More Art Rage and Photoshop

I tried another bird with Art Rage and am not very happy with it, but I am going to post it hoping someone who is better with this software will offer me some tips to get more out of it. I could not get his legs to work at all, so I put him on a nest. Also I added the "tree" background and some of the texture in Photoshop CS3.

I haven't yet gotten a chance to finish the fabric book I started at the Quilts at the Marshall House with Tina Hamilton last Saturday because I have been out of town since then, but here is a picture of the front cover.

If you are a lover of fabric and such, and you live anywhere near Marshall, Michigan, you really must check out this shop. I was enthralled and spent much of my time there looking drooling. Meanwhile, the class was wonderful. I am not sure I know anyone who has as many art techniques in her repertoire as Tina does. I sat with Puff and Terri, two of the people who I rode to Muskegon with in September, and they also are very knowledgeable and arty. I had to leave early as I was having overnight company and leaving for a two day trip to Leelanau early the next day. My recommendation to you is this: if you every get a chance to take a class with Tina Hamilton (whether it is in person or online) jump at the chance!

Meanwhile, if you can stand it, I have a couple more backgrounds for you:

For this one, I made the giraffe pattern and then used a clipping mask to fill in a girafffe template.

I used a brush and the Offset filter on this one.

And fishes. This is the letter r in the font Children.

In the case of this one and the fish one from the other day, I didn't use the offset filter. I typed the letter using the text tool and transformed it to fit one fourth of the canvas. I positioned it in the upper left corner and then made a copy and held down the shift key to constrain it to a straight line while I dragged it to the right. I then used the transform command to flip it horizontally. I then merged those two layers together and then made a copy and used the shift key again to constrain movement to a straight line and dragged it to the bottom of the canvas. I then flipped it vertically. Then all I had to do was to Edit > Define patttern.

That's all I have today, but I am planning to do more playing this evening and am sure to have something for tomorrow.

Bye!

Backgrounds via Photoshop Pattern Maker

Yes, I am guilty. Even though yesterday was full of other stuff, I stayed up late (I got a not from my friends Pam and Bev asking me IF and WHEN I sleep) playing with Photoshop again. I have started making the patterns by choosing an image to distort somehow and then applying the offset filter on that distortion. I am then choosing some other image/distortion on a new layer that somehow fits/pleases me. I am getting a lot of different looks this way and will no doubt try another permutation of this process before I get tired of making these.

My friend Francine told me she really likes the patterns, but asked what I would do with them, so just before starting this post I opened a pattern from yesterday that I particularly like and made an ATC using it. What do you think? I just threw this together and I like it so I think if I spent more time on it, I could make some really fun ones. I think it would be fun to "draw" on some of the patterns to make a more personal, less digital piece.

And, of course, I made a batch of new patterns that I'd like to share. You may use them if you'd like and I'd really like to see how you adapt them to your art.

Don't get dizzy looking at this one.

Walk like an Egyptian.

I'm really liking this one.

Another eye popper.

I just can't stop myself.

I seem to be doing a lot of circles today.

I added a texture to this one and really like the effect.

Here it is without the texture.

I love blue and green together.

Before filling with the pattern, I put a gradient on the background paper.

Okay, I'll stop now and if anyone is thinking, "This woman is crazy and really  is addicted", you're right. Each day I tell myself I am going to do something other than Photoshop, but when I am innocently on the computer checking my email or reading the blogs I subscribe to I hear the siren call and I am helpless to ignore it. Before I know it I am sucked into the time warping vortex that is Photoshop and it is hours later before I come to my senses.

Today I am spending the day with my friend Nancy playing with her new computer and doing some Photoshopping. She is new to this addicting software and I want to indoctrinate her so that I am not alone in my addiction. Bwah! Ha! Ha!

Tomorrow I am spending the day in Marshall learning how to make a fabric book with my friend Tina. I promise to show that and more next post and try to stay out of Photoshop for a day or two. However, some time soon I want to do a tutorial on how to color correct your photos in 3 easy steps. I learned this trick from Dave Cross and have found it to be extremely useful.

My posts may be hit or miss next week. We are going up to the Leelanau peninsula on Sunday and Monday and then I am tutoring for two hours with my Statistics student on Wednesday afternoon before returning home to meet with two Algebra students who are considering hiring me to tutor them as well.

For now, I am going to grab a bite to eat, have another mug of coffee, jump in the shower and drive over to Nancy's house for a day of Photoshop fun!!

Bye,