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Experimenting with photo-editing software

Experimenting with photo-editing software

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As I mentioned in my last newsletter, I spent a few hours last weekend working on a gift for some friends (I’ll do a blog post about how I did it once they get the pressie). I ended up with some really neat effects combining the photo-editing software I use online (Pixlr online photo editor, which is very similar to Photoshop but free) and then importing those images into my art app (ArtRage that I’ve written about several times in the past). I like the different effects and moods you can give a photograph using editing software, and then interpreting that even further with other media.

 

Here’s the original photo I decided to use in this experiment. I was inspired by the bright vivid colours, as well as the beautiful texture of the petals curling against each other. I don’t remember what this flower is called, I’m pretty sure it’s one from my Mum’s garden, but I’m so hopeless with plants. They pretty much cry when they see me coming, they know I’m a horrible plant mama (as much as I try). I definitely did not inherit Mum’s green thumb, I think I was born with brown thumbs. I’m just grateful Coco reminds me to feed him, would hate for him to wither up on me!

 

Original photo
Original photo

 

When I was doing my mini oil-painting, the original photo was very bright pink as well, but the finished product ended up almost having some sepia-inspired tones to it. In this photo-editing experiment, I did want to try and mix the vibrant colours with the softer sepia tones and see what I could come up with. Here are some of the combinations I created.

 

 

 

And here’s a screenshot of closeups of all four images together, I think it makes for an interesting mosaic and I can think of several ways this image could be manipulated and used.

 

All four (closeup)
All four (closeup)

 

I haven’t officially decided what I’ll do with the various images I’ve created, but some ideas I have are to do a pen drawing of the sepia image (I adore the gentleness to the depth and tones in it along with the sharpness of the petals). I’m also thinking both the combo image (solarize and sepia) and the solarize image would make really stunning oil paintings. So, more experimenting still to be done, but I think I’m going to keep doing these kinds of multi-media experiments. I am limited in what I can do physically, but there are very few limits as to what I can do digitally. Of course these images are quite “basic” in the sense of barely even touching what you can do with photo-editing software, but I really like these images as they are.

Do you use digital media at all in your art or creative work? What do you use?

Follow Dana Batho:

Artist and Designer

I am an artist, veteran, analyst, and mommy to the sweetest dog ever. I am constantly thinking of ways to use my creativity in everything I touch despite my physical limitations, and I love encouraging others to do the same.

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