The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2012 annual report for this blog.

Here’s an excerpt:

19,000 people fit into the new Barclays Center to see Jay-Z perform. This blog was viewed about 140,000 times in 2012. If it were a concert at the Barclays Center, it would take about 7 sold-out performances for that many people to see it.

Click here to see the complete report.

HELLO AND WELCOME!

MY NAME IS JULIE DUELL.  I AM AN AUSTRALIAN ARTIST OFFERING:

1.   FREE ART LESSONS  …   CLICK ON ANY OF THE NUMEROUS TOPICS UNDER CATEGORIES>>>>>

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2.  A GALLERY  TO BROWSE - ARTWORK DIRECT FROM THE ARTIST’S EASEL! … CLICK   ”SALES GALLERY”  IN SIDE COLUMN >>>>>

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3.  ”PERSONAL ART TUITION” 

ARE YOU HAVING TROUBLE WITH A PARTICULAR DRAWING OR PAINTING?  TECHNIQUE?  COLOUR MIX? WOULD YOU LIKE SOME PERSONAL ONE-ON-ONE  ONLINE HELP WITH IT,  AT A TIME CONVENIENT TO YOU?

WHY NOT EMAIL JULIE AT  julieduell.artist@gmail.com  DESCRIBING YOUR AIMS & PROBLEMS, ATTACHING A CLEAR IMAGE OF YOUR ARTWORK.  JULIE CAN THEN SUGGEST SOLUTIONS AND OPTIONS VIA VISUAL EXAMPLES, VIDEO CLIPS  & DESCRIPTIONS.  Note: Fees apply for personal lessons.

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4.  http://www.kidsfuncorner.com   A FREE SITE OFFERING CREATIVITY & LEARNING THROUGH FUN – A VALUABLE RESOURCE FOR CHILDREN, PARENTS & TEACHERS.

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 A NEW AND ORIGINAL ALL AUSTRALIAN CHILDRENS BOOK – 2nd edition selling fast!

THESE BOOKS ARE A4 x 36 PAGES FULL OF RICH ILLUSTRATIONS, AVAILABLE BY MAIL ORDER:  Email julieduell.artist@gmail.com  $A20 per copy + $3 postage within Australia.  A RARE AND ENCHANTING GIFT.  Here are some thumbnail samples:  

               

 

  Excitement without violence – suitable for children aged 4 to 11. $20 + $3 postage within Australia.  Overseas? Ask for a quote.

“Joy & the Bush Sprites” is the third book in Julie’s Australian Sprite series, preceded by “Bush Sprites of Australia” and “Forest Sprites of Australia” (A5 x32 page full colour books set to rhyme). If you would like a set of all 3 books, the cost is $A40 plus $4 postage.

Orders via email:  julieduell.artist@gmail.com   Payment via Paypal or direct funds transfer.  Postage via Australia Post. ______________________________________________

Copyright note:  All work created by Julie Duell is subject to copyright protection.  Whilst this site may be viewed without charge, permission to reproduce contents should be sought from Julie at   julieduell.artist@gmail.com

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To view 2012 annual review see link at top of page. Overall hits have grown from 100,000 to 140,000 in 12 months.

Click this link for a 2011 annual review of this site:  http://www.artintegrity.wordpress.com/2011/annual-report/

Click this link for more free Art lessons from a range of tutors:  http://www.artinstructionblog.com

A THING OF BEAUTY IS A JOY FOREVER!  What we ingest with our eyes is food for our soul.  Imagine owning an original painting – the only one of its kind in the entire world!_________________________________________________All art in the Sales Gallery is the unique original work of Australian Artist, Julie Duell (nee Ferguson) and as such, is subject to copyright protection.  The paintings are offered for sale at base prices shown in $Australian, direct from the artist to you. Collectors please note: Signed Authenticity Certificates are available for each painting purchased upon request.   If you would like   * further information or * to place an order, please email Julie and her team free of obligation at:     julieduell.artist@gmail.com  Acceptable payments are through Paypal or Bank transfer. Quotes given for delivery to your area. Holding deposits (non-refundable) of 10% accepted – maximum of 4 months.  Paintings are available for viewing by appointment in Erina studio, NSW. Note: Those paintings offered on stretched canvas are ready to hang as they are, or may be additionally framed by the purchaser if wished.  Stretched canvas art is very lightweight, making it easy to transport and hang. We sincerely hope you enjoy browsing the Sales Gallery…………

13. “Enchanted Glade” $350 mixed media on stretched canvas 51x75cm

9. “Poppies II” $260 mixed media on stretched canvas 45x60cm

106  BUSH RHYTHMS  $680  Mixed media on stretched canvas  61x92cm

15. “Dancing trees, Bouddi” $120 Acrylic, framed with mount behind glass 38x48cm

8. “Poppies I” $160 mixed media on stretched canvas 50x60cm

1. “Flamenco” $750 Mixed media on stretched canvas 75x100cm

110  STRIPES 2 (Horizontal composition)  $110  Acrylic on stretched canvas  36x28cm

2. “Tranquil Evening” $850 Acrylic on stretched canvas 75x100cm

3. “Reflections” $650 Mixed media on 2 layers of stretched canvas 90x60cm

111 COMMUNING  (Elephants)  $120  Acrylic on stretched canvas  51x40cm

12. “Pegasus” $190 mixed media on stretched canvas 60x50cm

69  OLDTIMER COTTAGE, DAVISTOWN NSW.  $150 Acrylic & Pastel. Framed under glass with mount. Image 24x34cm Frame 44x54cm. Study of a charming old holiday cottage near Davistown wharf. Highly commended.

4. “Opera House Dreaming” $1250 Acrylic on stretched canvas 100x75cm

61.  SUGAR GLIDER Mixed media on stretched canvas $65                      25.5×30.5cm.   A delightful study of this charming little Australian marsupial, featuring 3D raised metallic line work.

10. “Proteas” $220 mixed media on stretched canvas 60x45cm

64. KIMBERLEY KIDS Acrylic on stretched canvas $380 40x50cm

11. “Dance” $320 acrylics on stetched canvas 46x90cm

1. “THE JOY OF COLOUR” $1990                                                      OIL ON STRETCHED CANVAS 77X122cm                           A very special painting to meditate on – the colour placements match the human chakras.

