Attempt No. 2

First thing this morning I started in with a fresh eye and decided to change three things - the distance from her nose to the back of her chignon (I'm not sure this "hair in a snood" qualifies as a chignon, but I've never before had a chance to use that word in a sentence and couldn't help myself.); the eye; and the nose.

The first one wasn't too difficult and I am pleased with the result, but still don't like the hair that is free near the front of her head. I am actually not too displeased with the new eye. It appears to be a bit more defined than the original, but is certainly an improvement over the first attempt. The nose is still bothering me a bit, not so much for itself, but for how it required a redraw of the mouth and chin. That is my biggest disappointment at this point, but I am going to walk away from it now and maybe try again later in the day.

 

Today's version

Yesterday's Initial Attempt

The Original

I would sincerely appreciate any comments or suggestions you have for me, and a big thank you to all who left comments yesterday.

I need to spend some time today gathering the supplies I need to take to Hollander's on Sunday for the 

Found Book Concertina class and in the process clean up my art room (it is quite a mess). I also need to prepare for the watercolor class that begins on Monday through the A.R.T. Yahoo! group.

The second Molly Murrah free watercolor workshop at the Creative Techs site is today and I am hoping to watch and learn. I don't have the supplies yet (there is lots of overlap between her list and the list in the Claudia Nice book), but am anxious to watch anyway and take notes.

I have an Algebra student coming over after school today and am looking forward to working with him again (I tutored him in Geometry last semester).

Sounds like a busy day, but I also have to find time to get on the treadmill. I am trying very hard to give about 1/2 hour a day and am becoming addicted to it.

Hope to see you tomorrow!

xoxo

Puzzling and Sleep Deprived

I don't have much for you today. I spent most of yesterday with the 2 year old and then in late afternoon met her big sister's bus only to find that she hadn't felt well at school and was running a fever. This completely changes the way in which we spend time together. She is being kept home from school today and I will have both girls from 9:30 this morning until dinner time.

I stayed at my daughter's house last evening until almost midnight with my son and a friend of his helping with Algebra homework and woke up at 5:00 this morning unable to get back to sleep. Sure hope both girls take a nap today so I am able to also.

Here is the little I got done yesterday. The 3D butterfly is painted with iridiscent copper light on the back side so that it somewhat matches the decorative top layer.

The picture quality is not the best, but I think you get the idea. I will not be doing any more art today until after dinner when the girls get picked up and then only if I have any energy left by then, but I hope to add to the other two puzzle pieces some time soon and will share them then.

A heads up to two free Creative Tech videos - one is on Photoshop Smart Objects by Lesa Snider and the other is on Open Type Fonts by Jay Nelson. You can watch them here.

Gotta go; see you tomorrow.

Post Cards And Stuff

I've decided that the postcards I am currently working will be two layers; one layer of pretty background paper with drawings, collage, mabe a bit of poetry, and a white simulated postcard back for the message and address.

Here are two that I have started. It should come as no surprise that one of them is of birds. I also like drawing fish, so the other one is a simple fish drawing.

 

I also wanted to tell you a bit about the webinar I attended yesterday. I was able to see all of Lesa's presentation about Smart Objects in Photoshop. It was stunning. She was straightforward and explained things very well. She did some outstanding examples and best of all Creative Techs is planning to allow it to be downloaded by anyone. It is not up yet, but when it is I will remind you.

I wasn't able to stay for Jay's Open Type Tricks because HughesNet kicked me off again! I swear they are the bane of my existence. I really must move into a small town so I can get high speed internet service for 1/3 of the cost with unlimited access AND faster speeds.

I understand that sometime soon both Lesa's and Jay's presentations will be available for downloading at no charge. I am looking forward to that. Meanwhile, I got up at 4:30 this morning so that I could read my emails, read the blogs I subscribe to and write to my blog. HughesNet is "open" between 2 AM and 7 AM. I feel like Cinderella. When the clock strikes 7 AM, I will no longer have access (it will appear that I have access, but it will be so slow (about 7 kbs) that nothing works.

I am watching the girls again today - but not until around 2, but will be staying at DD's house all afternoon and until she returns from work about 10 PM. That gives me all morning to get some art done so that I will have something meaningful to post about tomorrow.

See you then....

Bye!

Photoshop Pen Tool

Creative Techs had a really good free webinar yesterday on using the pen tool in Photoshop. It looked really easy. I took notes when I could, but it was difficult to watch the progress, listen to the tips and shortcuts, and write things down. I am determined to learn to use this tool and am going to use it to make outlines of things I like to draw.

It should come as no surprise that my first attempt is a bird. I started with a hand drawn picture, then used the pen tool on a layer above to try to get the outline. I had a bit of difficulty and had to start over a few times, but finally liked it enough to try to use other tools in Photoshop to "finish" it. The outline is completely drawn using the pen tool. The "feathers" were added using a brush. I am just realizing how unreal the branch looks. I should have roughed it up a bit, but I was so concentrating on the bird, I completely missed it. Sorry! I don't like him all that much, but am proud as punch that I was able to get a recognizable outline using the pen tool.

