Digital Paint

Chrysanthemums

2011-08-01T02:40:00.000-05:00

Here are three images that I added the chrysanthemum image from the public photos in my ArtRage art. Along with a new laptop, I bought a Wacom Bamboo drawing tablet. Very fun.

A Bit Art Historic

2011-01-04T00:17:00.001-06:00

London Fog Crib

This one is a bit Rene Magritte. The black of the crib reminds me of the soot on old London buildings. It doesn't seem to be too thematically dark for a baby crib, but some might disagree.

Another Crib, Rug, and Writing

2011-01-02T15:09:00.000-06:00

Sleep Schedule - Wooden Tape Ruler

This one reminds me of an old wooden (tape-type) ruler that my dad had in the garage when I was growing up. It folded on itself and I don't know what it would have been called. Maybe something like "carpenter's ruler"? The yellows and greens look old to me, which reminds me of an earlier time. The flat, dull background adds to that effect as well. Milk paint comes to mind.

Crib, Rug, and Writing

2011-01-02T00:40:00.002-06:00

Sleep Schedule - Down At, Up At

Here are two ArtRages combined with images from the Internet based on a sculpture that I have been working on in my head for many years. It reflects my obsessive documentation of my daughter's sleep schedule in my journals. The words on theses cribs are lifted directly from the years when my daughter was born.

A Few More Cribs and Rugs

2010-12-30T19:39:00.001-06:00

Three more cribs this time with a different rug. I like the flat middle one, probably because it is different from the other two; it is not as busy. Still using quite a few blends. The rug is not in the right place. I used a flat, overhead shot and pulled it out digitally. It seems to need more of the same treatment. Next I will add some text to the crib as if it is written on.

Crib

2010-12-30T01:17:00.001-06:00

Crib on Rug

I am starting another series, this one of a crib on an oval braided rug. This is the first so far.

Two Different - One More Cherry Pits

2010-12-21T20:28:00.001-06:00

These two images are my latest playing around in ArtRage. The first is just the background; the second is a photo of cherry pits in the blend mode luminosity. The second one is the most recognisable as a photo of cherry pits. It looks like there is a red rose over the pit.

Cherry Stems This Time

2010-12-06T01:08:00.000-06:00

Cherry Stems

This one is using a blend in ArtRage. I think it is the luminosity one. Has a certain 60's vibe. I like the simplicity of this one.

Cherry Pits With Red

2010-11-21T00:29:00.000-06:00

Red Cherry Pits

Cherries Once Again

2010-11-20T21:23:00.000-06:00

Cherry Pits

Back to the Cherry Pits for some reason. Not sure if they are done or not.

Harp Like

2010-11-11T20:41:00.001-06:00

Pluck

This one reminded me of a harp up close. The dots are vibrations making notes.

Cherry Pits Again

2010-09-24T00:55:00.002-05:00

Cherry Pits 10

Not sure how many of these I have done so far. This one is quieter than the last. Not sure of the composition yet, but I think I like the background. There are many blend modes used with this photo, and, of course, there is paint in the lower layers.

Cherry Pits Again

2010-09-17T20:19:00.000-05:00

Cherry Pits 7

These cherry pits photos remind me of roses and stems. I lightened this one with Picture Manager after I created it in ArtRage. I like the halo effect on the upper stems.

Cherry Pits Again

2010-09-03T01:17:00.001-05:00

Cherry Pits 4

This one is more photo and less ArtRage. I am liking the square format. It may be a bit dark. This one might warrant another try.

More Cherry Pits

2010-09-01T18:17:00.003-05:00

Cherry Pits 2 & 3

Cherry Pits

2010-08-19T00:57:00.006-05:00

The first ArtRage image is just paint in layers. The second image has a photo of cherry pits that I took with my camera some time in the spring added to the first. I think I will start a new series of cherry pits and stems.

I just looked back at the images on the first page of this blog. I realize that I have been all over the place in terms of content and technique. I have not been working with any consistency for some time now. I am glad that I like the cherry pits image. I am inspired by the photos and want to create more of these.

Recent Abstracts in ArtRage 3

2010-03-28T00:48:00.006-05:00

I have finally gotten back to my home computer to make a few images in ArtRage. Here are a few abstracts that I came up with.

Mod -- Time for a Change

2010-01-12T23:25:00.002-06:00

Mod version 1 and 2

Here a couple of versions of an abstract that I created in ArtRage Studio Pro. The second (the larger of the two here) has the contrast enhanced and the color saturation lowered using Microsoft Picture Manager. The textures in the large black shape show up better. I also like the duller, grayish-green color in the corners. I think that it is time to get away from the shoulder cat idea for a while. It has gotten to the point that I start an artwork and then immediately add a cat to it. I did the same with this one, but it did not turn out the way I would have liked. The cat's red eyes are not working and the composition is boring, too centered.