16. “Jesus bird & chick – Kakadu” $80 mixed media on stretched canvas 40x30cm

2. “KINETICS” $850 ACRYLICS 75x100cm                                                                              Inspiration for this painting came from 4 quick warmup poses at a Life Drawing group – then exploring  the lively negative spaces between them.

5. “Carp at play” $360 Mixed media on stretched canvas 50x75cm

6. “MYSTIC FLIGHT” $120 OILS 28x38cm + frame                                                   Ethereal elegant egrets fly through a mystical surround.

6. “Banksias” $280 mixed media on stretched canvas 50x75cm

7. “GRAND DEEP – BOUDDI” $850 ACRYLICS 75x100cm                                                   Capturing the lush growth of an area known as the “Grand Deep” within Bouddi National Park, Central Coast, NSW.

8. “FROGS!” $780 MIXED MEDIA 75x100cm                                                                            A delightful fun painting stepping into the world of frogs after rain!  Strong water flow movement has been explored along with bubbles.  A very decorative talking point!

9. “PENGUINS’ PARADISE” $850 ACRYLICS 75x100cm                         Using a number of transparent glazes, this whimsical abstract  emulates the feeling of penguins swimming underwater.

10. “AFTERBURN” $980 DIPTYCH. ACRYLICS 76x122cm                                                   After a severe bushfire in Bouddi National Park, Julie explored the patterns left in its aftermath.

11. “MOTHER EARTH, FATHER SKY” $390 MIXED MEDIA 46x60cm

12. “KIMBERLEY COUNTRY I” $1250 ACRYLICS triptych 74x111cm                                      Typical of many of the amazing gorges of the Kimberley, this painting was developed from on site sketches and photographs.

13. “CITY LIGHTS” $450 ACRYLICS 50x40cm+frame (under glass)                                    A fantasy city emerged from this playful approach to painting in acrylics.

7. “Bridges” $260 mixed media on stretched canvas 61x46cm

15. “BLUE MOUNTAINS CAMEOS” $150 OILS 42x52cm  under glass in rustic frame.

17. “NEARLY HOME – NUNDLE NSW” $980 OILS 90X60cm + timber frame                     Painted from a photograph taken through her car windscreen, Julie has captured a glimpse of the simple pleasures of country life –  echoed in the happy faces of the riders.

18. “BOUDOIR” $120 OILS 35x45cm+frame

19. “BUSH MAJESTY” $200 OILS 30x40cm+frame                                                                 Texture has been explored fully in this delightful study.  Applied with a painting knife, Julie has emulated the peeling bark, foliage, leaf litter and ground textures of the Australian bush.

22 ‘INCOMING TIDE, NORTH AVOCA BEACH” $400 ACRYLICS 45x60cm + NEW CREAM FRAME

Above painting shown in frame

24. “WILDFLOWERS” $500 ACRYLICS 52x52cm framed – circular mount under glass

25. “SANDCASTLES” $180 ACRYLICS 33x41cm framed

26. ‘RAINY DAY IN DUBLIN” $320 ACRYLICS 46x90cm                                                          ”As a sudden shower descended, a delightful line of umbrella clusters came giggling around the corner towards us”

28. “EARLY BUSH MORNING” $240 ACRYLIC 75x60cm                                      framed (mounted under glass)

29. “FEEDING THE GULLS” $120 ACRYLIC ON STRETCHED CANVAS 30x40cm

30. “CASSOWARY FOREST” $80 ACRYLIC ON WOOD PALETTE 40cm WIDE, ON MINI EASEL

31. “MAJOR MITCHELL COCKATOOS” $80 ACRYLIC ON WOOD PALETTE 40cm WIDE. CHOICE OF PLATE HOLDER OR MINI-EASEL

32. “MOUNTAIN PARROTS” $80 ACRYLIC ON WOOD PALETTE 40cm wide – CHOICE OF MINI-EASEL OR PLATE HOLDER SUPPORT

33. “RAINBOW LORIKEETS” $80 ACRYLIC ON WOOD PALETTE 40cm WIDE. CHOICE OF MINI-EASEL OR PLATE HOLDER SUPPORT

35. “KIMBERLEY COUNTRY II” $1100 ACRYLICS 75 x 100cm                                            Typical of the many gorges of the Kimberley, the endless combinations of red ochre rocks contrasted by stark white eucalypts provide a feast of inspiration for artists. In the foreground of this painting  there is a crocodile slide mark and a glimpse of the croc lurking in the water.

36. REFLECTING ON VENICE $280 46X60cm Mixed media on stretched canvas. Original interpretation from a visit to Venice by the Artist.

37. “RAINFOREST WALK – FRASER ISLAND, QLD.” $620 ACRYLICS 46x61cm

38. “SISTERHOOD II” $1550 OIL ON BOARD 120x80cm FRAMED                                     A painting that explores the energy and unison of women.

39. “DINNER’S ON THE WAY!” $200 OIL ON BOARD 40x50cm unframed

40. “CULINARY STILL LIFE” $200 OIL ON BOARD 40x50cm unframed

41 “MOONEY CREEK NEAR GOSFORD” $140 OILS 28x36cm.used frame

42. “ALPINE LAKE” $80 OILS 29X37cm – rustic frame

43. “AUSTRALIAN BRUSH-TAILED POSSUM” $120 PASTEL 42×56 unframed

44. “PROTEAS” $80 PASTELS 19x27cm CELLO WRAPPED IN MATT. unframed

45. “PROTEAS II” WATERPROOF INKS $80 20x25cm CELLO WRAPPED IN MATT. unframed

46. “FACES IN THE GUM TREE” $130 CHARCOAL & ACRYLIC 44x57cm framed

48 The Orange Pickers $75 Oil on board 30x40cm unframed

49 Old fashioned gossip! $100 oil on board 30x40cm unframed

51 “WELCOME HOME” $90 MIXED MEDIA ON SYNTHETIC FABRIC 20X28cm UNFRAMED IN MATT

52 “TERRIGAL SAND PLAY” $120 OIL ON  SYNTHETIC CANVAS. UNFRAMED IN MATT

53 “ROCK FACE WITH FLANNEL FLOWERS” $690 MIXED MEDIA ON HEAVY WATERCOLOUR PAPER – FULLY FRAMED UNDER GLASS. 93X78cm overall              A very unique textural painting, featuring a skink lizard & dragonfly and allows the lovely white flannel flowers to pop out of the painting onto the mount. The moss, lichen and flannel flower textures have been applied using heat-treated puff paste.