He is not exactly what I wanted, but he is definitely recognizable (although I don't know if such a bird really exists).

I finished my surprise project yesterday and submitted it. Once I hear about the judging and how I did, I will post a picture.

I signed up for five more addresses from Postcrossing and am just beginning to make the post cards. I think I am going to make them with a pretty scrapbooking paper background and then collage on top. I may add a poem (maybe a haiku) as well. I'll show you what I've done when I am finished.

Also, I have finally chosen the art pieces that I will send on as part of the Pay It Forward project that I participated in early in March. Lucky the rules gave me a year to fulfill my obligation because I have finally given it the required thought and will try to get them in the mail this weekend. I haven't received mine yet, but only seven months have passed. It will be fun to get a surprise in the mail. Sure hope my PIF recipients like what I am sending.

I am watching the baby most of the day and meeting the 1st grader's bus around 2 pm. I don't think it will be an art day today. Maybe next week I will try to do a small tutorial on the pen tool (Yikes!)

Bye for now.....

Gifts, Winnings and Photoshop (Surprise :-D )

I was given a lovely gift by Lindsay (the bride) for participating in her wedding ceremony as a reader. Her Aunt Dolly also was a reader and had a much larger role than I did. She did a lovely job and was a really sweet woman. My role was quite small and most people said I did a good job. The hubster, who knows me better than anyone else, said my voice was a little shaky, but that it was pretty good. Anyway, these two angels are now watching over me in my art room and they fit in so well:

Yesterday's mail yielded a couple of lovely surprises as well. I got another post card through Postcrossing and I received my "dibs and dabs" from across the pond from Nicks. I was the fortunate winner of her giveaway and what a beautiful piece of art she sent. What a lovely surprise. When she announced the winners, it seems to me that she mentioned sending "dibs and dabs" or "bit of Tat" and I assumed I would be receiving some arty odds and ends. This prize far exceeded my expectations. Thank you so much, Nicks! If you are unfamiliar with her blog, you should definitely pay her a visit.

And of course yesterday instead of working on my surprise project (to be revealed early next week), I played some more in Photoshop. I didn't have an idea in mind, I was just playing and these are the results:

I hope you like them.

Today's free webinar from Creative Techs is on the pen tool. I am really excited to get a tutorial on this one and am determined to learn it. I can't wait to show you my first drawing when I have begun to master it.

Also, I received a notice in my email that Creative Techs is hosting a special webinar next Tuesday, October 6, with these two topics:

Lesa Snider: Photoshop Smart Objects

Jay Nelson: OpenType Font Secrets

Register here:  www.gotomeeting.com/register/262867464

I'm off to get my first mug of coffee and to begin to plan the finish on my secret project!

Bye!

More Photoshop Play

Can you believe it is the last day of September?  Where is time going? I am working on a secret project and am about 1/2 done. The deadline is October 5, but I just can't seem to get myself to finish it. I am sure I will get to it later today, but for now I can't seem to pull myself away from Photoshop.

Here are a couple of pieces I put together yesterday. They both use photographs I have on my computer. The first one is a peachy colored rose from my garden and the second is a photo from my sister while she was vacationing in the panhandle of Florida last winter. Both of these techniques are based on tutorials by Scott Kelby. If you don't know Scott and are into Photoshop, you really should check him out. He is a very prolific author of Photoshop, Lightroom, and Photography books that I know. I have attended a couple of NAPP workshops at Washtenaw Community College in Ann Arbor where he was a presenter and have never been disappointed. Another author/presenter you should get to know is Dave Cross. He is as knowledgeable as Scott, but is terrifically humorous as well.

Another resource if you are into Photoshop is the Creative Techs free webinar once a week for 6 months. This week the focus is on the Pen tool. I promised myself I would spend time learning how to use this tool, but haven't become proficient yet. That is my goal for this winter. I could be so much more productive if only I could master this tool. Can't wait for tomorrow's webinar!

For now, I need another cup of coffee and then need to get in the shower. I have to get into town to send back a package via FedEx and really must do some grocery shopping.

See you tomorrow!

Giveaway Winner

Drum roll please......

The winner of the book giveaway is

Funkycrafter, I need your email and snail mail addy so that I can get your book in the mail. I will be sending this book to you. I have used it a lot, but still have not made all the wonderful variations. I sure hope you like it.

Just a reminder, the next session of the free Photoshop class from Creative Techs is today at 2:00 pm EST. 

I am taking a clay class one of the library branches this evening. I really don't know what to expect. I couldn't find a lot of info, but whatever it is, I will surely be sharing tomorrow.