Brown Shoulder Cat

2010-01-04T23:29:00.003-06:00

Another try at this image with a different background and erased out layers using blends. The cat is brown, more like the original image.

Shoulder Cat Again

2009-12-27T01:03:00.001-06:00

Shoulder Cat Blue and Yellow

Another try at Shoulder Cat. Lots of fussing around with this one. I started out with an abstract background and imported the first Shoulder Cat Blue into a layer. Many erasures later...I got this one. Not as harsh as the last one. I like the blue lines of the face on the yellow background.

Harsher Shoulder Cat

2009-12-21T22:58:00.000-06:00

Getting rid of most of the color in this one. The cat is harder to see. The face is getting harsher as well.

Another Try

2009-12-21T21:04:00.001-06:00

Shoulder Cat Blue 2

Cropped this one a bit and changed the blends. Added some textures to it too.

Shoulder Cat With ArtRage 3

2009-12-20T11:09:00.003-06:00

Shoulder Cat Blue

This is a softer, lighter shoulder cat and figure. Trying my hand at watercolor. My computer is old and I still use the mouse to draw. I find the speed of the watercolor tools to be a bit dragging, but I am happy with the effects. The cat is an altered photo using the blend mode with two layers. The first cat layer is in highlight and the second is in difference. The figure is watercolor and pencil. I am also placing the screen capture for this image.

ArtRage3 First Try

2009-12-19T12:49:00.004-06:00

This is my first try using text with ArtRage3 Studio Pro. It has taken me a while to figure out the Selection Tool. Once I activated the shape, I had a hard time figuring out how to get rid of it. I think I have a handle on it now. The text feature is finally here! I had had to use Paint before and import the text image that way. I am so glad to see it here. The stickers in ArtRage 3 Pro are great also. The fur options are very cool. Glad Christmas break is coming up, so I have some time to play with this new software.

Realistic Shoulder Cat

2009-08-30T17:11:00.004-05:00

Shoulder Cat 4

Screen Capture of Shoulder Cat 4

I tried to do a more realistic rendering of a figure holding a cat in this ArtRage. The original cat was quite light colored, but I was able to get the effect of a brighter, darker cat that resembles my Bengal cat Spotty. Of course, I used the blends in ArtRage to achieve the "glimmer" of my cat's fur.

The screen capture is done by pressing the Print Screen/SysRq button (PC) then opening Paint and using the edit tab to paste the image. Save the image as a jpeg.

Shoulder Cat Redo of 2

2009-08-28T19:42:00.003-05:00

Shoulder Cat 4

I reworked Shoulder Cat 2 to get another color mood. Most of the changes are made by changing the blends of the various layers.

Another Shoulder Cat

2009-08-27T23:45:00.005-05:00

Shoulder Cat 3

Another in the series called Shoulder Cat. The cats are from images of people with their cats on their shoulders. The people have been erased and suggested in separate layers. The cats seem to be in charge in this series. That is the nature of a cat, after all. Just try to make one lie on your shoulders against its will and see how cooperative it is.

Shoulder Cat 2

2009-08-21T21:09:00.008-05:00

Shoulder Cat 2

Another Shoulder Cat image done in ArtRage using blend modes. This one is a Siamese cat that I found on the Internet. I am liking the grays theses days.

Shoulder Cat

2009-08-18T01:54:00.003-05:00

Shoulder Cat

I got the idea for this ArtRage from a memory of my cat Pinky riding on my shoulders while I drove to and from my hometown every weekend back in the mid 80s. I was surprised at how many shoulder cat images there are on the Web when I did an image search. The cat in this ArtRage is layered using the blend mode. The rest of the artwork is just layered paint with a simple, smeared line drawing of the figure on the top layer. Feels good to get a post back up here again.

Bacon Heads

2009-05-21T15:08:00.003-05:00

Bacon Heads

Last period of the day and I found an image of Sir Frances Bacon. I cropped and smeared the top of his head and repeated it for this image.

Ying Yang Profile

2009-04-03T10:23:00.006-05:00

Ying Yang

Spider Man

Here are a couple of profiles in blend modes. Adding black or white to an underlayer made the reds and blues.