56 “DAISIES” $50 – 3D MIXED MEDIA ON FABRIC 16x22cm                presented in oval mount, ready to frame

57 “MAGPIE MORN” $80 – 3D MIXED MEDIA ON FABRIC 25x32cm unframed                 A typical cameo of early morning in the Australian bush, when the magpies carol their flute-like songs.

58 “KITCHEN STILL LIFE” $130 – CHARCOAL WITH OIL GLAZES ON BOARD 40x50cm unframed

A THING OF BEAUTY IS A JOY FOREVER!  What we ingest with our eyes is food for our soul.  Imagine owning an original painting – the only one of its kind in the entire world! So special.

Thank you for viewing the Sales Gallery.   Please email if you have any queries or wish to place an order.  Free quotes are given for delivery to you and Authenticity Certificates are available with each purchase upon request.    Email:   julieduell.artist@gmail.com

I would be very happy if anyone involved in Home Schooling could make use of the tuition on this website.  Please get in touch if I can help further. 

Through this website I have been privileged to come into contact with many people and groups throughout the world.  Here for your interest, is one such group, extending our insight into various approaches to art teaching…  Julie

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We are a group of home school students meeting for drawing and painting classes in Littleton, Colorado. We meet three times each month and our classes are two hours long. We take a break after one hour and have a snack. Our class is broken into two groups based on age. We have a teacher for each group. We begin each class with a prayer and devotion that is tied to the lesson we are teaching that day. For example, when we learned about perspective we talked about what a world view is and what a Christian world view looks like compared to other world views.

The younger students are learning about elements of design such as line, shape, color, texture, and value. They have been using activities from a book called “How to Teach Art to Children”, published by Evan-Moor. A few of the activities they have worked on include wonderful line quilts and pin wheels using primary colors that look like secondary colors when they spin. They created interesting textures by painting with forks, combs, and splayed paint brushes. They also placed construction paper over raised, uneven surfaces, and colored with markers across the top side of the paper.

The older students are studying still life composition and learning about notans (balancing light and dark areas), and balancing shape and color. For one of our lessons we made a Golden Rectangle on tracing paper and drew diagonal lines from corner to corner. We put a dot in the middle of each line between the corners of our rectangle and the intersecting lines so we had four dots in all (the eyes of the Golden Rectangle). We used these to place over photos of famous still life paintings to see how the objects lined up within the rectangle’s eyes. We also learned how to draw Fibonacci spirals which was a lot of fun. We looked at pictures of nautilus shells, sunflowers and pine cones to see how this ratio occurs in nature. Last month we studied linear and atmospheric perspective in drawing and painting. We used watercolor glazing technique to paint a picture of the Smoky Mountains. A mountain range that borders Tennessee and North Carolina in the southeastern U. S.

Here are some pictures of our busy students:

 

Teacher, Laraine kindly shared an visual exercise which can be viewed on the Post on Perspective.

2010 update:  Laraine’s co-teacher, Beth Cooper, sent these wonderful photos of the group with paintings of sunflowers after studying Van Gogh. This was a project from a book “Dynamic Art Projects for Children” by Denise M. Logan.  The project involved using chalk pastels on black Canson paper over a line drawing in Elmers gel glue.

 

  

Here are Adam and Lela working on their project…

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

and below, Peter (studying colour mixing) and Mari applying chalk pastels…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I have to agree with Beth – yes I think you did end up with some masterpieces!  Congratulations to all!

Many thanks for sharing your projects with us and happy “arting” Littleton group!   Julie

For further information, visit their website http://homeschoolart.org

DRAWING PEOPLE!

OK now don’t be daunted! I know most people think that figure drawing is about the hardest to do – along with portraiture.   Why not give this method a go?

This is a basic introduction to figure drawing – one where you don’t need to go into the study of every bone and muscle unless you wish to.  This is a method using CYLINDER FIGURES.  Lets begin with a chart showing an average adult model .   Proportions are different for children and the head is much bigger in relation to the body, changing as they grow. 

Everywhere we bend (elbows, wrists, shoulders, waist, hips, knees, ankles) you draw a circle or oval (depending on the angle of the figure you are looking  at). In between these circles or ovals, cylinders connect them – along with masses for the head, chest and abdomen.  

Of course there are all sorts of variations from person to person, but generally (as shown in Leonardo Da Vinci’s illustration above)  an armspan equals the height in an adult – also that half way from top to bottom is the pelvis (not the waist as is commonly thought).  Being aware of the quarters is a great help in figure drawing – (top of head to chest, chest to hip, hip to knee, knee to heel.)

Here is a break-down of the cylinder figure to make it clearer:

 

 

Wooden models from Art shops serve limited purpose, mainly because most do not bend sufficiently to emulate natural poses or positions like walking.

 Here are some examples of drawing cylinder figures with a black marker OVER THE TOP of figures in the sports pages of the newspaper.  

How to start?  Just draw a circle or oval at every joint plus at the waist over the top of your newspaper sports figure.  Some joints may be hidden – if so, just leave them out.   Now join up those circles and ovals to form cylinders in between. 

 

 

 

 

 

In these action shots you will notice there is a lot of what we call ‘foreshortening’ where parts of the body will be coming towards you.  After doing a number of these exercises you will develop a feel for this. Here is what I mean by foreshortening…

  In this example the circle for one knee is INSIDE the oval for the hip joint! The most important part of all drawing is LOOKING and trusting what you see.    In fact, I believe twice as much time should be spent observing the subject as looking at the paper while you are drawing. That way, more of what you can see of your subject will be transferred to your paper and less of what you know about it.

