"Beautiful Face" - Corel PSP Pro X3 - Painter 11 - PhotoPaint - Filter Forge

Beautiful Face

This is a repaint of a painting I did some time ago. I opened it from it's folder in Picasa 3 with PSP Pro X3. I altered it's Vibrancy and saturation. I also applied the Brushstrokes feature for some texture.  I saved that large file and opened with Painter 11, cloning it to paint.

There I applied some more coarse texture using the Chalk brush at varying sizes. I highlighted the hair and facial features. I used Apply Surface Texture Image Luminance. This gave me even more texture.

I then saved that iteration and opened with PhotoPaint. I applied a slight touch of Tone Curve. Using Filter Forge frames I used a simple frame. I applied the wand tool to the larger portion of the frame and used the 3D Bevel effect with a blue texture, enhancing the frame. I added my signature to complete the image.

I saved the large file, then resampled for the web.

Listening --- The Beatles --- Julia

"Begin The Dream" - CorelDRAW - PhotoPaint - Filter Forge

Begin The Dream

Back in May of this year I wrote a poem about "Begin The Dream." I was looking through my song lyrics and poetry and found it again. The poem focuses on the Dream and Reality and which is which, or both the same. In any event I made a grunge typographic image of it.

I opened CorelDRAW and also the poem (in Notepad) I pasted the poem on an imported grunge background I got from a Twitter message link (a zip file of a handful of backgrounds.) I took the title and the last two verses of the poem and enlarged them and duplicated them for a dark on light effect.

I grouped the text and the graphic and copied to the clipboard and opened PhotoPaint, using File New From Clipboard I pasted the file at 75% of it's original size which was large.

I used Filter Forge's Photo Effects Vibrance on the image for an increase in tone. I then used the same Photo Effects Grunge for the additional texturing and framing. I then used the Tone Curve to add a bit of depth. I saved the large file, resampling for display, adding my signature to complete the piece.

Listening --- The Cranberries --- Dreams

"Pain of Parkinson's" - Corel PSP Pro X3 - Painter 11 - PhotoPaint - Filter Forge

Pain of Parkinson's

Browsing in Picasa 3 folders I came across this photograph of my Father in Law at their 50th wedding anniversary. He was afflicted with Parkinson's Disease. Once a very handsome man over 6 foot tall with curly hair. He worked for many years as an Journeyman Electrician. His illness ravaged the man and left him thin and gaunt.

I took this rather small close up photograph and opened with PSP Pro X3 and resized the image to a larger file and more dpi. I applied the Effects; Art Media; Brushstrokes. This gave me a painterly image. I saved this image and opened with Painter 11, where I used a coarse paper texture and Chalk Brushstrokes for painting the rest of the piece.

I opened that file with PhotoPaint and added a film frame in Filter Forge's Freepack. A touch of the Tone Curve gave the color more depth. I resampled for display here and added my signature and saved that file.

Listening --- Alan Parsons Project --- Old and Wise

"Multiple Exposure Self Portrait" - Picasa 3 - PSP Pro X3 - Painter 11 - PhotoPaint

Self-Portrait

I began this image in Picasa 3 where I selected numerous thumbnails in the Faces folder of myself. I used the Ctrl Click to select them, then I used the Collage feature of Picasa 3 and superimposed all of them to one image. It was like making a multiple exposure photograph. I selected Create Collage 8.5x11 and let the program work. Saving that large file I continued.

I next took the Collage into PSP Pro X3 and applied the Smart Photo fix tool and the Hue/Saturation tool Vibrancy. Then I Posterized it, saving that iteration. I opened with Painter 11 from Picasa 3 and began painting a clone with Camel Oil brushes varying the size. I only took some of the detail and painted the line work.

After I was pretty satisfied with the painting, I selected a guitar texture and painted with the Chalk brush, which gives the background a touch of texture.

In PhotoPaint I selected the Tone curve for some depth to the already full colors. And then I resampled it to a 150dpi image sized for display here. I added my signature and saved that file.

Listening --- Led Zeppelin --- Good Times, Bad Times

"Beauty and Decay II" - PSP Pro X3 - PhotoPaint

Beauty II

Decay II

Browsing in Picasa 3 I found these two photographs, the first one taken by myself and the second by my Son, Keir M. Gatzka. I opened the sunrise over Bald Eagle Lake with PSP Pro X3 and used the Brushstroke effect for a painterly look. I also applied the Vibrancy tool and upped the saturation a bit.

I browsed through the Picture Frame section and selected a frame, which I later added a border to while adding my signature in PhotoPaint.

This second one received much the same treatment in PSP Pro X3, the only difference is that it was posterized prior to my enhancing it more. I used the same frame and border tools as I did with the first image. With this one I applied Local Equalization and the Tone Curve for depth in PhotoPaint, then used PSP.

I saved the larger files and then resampled for sharing here and saved those iterations.

Listening --- The Beach Boys --- Good Vibrations