"Dual Guitars" Illustrations - Corel Painter Photo Essentials 4 - Corel PSP Pro X3

Dual Guitars 1 Illustration

Dual Guitars 2 Illustration

Since I've been songwriting again I felt it appropriate to select guitars as a theme for my visual art today. I connected my external hard drive and went to My Pictures folder and looked for my Guitars folder. Finding it I opened Corel Painter Photo Essentials 4 and dragged and dropped one of the photographs I had taken of our guitars.

I used the auto paint selection Illustration for the painting, with intense color. I used this on both selected photographs. I used Apply Surface Texture, Luminance to both images as well. I like the texture on the second one better as it lends itself to that painterly look and feel.

I saved the large files and opened Picasa 3.9 and browsed to my current folder for the blog images. I opened with Corel Paintshop Photo Pro X3 and added the Visible watermark, a black border, saved, then resized for the blog.

Now on to some guitar playing.

"Custom Truck Mashup" Corel PSP Pro X3

Custom Truck Mashup

This little experiment shows the value of having a tripod for differing exposures of the same subject to use for HDR images. I ended up with an Abstract image playing around with Corel PSP Pro X3's HDR feature.

I took three exposures of this same custom truck, owned by a friend of mine, and united them in the HDR feature. I used the Align Image tool and it did its best to give me an HDR photograph. I did not use a tripod, only stood there with my shadow on the bumper of the truck. So my photographs did not align properly, as is evident in the image.

Nonetheless, I found the end result rather interesting as an abstract image. I used the Vibrancy tool for the color and a couple of other photograph smart fixes on it. I added the blue and black borders as a finish to block in the abstract image. I also added the visible watermark, my signature prior to adding the borders.

Musically I worked on the song "Playing In A Vacuum," last night with my 12-string searching for a chord progression and melody. I went back through some chord progression notes I have and found a group of chords that fit the subject well. Using them with the lyrics, already written, I created the song. I found a drum beat that was a blues Shuffle and adjusted the speed in Audacity to the pace I had for the tune. I recorded it today and did some over voicing as well for added balance to the piece.

Listening --- Kirk Mathew Gatzka --- Playing In A Vacuum

"Sky and Clouds" Fun with Corel Painter Photo Essentials 4

Detailed Watercolor

Modern Gouache Pen and Ink

Seurat

I had some fun with Corel Painter Photo Essentials 4 and three cloudy sky photographs today. I took the photographs off my external hard drive where I saved them as back ups. I opened the folder using Windows.

I applied differing styles of auto painting to them. On one, with the deepest colors, I used Modern Painting first then switched to Gouache Painting, and then Pen and Ink, for the finish I Applied the Texture Luminance.

For the one with the noticeable brush strokes I chose the Seurat Painting mode. And for the other I applied the Detailed Watercolor painting.

I saved all 3 images and opened with Corel PSP Pro X3 from Picasa 3.9. I used the Watermark to add my signature. I added a black border and black frame to each. I also resized them for display.

I have to say that all three are interesting in there own right. Each one has it's own elegance. I'm glad I took each of these photographs coming back to Michigan from Chicago one autumn.


Which one is your favorite?

"My Brother" Corel Painter Photo Essentials 4

My Brother

Working on the laptop today for a change. I browsed to a folder in Picasa 3.9 of some photographs taken in Alaska while visiting family. I found this great photograph of "My Brother." I opened with Corel PhotoPaint and cropped it for a close up. I then resampled to 300dpi to increase the size of the image. I saved it and opened with Corel Painter Photo Essentials 4.

There I tried various auto paint styles and decided that the Modern Painting looked the best. I allowed the program to do all the work, auto painting this style. Since I was on the laptop I didn't have access to my regular signature so I added a watermark in Arial Narrow Italic.

Using Filter Forge's Frames I added a narrow photograph frame to the large image, saved it and re-opened in PhotoPaint to resample to fit display here.

I invite you to read my page about My Art For Sale, I will consider any piece of my art you find here on this blog and will create the link for you as well if you wish to purchase anything.

Commenting is also welcome, I like to get feedback on my efforts to create images and the explanation of my program use and techniques.  Thank you for taking a look at this blog.

"Catch of The Day" Digital Collage in Corel PSP Pro X3

Catch of the Day

I wanted to start the month off with a digital collage using Corel PSP Pro X3. I browsed to my Dover Publications folder while in Picasa 3.9. There I opened a wallpaper background.

In PSP I resized to a larger file by increasing the dpi to 300. Then I used the Unsharp Mask tool to sharpen it.

Again in my Dover folder I found the Dandy with his attendant and copied, Pasted as New Layer into PSP. I used the layer property Multiply and also applied Curves to deepen the color, resizing to fit the large background.

I found the lobster in my Dover clip art and placed the same way. I skewered the lobster on the Dandy's cane. Naming the collage "Catch of the Day."

I decided I did not like the clip art in black so I used Adjust, Color, Red, Green, Blue, and made them a brown, which fits the beige background better.

I added my signature with the Watermark tool. Then added a mat and gold frame to complete the collage. I then flattened all layers to one. Saving the large file I then resized for display.

I was using Verse Perfect to write a song lyric the other night. It was suggested I use a theme of "Playing in a Vacuum." I am fairly isolated from other songwriters locally and write alone most of the time, so the theme was fitting. I now have verses, chorus and a bridge in writing. I need to add the chord progression and melody as of yet.

Pondering --- Playing in a Vacuum