 

 

 

 

 BE AWARE THAT THE MOST COMMON FAULTS IN FIGURE DRAWING ARE TO MAKE THE HEAD TOO BIG, HANDS & FEET TOO SMALL AND THE LEGS TOO SHORT.

Once you are confidently drawing cylinder figures, you may choose to sketch them softly and then clothe your figures…

Of course the proportions of our body parts change as we grow…here is a chart giving average proportions from baby to adult. There are huge variations so please treat this as an approximate guide only…

Below is my favourite method for drawing people – I start with a faint cylinder figure foundation, then I move to clothing, mapping the light and shade as it falls on the figure. I use this method as a basis for painting as well as drawing.

When you clothe your cylinder figures you will need to look closely to see where the creases occur wherever the figure bends and the way the fabric drapes itself.  Just watch and experiment with quick sketches and it will become second nature to observe these things.

A BIT ABOUT BALANCE:   Note that the weight of the chest is usually over the foot taking the weight – just as we lean forward when walking, or running, transferring the weight onto the leading foot.

 

Also be sure if you are drawing a hat, that it fits over the head and doesn’t appear to perch up on top looking too small.

So that you get a better idea of  how the mass of the torso, carried weight etc. is distributed, we will switch to skeletal images to better illustrate this…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

From a good understanding of cylinder figure drawing, you can progress to learning bone & muscle shapes etc. later or simply clothing your cylinder figures may be enough.

Along with the tips on how to LOOK and draw what you see (in the post “DRAW, YOU  CAN!”) & a little practise every day, you will be drawing figures fluently before too long – and most importantly, have fun doing it.

THE HEAD REQUIRES A BIT OF SEPARATE STUDY:

Although this is covered much more in depth in the posts about PORTRAITS, lets just look here at how the head joins the rest of the cylinder figure.

 

The head can be thought of as a sphere plus a jaw, joining onto the cylinder of the neck. Note the angle of the neck – not straight up and down like a flower on a stalk! In a child, the jaw is less developed. 

Now for a few examples of figures in artwork in which I have used various methods of rendering. In each case I would have begun with a very light cylinder figure in willow charcoal, which can be dusted back to be a barely visible guide when adding more detailed drawing.

Firstly here is “Heather” in charcoal and “Rebecca” in pastels…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You can see how the love of line, light & texture can entrance the artist in you. These were all drawn very quickly in a Life Drawing group.  Next is “Jacqueline” in Pastels

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

One of Tony’s and my favourite occupations is to do lightning gestural  impressions on the spot, usually back or side views so as not to intrude on the privacy of the subjects. The object is not to obtain any likeness but rather to capture the action or body language.  Often it requires taking a mental snapshot and then putting it down, as the person has inevitably moved on!  It’s a great way to train your photographic memory if you like a challenge!

 

Sometimes the quick sketches become reference for paintings like this one above of my late husband, John, cleaning fish at MacMasters Beach.  It always attracted young onlookers, so made a nice study.

MORE THAN ONE FIGURE?

This brings us to the problem of sizing and placing more than one figure in a drawing or painting.   There is a guide which deals with standing people all the same height on level ground (which almost never happens!)  Not greatly helpful, but neverthless here it is:

 The thing I find helpful is to “think myself into the composition”.  For example, if it is a street scene – I imagine a doorway where I want a figure to be & put a mark where the feet would be.  That is the most critical thing.

 Next I  put another mark where the head would be in relation to the doorway.  OK so now I have a top and bottom mark, so I can put a half way mark for the hips and go for it. 

 TIP: Make the head smaller than you think you will need at first and increase it later if needed once you have sketched in the rest of the figure.

In this next French scene I challenged myself to include seated and standing figures in many different attitudes and sizes. It was very difficult. The only way to really learn is to jump in the deep end and try.  Sometimes I sketch a figure on a separate piece of paper and place it on the painting to see where it fits most comfortably size-wise.

 

 

 

 

 

 

In the painting above “Artists at Nundle”, I worked from quick sketches on the spot to create the oil painting back home in the Studio.  Sizing the figures fell into 3 areas – foreground, middle distance and far distance – the far away figures needing to be the ‘right’ size in relation to the house.

In the next study, this group of Artists set up right in front of my Studio at MacMasters Beach and so became the ideal subject!  Being absorbed in their work meant they didn’t move very much and gave me time to paint them!

 

Finally, if you don’t feel like studying all those muscle and clothing shapes etc. why not have fun with your cylinder figure itself?   This next painting was based on just that, with some of the figures moulded in Fimo (which you bake in an ordinary oven) for three dimensional relief:

 

 

 

 

 

Or perhaps you could have fun outlining group shapes. The shapes of the spaces (which we call negative shapes) are helpful in drawing too.

 

 

 

 

 

However you enjoy figure drawing, I hope this post has helped you in some way.

Cheers,  Julie

PLEASE CLICK ON POST TOPICS LISTED UNDER CATEGORIES OR USE “SEARCH”>>>

EACH POST IS ON A DIFFERENT TOPIC & REVIEWED REGULARLY.

 

In an earlier post I covered  ‘Exploring an image with options’  and this Post is an extension to that - with some fresh images rendered in a number of ways, some physically and some using Photoshop Elements program. 

It is so exciting to share the artistic journey and look at some of the options open to us in expressing a subject.

I will start with some original paintings I did some time ago of the Australian bush, then altering them to show different approaches.

Here’s the first, painted in oils from a quick reference photo (long lost, sorry) on a camp with my late husband John along Mooney Creek on the Central Coast.  It had been raining and the bark was wet, accentuating its colour and the creek was like a mirror – so beautiful.  One could ideally imagine sitting there near the creek bank painting in situ – but not so, as there were numerous leeches ready to suck our blood!  Just a quick admiring “oohh” and “aahh”, a snapped photo – and we had to keep moving!  At home in the comfort of my studio however, the scene fresh in my mind, I was able to depict a bit of the magic…

Now lets look at a couple of other alternatives for portraying this scene…other directions I could have taken to depict it.

