I saved that and opened with Corel PSP Pro X3.

There I used the saturation Vibrancy on it for yet more punch to the colors. I added the Ornate Picture Frame and resized for display here.

I really like the simplicity of the image, the brushstrokes and color, as well.

Listening --- Robert Plant & Alison Krauss --- Rich Woman

"Sweet Guitars" Digital Collage - Corel PhotoPaint

Sweet Guitars

I wanted to do another guitar based digital collage. I found this great sheet music with a light watercolor wash over it. I opened with Corel PhotoPaint and went to Picasa 3.9 to search for some guitar images. I located six of them at various angles and close ups as well as a full 12-string.

I resized them to fit as I wanted and used the property Exclusion on four of them for color and transparency. I applied Little Ink Pot's Thredgeholder, for the sketch appearance, to the other two guitar images and placed them with one near the center. I used the property Multiply on these for transparency.

I added my signature and saved the large file as well as resampled for display here.

Listening --- Madagascar's --- I Like To Move It

"Peacock and Paisley" Digital Collage - Corel Painter 11 - Corel PSP Pro X3

Peacock and Paisley

I opened a Photograph of some bamboo papyrus and used Corel's Painter Photo Essentials 4 Gouache painting style on it, creating the background.

I saved that file and opened it with Corel's Painter 11 where I added guitar, florea, iron textures in chalk. I browsed in Picasa 3.9 and went to a recent sampler choice of a peacock poster. I had saved that iteration now opening with Corel PhotoPaint. I added the peacock erasing and pasting with the property Subtract.

I had also picked some paisley sampler from Dover Publications, like the peacock. I added it with copy and pasted after I had used Color Replace to change the black to a burgundy Pantone color. I resized the paisley to a size corresponding to the peacock. This balanced out the composition. It almost looks like a large 69, which is the year I graduated high school, 1969. I know I'm dating myself but age in art doesn't' really matter does it.

I saved the file yet again and opened with Corel's PSP Pro X3 added the ice blue mat, drawing on the blues of the image. Then finished it off with a golden frame and my signature. One thing I have to learn is how to resize the signature in PSP, any suggestions from our readers would be appreciated. I saved the large file, resized for display here.

Listening --- mylittlebrother --- Nosedive EP on Soundcloud

"Blue Guitars" Digital Collage - Corel PhotoPaint - PSP Pro X3

Blue Guitars

Today's image is a Digital Collage of a texture from Mayang's Textures (of concrete,) two photographs of Gals playing Guitar, and two photographs of Guitars hung in display.

I browsed in Picasa 3.9 and found all the images with the exception of the texture which is newly downloaded as of yesterday. It is a densely packed collage with redundant guitar images and a Blue's color. I built the original image in Corel's PhotoPaint, but I also used Paint.NET for the Ink Sketch and Pencil Sketch tools.

After I amassed the collage to where I wanted it, I applied the blue tint to it in Picasa 3.9. I saved the file and opened with Corel's PSP Pro X3 adding a rough frame then adding the Cyan frame after that.

I added my signature and resampled for display in PhotoPaint.

Listening --- Kirk Mathew Gatzka --- The A Shuffle

"Raw!" Grunge Digital Collage - Corel PhotoPaint - Filter Forge

Raw!

I returned to Grunge Guitars Digital Collage for this image. I browsed in Picasa 3 to a folder with rust textured images for the background. I opened with Corel PhotoPaint and resampled boosting the dpi from 72 to 256 in increments to enlarge the texture.

I used the Tune Blur on it, both the Directional Blur and Soften, then the Unsharp Mask to keep some textural detail. I browsed to an image of a 12-String guitar and placed it with the property Color Burn. I selected my Dover Publications folder and used the music notation, with Color Burn and reduced the opacity to 69.

I scanned in a image of three guitar players from an old magazine and used the Threshold to change it's transparency. Selecting the white areas with the Wand tool I applied a Hubble Telescope image to the unmasked areas.

I added a Victorian corner to the upper left hand corner. And I scanned in a scrap of a poem entitled "Raw!" that I wrote in 1996. I angled the poem and used Color Burn to make it transparent.

I applied Filter Forge's Photo Effects Vibrance and also a Grunge texture and slight frame. I turned down the grunge filter and upped the stains before I applied it to the piece.

I finished with my signature and saved the large file, then resampled to display here as today's image.

Listening --- Kirk Mathew Gatzka --- I'm Raw

"Acoustic Magazine No. 3" Fake Cover -Corel PhotoPaint

Acoustic Magazine No. 3

Digital Collage is great fun for a creative exercise, so I did another "Acoustic Magazine No. 3" for today's image. Old magazine tearings and cutouts were used and scanned in with my Canon MP495. I used Corel PhotoPaint to assemble the pieces scanned at 300 dpi.

I used the fonts I have previously used on these projects (please refer to the first "issue.") I saved the large file with my signature and then resampled for display here. I don't know if I will make anymore of these fake parody covers or not, I hope you enjoy the humor and the balancing of text phrases and images.

Listening --- Blind Blake --- West Coast Blues

"Acoustic Magazine No. 2" Fake Cover - Corel PhotoPaint

Acoustic Magazine No. 2

I liked doing the first "issue" of "Acoustic Magazine," so I did a second. I scanned in ripped pieces and cutouts from old magazines and created issue No. 2., though both lack real magazine content. I only do fake covers.

I used Corel PhotoPaint for the project and after placing all pieces and text phrases I merged then used the Tone Curve for some depth to the colors. I did use the same fonts as the previous fake cover.

I saved the large file before resampling for displaying here. I think it is a nice parody. Some tongue in cheek humor here for you to enjoy.

Listening --- Alan Jackson --- Gone Country

"!Music Lives" - CorelDRAW - PhotoPaint - Filter Forge - PSP Pro X3

! Music Lives

I started to create an image today, a digital collage, about music and this is what I finished with. I had to search for some free music notation font files online and discovered two, MetDemo and MusiSync. I found a third that had guitar chord charts, Accord.

I took the font Abadi MT Condensed ExtraBold and used that for the phrase "Music Lives" and added an exclamation point from the font Basketcase. I found a photograph while browsing in Picasa 3 folders of a 12-string guitar so I used Little Ink Pot's Thredgeholder on it for line art and added a couple guitars to the piece.

Almost as an after thought I added an image of myself, unshaven, to add something more to it. I adjusted the image of me from a photograph in PSP Pro X3, making it a line art grunge image.

I also used Filter Forge's Photo Effects Grunge, altering some of the settings as before. This created a framed look, too.

Listening --- America --- This Is For All The Lonely People