Meanwhile, I've got to get a move on - so much to do, so little time.....

Bye!

Digital Art 2

The second in the series of free Photoshop classes courtesy of Creative Techs is at 2:00 today and I am looking forward to it. This class is devoted to levels, probably the most important topic for getting started and realizing the power of Photoshop. While I think I know a ton about layers, I am pretty sure I am going to learn something new, whether it is totally new or a more efficient way to do what I already know. If you are one of the people who are signed up for this class, do sign on between 1:30 and 1:45 to assure you get in. The software used to run this webinar limits the number of logged in users (the number of people who actually can see and hear the lesson) to 1000 and once that number are logged on, no one else can join.

Because I am eagerly anticipating this class, I have been playing again. Using layers, rendered clouds, a bird, trees and a moon from the custom shapes menu, duplicating, transforming, brushing and blurring, I have made a simple night scene that I am reasonable happy with at this point. I am sure those of you out there who use Painter or are much more advanced in Photoshop than I am will find this pretty juvenile, but for myself, it is a beginning.

So without further ado, here it is:

Foggy Night

I am beginning to pack my bag in preparation of the art day in Muskegon this Saturday. I am driving to Marshall and riding with three other women. I need to decide what dish I am bringing to pass and get it made. I have been anticipating this day for a long time. 

I'm a bit sleep deprived today. My son stayed until 1:30 this morning working on Algebra homework that is due this morning. We both decided it might be a better idea to begin the homework earlier next time. 

I'm going to go get another mug of coffee and read my emails and the blogs I subscribe to and then keep working on the bag I am taking to the art/play day this weekend.

Bye!

Miscellany

I got home yesterday in the early afternoon, watched the first lesson of the free 6-month Photoshop webinar from Creative Techs, and promptly took a nap. The drive home was uneventful, very little traffic; the only problem was that I felt sooooooo sleepy. I ran the air conditioner on high periodically, turned up the music, sang along.....all the things you need to do to interrupt that sleepiness.

I watched the Tiger game - they won!!!

I took care of mail and such and then I played. I brought home an old picture of myself with four of my siblings to scan and had fun playing with it and finally adding a sepia tone. I am the one on the far right. My brother, John, who died of cancer last summer is the baby.



After that I couldn't help myself, I had to play with Photoshop for awhile. I decided it was time to play with brushes and my birds. I drew a bird in black using the pencil tool and then used brushes and layers to add the color. When I was satisfied, I put the black outline in the trash. Then I used the Custom Shape Tool to put a layer of diagonal lines behind the bird. The most fun was using the distort filter to warp the lines. I added a trill of notes also using the Custom Shape Tool and then selected all the layers that made up the bird and copied them. I then merged those copied layers. I then used the Transform tool to make the bird much smaller and then made three more copies. Voila!



Finally, while reading the blogs to which I subscribe I found the Friday Fill-in and had fun filling it in.


I am hoping to find time this weekend to play with clay and try to make a few clay pendants. My Mom gave me a toaster oven that was a gift to her years ago and has only been used a couple of times. She loved it, but her place is so small she doesn't have the counter space it requires. I had borrowed one from my dear friend, Nancy, but now I actually have one of my own.

Gotta go make coffee and get started on the day!

See you later.....

Finishing Up and Free Online Class Announcement

I have spent the past couple of days finishing up some projects. I painted the sides of the giraffe collage and the small wooden pieces I'd made. I sealed the bird ATCs to send to Canada for the International exhibition and swap, I added another coat of PPA glossy to the flowered napkin on wood wall hanging and sealed the wax abstract and adhered it to a piece of mat board.

I am going up to the Maple Street Mall today to help the hubster get his new space set up and hope to put some of my things there as well. The hard part is knowing how to price them. First we are meeting his sister and a friend for lunch. Afterward I hope to come home and play. Hopefully my muse will be in residence!

If you have read my blog before you know that I took a free online digital photography course. I loved it. It was easy (they sent a link to the class each week) and very informative. Today I received another newsletter from Creative Techs in which they announced another round of free online courses - even longer in time and greater in scope. Here is a portion of that newsletter:

September: Free Photoshop, Photography, & Web Classes!

I spent (yet another) weekend getting our September course list posted. The upcoming class calendar looks pretty cool. Take a look through the slate of upcoming free classes, and sign up for a couple that catch your interest:

Photoshop Course (6-Months!)
Digital Photography Course (10-Weeks)
Lightroom Course (10-Weeks)
Dreamweaver Course (10-Weeks)

Here is the link to check them out: http://creativetechs.com/training/

I have already signed up for the Photoshop course. When I was using it everyday, I was quite proficient at it, but it has been a long time and, frankly, I could use a refresher. And it's free!

I hope to get some new art started today - or maybe I will finish some of the unfinished projects - and hope to share with you tomorrow.

Bye for now.....