Maybe it would make a nice diptych (2 complementary panels) using simplified areas of tone. To try this out I scanned the photo of the painting into a file, then opened it in Adobe Photoshop Elements programme on the computer and opened an image altering bar called “FILTER”.  I then used an artistic tool called “Cutout”. All of the tools used to create the images below can be found in the ‘Filter’ menu, apart from colour changes which I altered in “Quickfix”.   My version of Photoshop is 3.0, but I think the current versions are very similar.

Anyway, I press a few buttons  and hey presto!…

  

Once again, I made a copy of the original, cropped it and played with it, turning it into a pointellism approach…

Next time I cropped the image only slightly, then applied the Photoshop “Cross hatch” tool to it. These tools give you lots of option like the direction and length of the strokes. Its a great way to try out an idea to see how it looks before you actually choose to create your artwork that way.  We might as well put this technology to good artistic use!!! Of course I don’t feel I would have to follow these options exactly – just use them as guides to bounce off.

Next I try a Photoshop tool called “Ink Outlines” to see what that does to the original image…

Yet another option would be to go semi-graphic with it, using a tool called “Poster edges”.  If you like black you may like this…

Right – now there are lots of different approaches and of course, there would be countless more!

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Here is another painting of an afterburn in Bouddi National Park as I chose to portray it at the time. It was quite a large oil painting and I was taken by the red revealed under the burnt bark of the angopheras (or Sydney red gums).  It seemed as though the saplings had captured something of the fire itself!  I popped in a magpie to “go with” the black and white in the painting – can you find him?

 

My painting above was based on realism with a bit of exaggeration – but what if I decided to stylise it more…using say “Cutout” in the artistic tools.  Would it be more exciting? What do you think?

Yes, I like that very much. How would it look with more greens to contrast the reds?

Wow! I really like that dramatisation, do you? This is the advantage of Photoshop – you can try things out before putting paint to canvas!

I wonder how it would look if I were to crop it and apply “Watercolour” in the Artistic tools…

Gosh! That’s exciting too.  I could mount a whole exhibition based on versions of this one painting!!!

This next trial version is using a Photoshop artistic tool called “Colured Pencil”… Hmmm. what do you think? It’s different! Very subtle.

Now how about getting a general idea how this composition would look in black and white…

Ah! Now I think this style below has possibilities. It  is called “rough pastels” in the Photoshop artistic tools. I think I would like to print this out and use it as reference to do a pastel study. I’m very fond of directional shading.  This angle is usually comfortable for right handers to render – left handers may need to slant the pastel strokes the opposite way.

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OK – now next, let’s look  at one of my rather plain unfinished landscapes and see if we can render it in some more exciting ways…

 

Below, I tried using perpendicular pastel strokes on a dark brown paper…

Then I decided to try things out on Photoshop again. The version below is using the “Watercolour” tool…

Hmmm. I like it, but I think it’s a bit busy. What if I simplified it a bit more to strengthen the drama? I can do this by adjusting the slider rule in the “Watercolour” tool…

Yes, I think that is much better, do you?  Sometimes “less is more” and makes for a stronger composition.

OK – now for a few more fun possibilities to try… what if I make the trees dance? This is using a tool called “Liquify”.

Then I go for a kind of jigsaw shape effect…using the “Cutout” tool…

Well! That’s different isn’t it?  Somehow the shapes seem to represent Northern Hemisphere disiduous trees though rather than Australian Eucalypts.

Now I think I will try altering the colouring of the original image I scanned in, to cool colours – moonlit perhaps?

That’s a new slant!  I wonder how that would look with ink outlines…

or rendered with ink in directionsl shading…

Gosh, one could go on and one, opening up to choices.  Here is one last one playing with little islands of shape in light outlines…

Finally, here is an interesting approach used by my partner, Tony, in painting a local bush scene…

Did you enjoy that?  I hope you found it as exciting as I did and when you next look at a subject, maybe pause a while and imagine how it would look in some of these renderings before you choose to depict it.   By looking at options like this, you come to know what you gravitate to and understand more deeply your own preferences and taste.

Anyway, happy creating – however you do it! 

Don’t forget – the joy in painting is to do what you love and love what you do!

Cheers,   Julie

 

EACH POST IS ON A DIFFERENT TOPIC & REVIEWED REGULARLY.

 Hello again!

Whether you are an artist or not, you are sure to have lots of fun playing with DIGITAL tools – either in programs like Photoshop Elements, Corel or others.  Some of these examples are created by altering my original photographs & others by playing with images of past paintings.   I use Photoshop Elements 3.0 which has been superseded a number of times since, but it suits my purpose.  Maybe down the track I might update and have even more magical tools at my fingertips!  I use my program in conjunction with a Wacom tablet and pen but this is not necessary unless you wish to paint and draw using touch sensitive “brushes” in the computer.    A conventional mouse is fine for the image alterations made below.

Most people who use Photoshop use the programme to enhance their photographs by cropping, altering contrast or colour, or changing the number of pixels in the image to reduce the file size (e.g. 580 pixels width is ideal for emailing).   However by duplicating your image in the EDITOR you then have some spare images to play around with by using the image altering tools in the FILTER MENU. This is what I have done in this post.

 Below are examples of working with a few digital photographs of natural patterns  plus a couple of home subjects (flowers in the studio and Tony’s dinner plate!).  I scanned them in to my computer, opened them with Photoshop Elements  & played with the tools  to alter them.  This is an exciting and time consuming pastime and stretches the imagination incredibly!   You can be as creative as you wish, turning your photographs into art!  

In the interests of sharing with you then, here is the first of the versions sets I created. .. my initial picture taken of  a few fallen  gum leaves on a tarred road in nearby Bouddi National Park. It was raining, so the leaves and road were wet.

Here is the original photograph:

Now here are some of the altered images.   I was following the lines of interesting pattern making in choosing these results and intend to use one or two to print out for reference to paint from.  In this way it is a wonderful tool for artists, helping to develop ideas and pursue choices before beginning to actually paint.   

