I’ve been making art digitally lately and have (finally) settled into what I like to think of as a “style.” Making art digitally is art like any other – the same principles of design, color and composition apply. But, so does the learning curve for the materials!
Not so long ago, my response to using Photoshop was something along the lines of “No, I don’t work digitally,” and I knew almost nothing about that particular art supply. Well, curiosity finally got the better of me and I tip-toed in with Photoshop Elements. If you’re not up on the digital world, PE is a simper version of Adobe’s Photoshop with some of the functions semi-automated and others either hidden or stripped out. It’s aimed at the hobbyist and photo-editing market and is a great product in its own right.
After making some pretty bad art with this new fangled supply – because, you know you have to make bad, truly atrocious, things before you can make good work – I got the hang of it and saw how I could expand the reach of my creativity in ways that physical art can’t do. It didn’t take long to hone my skills to be ready to move up to the full Photoshop CS6 to gain access to the full feature set. It’s a lot like wanting to move up to the BIG box of crayons!
For now, I find myself drawn to digitally creating, of all things, paper. Specifically, old paper edges. I love the texture and complexity in making a digital piece of paper appear worn and old. I’ve compared my digital versions with actual old paper and the funny thing is that they evoke old paper without being identical to it. My versions are often more dramatic or exaggerated.
Combining these raggedy old papers with vintage images seemed like the logical next step. Since I have a fondness for the Regency through Victorian periods, these three Regency ladies are the result. They’re available as print-yourself downloads on Etsy or cards and prints at RedBubble.
I’m still exploring the possibilities of my new art supply so who knows what’s next. In the physical art world, I’m working on a watercolor painting video lesson – look for more on that soon!
So, what’s on your work table? I’d love to hear about you’re doing – digital, paint, crayons, whatever – so drop me a note!