This first tool is called Cutout and it simplifies the photograph thus… 

From there I altered the cutout image with the watercolour tool…

Then some methods of twirling the image to make a more contained pattern…

Now some different background colours…

Back to slight twirling…

From here on, I am a bit vague about which tools I used – but it will give you an idea of the directions you can take in altering the image…

I’m going to find it very hard to choose one to paint from those – there are so many I like. How about you?   Just imagine the natural patterns around you that could be photographed and transformed!  Rusty iron, or an old weathered wall, bark on a tree – so many subjects everywhere!

Next I scanned in a photograph of some leaves in a puddle on the same road.  Here is the original picture. You can see the gum trees reflected upside down in the water.

Now I play with this image.  I decided to turn the above picture upside down to work on it. This rendition has a mystical quality about it.  I think I would love to paint from this as reference.

The directional shading below gives an atmosphere of rain and wind don’t you think? It’s very artistic and decorative.   I like it very much. It would suit a painting done in pastels.

Before I left this image, I cropped part of it and made it more abstract…

This next photograph is of lichen on a rock in the Australian bush:

Now here are some results produced by playing with this image on Photoshop…

What a lovely pattern it makes!  This would be a great way to produce fabric designs! I think it will give it ink edges to see how that looks…

Next, I cropped part of the above and pushed some of the shapes which already suggested animals!   You can see how imagination can carry you away – its a bit like cloud watching!

Speaking of clouds, I wonder if I can make the above image more cloud-like…

Yes I think it is more like clouds don’t you?  Now what about trying something really crazy! This next one looks a bit like the patterns you see in beautiful slabs of agate polished and held against the light!   I can’t believe all these wonderful effects and I hope some of you might be inspired to enter into this creative field – if you haven’t already!

This next photo was one taken by Tony of the back view of a still life (vase of big artificial poppies) set up for our art class.  As you can see, everything was just left as it was – art materials on the table etc.  no attempt to “tidy it up” as a painting subject. I’m using this because it shows that you don’t need to set up anything special to photograph and just about any picture can be altered to be more interesting, as long as it has a variety of shapes and colours.

Having scanned the photo into the computer and opened it with Photoshop Elements, I decided to get rid of some of the shapes in the background to simplify the image.  I did this using the paint pot filler and a neutral colour. This was so that the flower shapes could be seen more clearly.

Next I used a filter tool called Posterise…

Next I tried delicate watercolour…

Then neon glow!!!

Now how would it look rendered in pastels?

or maybe just chalk and charcoal…

This next one highlights the edges of the shapes with a diffused glow…

These versions are all so different and varied, its hard to believe this last set all began with the one flower photograph isn’t it?

Now here is a bit of light-hearted fun!  … Tony’s colourful dinner before he ate it!  He’s been a vegetarian for over 50 years. 

Lets see what artistic changes can be made to this photograph…

Not bad. I wonder what it would look like with glowing edges?

The cut out tool is good for simplifying…

How about if I twirl it a bit…

How about ink edges?

or maybe try pointellism?

Or how about just a nice rich abstract design…

By changing some of the shapes to blue, I played again with the posterise tool which gives black edges in whatever width you choose…

Finally, just to be outrageous, NEON!

 

Oh yes – this isn’t really a suitable subject but there is a tool which turns your pictures into tapesty designs too!

  ****************************************************************

Next, I would just like to share with you 2 photos I took recently of the beautiful patterns on the trunks of Australian scribbly gums.  The “scribbles” are caused by small insects wriggling around under the bark and when the bark is shed, the pattern they make is revealed.  I chose not to use filter tools on these 2 images – I don’t think I could improve on Nature in this instance!

Aren’t they wonderful? Nature’s abstracts – so unique!+

_________________________________________

 So there you are – just a few digital photographs altered in a small number of the countless ways available through Photoshop Elements!   Incidentally, I am not employed by Adobe or on any commission in promoting this - it’s just something fun to share - another approach to creativity and a marvelous tool for Artists expanding their horizons.  

NOTE: Because each filter tool has several slide rules giving infinitely varied results it is almost impossible to convey any kind of “recipe” to you.   Its just a matter of  “throwing away the recipe book” and experimenting.    Different filter tools suit different pictures best so you just need to try them out and allow your own personal tastes to guide you. IMPORTANT! Before you start, don’t forget to make duplicates of your image to alter so that you keep your original intact!   (Once you are in the Photoshop Editor, just go to EDIT and click on DUPLICATE THIS IMAGE.) 

Some say you need lessons for using Photoshop, but I just jumped in the deep end and played and I think you would learn just as well that way too with this type of program, writing down what you do as you go and learning one tool at a time.  I find the help section where you type in a question very good too though I think that has been dropped from the latest Photoshop programme versions (which is one of the reasons I like to stick with my 3.0 version).

Now switching from digitally altered photographs to digital art, I would like to share with you some work created entirely on the computer by artist Bev Langby, who uses Corel painter program with tools like ‘Artists Oils’ and ‘Palette Knife’, which she says to her is  like working with real paints! Like myself, Bev uses a Wacom tablet and pen.

They are entitled 1. Pink rose 2. Latin beauty 3. Tango passion and 4. Kaylee…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thank you for sending these examples in to share Bev. You certainly use digital tools in a very painterly way.

Just before I close this Post, I will share with you a new discovery I just made within Photoshop Elements 3.  It has a facility for elementary ANIMATION using gif files (Guidance on this can be found on the web by typing in “Photoshop Elements 3 Tutorial Animation”) .

I am told that .gif files are not an ideal platform to use for websites (you need to convert .gif files to .swf, which you can do with a free converter) but  I have managed to animate the 3 children’s books “Spriteland”, “Regie Rock Sprite”, “Wallaby Watch” and ”Bush Sprites of Australia” using this method (the latter adding audio voice-over on a lovely little program called Artoonix. These can be seen on my site for kids:  http://www.spriteland.wordpress.com   

Well! You can see how one thing leads to another! Thanks for viewing this post about digital art.  If it interests you, you can view more in the post “ Landscape options”.  

Cheers,  Julie

EACH POST IS ON A DIFFERENT TOPIC & REVIEWED REGULARLY.

At the risk of leading you into a highly addictive realm of creativity, I would like to share with you some of the options of altering an image using the computer program “Photoshop Elements”.  If this is new to you, I have a feeling it might be like opening up a real surprise packet! I have an older version of Photoshop (no. 3) and use it in conjunction with a Wacom tablet and pen which allow me to draw and paint with infinitely more control than using a mouse.  (In fact I would equate drawing with a mouse to something like drawing with a brick by comparison.)

However, if you just wish to scan in an existing photograph or painting, then play with options in the computer,  it is not essential to have the tablet and pen.  My partner, Tony, uses a mouse only and has a wonderful time creating altered images.

We use these sampled options to help visualise the best way to developing a particular painting – trying out rendering, lighting and colour effects, cropping, simplifying. We then print out  our favourite rendition to use as reference to paint from.  

 No doubt everyone will find their own ways to use the Photoshop Elements program and there are other paint programs  that offer similar tools such as Paint.com & Corel.

The example  I am using in this Post is based on the small painting below which I painted on site at Tallow Beach many years ago.  I would now like to paint a larger work broadly based on this and will use Photoshop to help me decide how best to do it.   My plan is to paint in an atmospheric way using some strong design elements.

Firstly, I scan in a digital photograph of the painting – and here it is…

Next I started to play with it, creating a warmer less fussy version as well. I first altered the colouring on Quickfix and then applied the Cutout tool to simplify the image...

Now – time to play with these two images in various ways…first using the watercolour tool…

Hmmm beautiful,  but a bit busy for what I am after.  I wonder how it would look simplified

or even simplified further!  It’s fun to push the barriers, responding to your own likes and dislikes…

How about a bit of pattern making thrown in using cooler colours – I think this was achieved using a tool called “define edges”…

Then I tried using the Liquifying tool….Mmmmm I feel as though I AM the water – pushing the image around in swirls! This is a very exciting tool. Its like painting the energy in the atmosphere (like Van Gogh!)…

Now it was Tony’s turn to have a go with the liquifying tool.  As you can see, we had a different touch…

There are slider bars for infinite variations with each tool, so to duplicate a result would be very difficult. When you get a result you like, I suggest you save it and then work on another duplicated copy.  That way you can save a number of varied results in a folder to compare next ot each other.

This next one was created using the cross hatch tool…

The next utilises a tool called Pastel…

Then I had fun with ink edges…

and Posterising…another way of creating dark edges

Maybe if I used dark edges and pushed it towards more abstraction…

or even white edges!  How would that look?

Wow! There are so many options!  I can’t believe it! The trouble is, I like too many of them.  It will be so hard to choose which to use as reference to paint from, but I will!

I like this next one (Ocean ripple tool ) – it really captures an ocean whipped up by the wind doesn’t it!

OK – time to try some crazy ones before I finish, just for fun!  I could go on forever and there are other images I want to play with as well!

This next one is mosaic…

and now craqueline…

Now film grain…

and finally, the embossing tool…

That is just a tiny glimpse of just a few of the options available in altering digital images with Photoshop Elements.  No, I am not a sales agent for them, I just fell in love with this amazing program that stretches the imagination.  

Whether you are an artist or not, I think most people would have a wonderful time playing with images (photos or artwork) scanned in and opened with Photoshop!  Just think of the wonderful original cards and images you could make!  In the next Post I will use a few photographs of natural bush patterns and gradually abstract them into designs.  It makes creativity so much easier and I just wanted to share these discoveries with you.

Hoping you have been inspired!

Cheers,

Julie

PS Just a tip: some tablet/pen sets may have the Photoshop Elements program included so check before you buy it separately if you intend to get both. I found this out the hard way by buying the program first and then the tablet, ending up with two programs.

  

 

 

I now wish to include this short Post covering the creation of a large semi-abstract painting in acrylics. Tony and I ended our tour of Europe with a short stay in Brussells, Belgium.  From our hotel room, I opened the curtains to look down into an incredible DEMOLITION SITE opposite. The site was not visible from the road due to a high metal fence.  No doubt it was making way for one of the incredible glass fronted high rise buildings we saw elsewhere in Brussells (which we loved, by the way, because they reflect the sky).

At first, the sight from the window shocked me – it was so confronting – as though the very soul of this old tenament building had irreverently been laid bare as the outer walls were reduced to rubble.   I could see the character of each room – wallpaper, tiles, remnants of plumbing fixtures and a fireplace on each level connected to the one chimney.  I wondered about the people who had lived there, warming themselves at those fireplaces stacked one above the other – passing each other on those stairs or chatting at the entrance.  I could even imagine that well fed cat basking in the sunshine, perusing the comings and goings – the homeliness was still so evident.

 

These photos were taken late afternoon and then the following morning.  At ground level I could see the red entrance leading to the stairwell – the marks of the now non-existent stairs clearly visible on the wall.  A tenacious vine was still clinging to the outer wall, hanging on for grim death in the midst of the demolition process.

I can’t really explain why, but my heart went out to this old building and the people it had served for so long.   It was a stark reminder of the transient nature of our physical existence and the personal things that serve us throughout our journey through life.

As if to echo my thoughts in some way, a woman pushing an old lady in a wheelchair appeared below the fenceline, shielded from the messy demolition site beside them.

Here was another metaphor – there seemed to be a connection between the woman in the wheelchair and the old building … life moving on past yesteryear into a new phase. 

I know “constant change is here to stay” but somehow this scene caused me to pause in the process of everyday living, to acknowledge and reflect on the past that has served us well – offering (like this old building) support, shelter and numerous liaisons and lessons … a continuous on-going process.  I don’t know how many of us do this, but I feel it is important to let go with a degree of reverence and acknowledgement when we pass into a new phase.

Anyway, on returning home, I decided to develop a painting from my reference photos of this scene which, aside from its philosphical depth, offered fascinating shapes with which to work.  I decided to treat it as a semi-abstract and enjoy playing with colour. 

Here then are the stages of “IF THESE WALLS COULD TALK!”

First, I sketched lightly with willow charcoal – then washed in shadowed areas with diluted blue acrylic to begin to establish the composition. What wonderful varied shapes and angles to play with!  The eye craves variety and this certainly offers that!

I decided to darken the shape of the fence at the bottom enough to throw interest towards the brighter areas behind.  My strongest compositional tool is dark against light and I know from experience that if the majority of a painting is darkish in tone then the eye will be drawn to the lights.  

Next it was time to establish some of the warm colours and apply them in a balanced relationship to each other.  This is my secondmost important tool in composition – playing warm colour against cool. I also decided to make the fence more interesting by adding folds into the shape.

The aim in these next 2 stages is to get rid of the white of the canvas.  Whilever there is white, all the other colours look fresher than they really are – so to compare and judge how the painting is going, I need to cover the whole surface with suggested tones in light, medium & dark areas.

Ah! That feels better!  Now I can begin to use full bodied paint and play – try things out, standing back often to analyse if each move is improving the painting or not.  This is an instinctive thing and I love this process.  Here I get totally involved, constantly making choices & experimenting.   How much detail?   How does this colour look next to that one? Which area is most interesting and how can I focus on it more.  Play this part up – play that part down.  This is how the artist’s mind functions mid-stream…

After calling it “finished” for some months, I recently took it down from the wall and worked on it some more to prepare it for a current local exhibition where It is offered for sale at $A1500. The painting is on a stretched canvas 75 x 100 cm – light to transport and hang without added framing.   This is very popular in Australian modern decor these days.   I see it is as an advantage for everyone – works can be exhibited this way and anyone in the future can frame to their own taste if they so wish.  It’s all about options. 

I have noticed however that exhibiting an unframed stretched canvas requires a well planned composition that will “hold the eye path” without the containment of a frame.  It also seems to particularly suit abstracts or semi-abstracts such as this one.

I hope you enjoyed sharing this process with me, which is what this blog is all about.

If you would like to share your art experience with others, please contact me via Comments and it might be possible to include it here.

Cheers for now & I wish you well in your life journey.

Julie

 

 

                        

          Above: Acrylic study by Julie of Glengarriff cottages in west Cork.

 

Hello all & welcome!

In August/Sept. 2007 Tony and I (as 2 recycled teenagers) spent the most wonderful, inspirational visit to Ireland and fell in love with it.  We flew into Dublin and spent lots of time in County Carlow, later travelling by car down to West Cork & the southern most tip of Ireland (Cape Mizen).

As well as some of the artwork it inspired, we would like to share overall impressions with you via our photographs.   

The first thing we noticed, apart from the incredible emerald green (so different from Australia’s colouring)  was the use of stone everywhere in buildings and fences…

Some of the fences were built with a stile to enable humans to climb over, but still keep animals in.  It reminded me of the old rhyme “There was a crooked man and he walked a crooked mile – He found a crooked sixpence upon a crooked stile!” 

Because of the moist climate, beautiful mosses, lichens & tiny plants grow on rocks everywhere. We found them absolutely enchanting. Nature is so quick to soften and embellish whatever man builds in this charming part of the world…

This natural blend of man-made and natural growth in parts was spectacular – as in these ivy coloured buildings…

 

In every town we visited from Dublin to Glengarriff, the buildings were painted in bright colours and flowers festooned window boxes and lamp-posts.  The people were as colourful as the towns and always ready for a laugh!  It was truly delightful! 

Above: A small ‘same day’ watercolour impression from memory of Killkenny.

Below: Photos of various wonderfully coloured buildings.

  

    

 

   

We felt there was a gentleness about Ireland – from the soft misty rain on the mosses to the twittering birds in the hedgerows and generally the unhurried humour of the people.  Some of our happiest hours there were wandering the narrow lanes lined with tall hedges (which act as wildlife corridors), picking blackberries to eat and thistles for the ponies where we were staying. Every now and again a black faced sheep would come to the fence to greet us, and we could glimpse here and there remnants of the ancient roads just wide enough for a donkey cart.

    

We sampled the trains, starting out with a trip to Dublin on a Sunday with hundreds of footie fans from Waterford. Below is picturesque Kildare Station.

   

We headed, as usual, for the Art Galleries past the famous statue to Mollie Malone of “Cockles & Mussels” fame. Do you know the song?

and Grafton Street, famous for its buskers…

   

  

After a feast of jigs and ballads, we again made for the Gallery – then had to flatten against  building as rain showered down.  Suddenly, from around a corner appeared a laughing procession of colourful people tripping along sharing umbrellas…

This later inspired the painting below:

Other art studies were inspired along the way – this one in pastels from a ‘home coming’ scene glimpsed from the car.  I had to combine my memory of the people & dog with the reference photo taken as we whizzed past. 

  

I developed the next pastel study from a quick sketch done in an Irish tearoom in Glengarriff…

Then I had fun with this colourful corner in Bantry, exaggerating the quaint nature of the whacky buildings and steep streets…

 

Tony then did a lovely charcoal sketch of his beautiful grand-daughter…

    

Below are some small pastel & watercolour studies I did while we were in Carlow. Tony did some lovely ones too but unfortunately forgot to photograph them before they left his hands…

  

The pattern of sunshine and rain made for great skies the whole time we were there…

 

So we had a lovely time viewing the country through artistic eyes and weaving in small artworks as we went along.  It really enhanced our appreciation of everything we saw.

   

Still more surprises lay in store for us during our visit to Ireland…

A heatwave with a day on a sandy beach at Crookhaven with fair Irish skins going lobster pink in the hot sun…

 

A visit to Garnish Island, in a tiny ferry blown by a strong icy wind – only to find the other side of this beautiful gardened island sheltered and sunny…

  

Garnish Island is near Glengarriff in West Cork…a sheltered fissure in the coastline where seals bask on the rocks and fishing prevails…

Gorgeous gardens…

Magnificent old castles…

 

and a walking stick shop in readiness for exploring some of KILLARNEY NATIONAL PARK – rich with mosses, ferns and lakes in an old growth forest…

 

Here, Tony’s grandson spotted a leprochaun or two which he drew for us…

 

 

“If you ever go across the sea to Ireland” as the song says, we hope you get to take a jaunting ride at Killarney and maybe even strike a hot enough day to go for a swim!

 

It truly is a beautiful place!

Thanks for sharing and we would love to hear your stories too.

Julie and Tony