Blends on Butterfly

2009-04-01T20:33:00.002-05:00

Butterfly Smudge

I used an old butterfly image from a while back and tried my hand with more blend modes. This one is definitely about wanting spring to arrive. The black butterflies on the screen capture image are in the "difference" blend mode. They created an interesting outline on the yellow background. The butterfly is done with multiple layers. The top butterfly layer is smudged with a pallet knife.

RedFaced

2009-03-13T01:09:00.004-05:00

Had a bit of fun with the color red tonight. The first is done in ArtRage using the shadow blend filter. The second one is done in Kodak Easy Share. I used the red eye correction all over the image. I followed that up with a cartoon filter.

Birds Still

2009-03-08T19:41:00.003-05:00

Down By the Sea

Here is a quick ArtRage that reminded me of the sea. I added some birds. They seem to be in the shade under a structure looking at each other with the sea in the background. No blends this time. I need to take a break from that feature in ArtRage for a while.

Bird Man Lightened

2009-01-08T05:10:00.003-06:00

Bird Man

Did this one in ArtRage a week or so ago, but I didn't think it was done. I realized that I only had to auto correct the image to lighten it to make it better. I like the painterly background and the charcoal textures in the face. The face needed the white around it for contrast.

Shadow Birds

2008-12-24T02:55:00.015-06:00

Shadow Birds 1 & 2

Did these two a while ago, but I forgot to put them up here. I like the use of blends in these two. The second one reminds me of Victorian Valentine cards for some reason.

Twins

2008-12-13T02:38:00.003-06:00

Twins

Here is a quick ArtRage that doesn't seem done to me yet. For now I will take some time and add to it tomorrow. I haven't had much time these days to work on any art. Christmas break is coming soon.

Another Blend With ArtRage

2008-11-28T17:04:00.003-06:00

Bird Girl

Bird Girl Screen Capture

I am still at it with the blend modes in ArtRage. Been away for a while, but thought I would try my hand at it again. I must not be done since this one came out looking much like the others. I like the whiteness of the bird's head in this one -- a bit of a gull-look to it.

Expressionistic Blends

2008-10-21T22:26:00.005-05:00

Lots

Tried to be more expressionistic with my use of blends in ArtRage. Lots of erased layers in a variety of blend modes here. I wanted the face to become part of the piece more. Some of the faces from the last few days look too digitized.

Robots

2008-10-19T01:07:00.006-05:00

Pale Robot Girl

Robot Girl

Still experimenting with the blend modes in ArtRage. Reminds me of my first experiments where I had one face good and the other evil (Dark and Light, Aug 08).

Reversal Blends in ArtRage

2008-10-17T00:37:00.004-05:00

Reverse

Blue Reverse

Played around with Blending Modes again. This time I used the Difference mode in layers for the face. I duplicated the face and added another blend on top. Not sure off hand which ones are layered for "Reverse." I think I will be experimenting some more with layered blends when I have the time.

The marks on these two are from the ArtRage that I worked on this last Friday. I used just the background "Tartan" without the face and butterfly to add textures to these two. There is also an under layer made with tube paint feature that I "smashed" down a bit with the marker tool.

Tech Look

2008-10-13T22:09:00.006-05:00

Tartan

Tech

Here are a couple of ArtRage works that I experimented with this evening. There are many layers, some with different blending modes. I like the way the reds glow. I added the butterfly and face from some of my earlier work. The butterfly is in an under layer in normal mode. The face is in shadow mode with a little bit of light color in the under layer so the eyes show.

Inner Form

2008-09-17T19:38:00.003-05:00

Form 2

Abstract image in ArtRage. Again, maybe coming from my thoughts about my sick dog.

Abstract Form

2008-09-14T17:00:00.004-05:00

Form

Layering again. Abstract again. This time the colors are more muted. Textures are more apparent. I see some inner body stuff. My dog is sick, so maybe I am thinking about the internal workings of the body. Inner landscape?

Watercolor Effects With ArtRage

2008-09-05T19:50:00.003-05:00

Abstract Landscape

Here I tried to achieve the look of a watercolor with ArtRage software. I used the oil paint by turning the settings to thin and lowering the pressure. There are multiple layers, one of which is a black. The dark under layer made the reds and blues near the center of the composition darker.

Still Dark -- Male This Time

2008-09-02T00:16:00.003-05:00

Cat Man

Dog Man

I used a male face with earlier images of a cat and an abstract dog. Still playing around with the blending modes in ArtRage.

Yellow Eye

2008-08-22T01:49:00.003-05:00

Yellow Eye

Darker yet. This face is ready for jungle work, maybe.

Green Eye

2008-08-21T00:30:00.003-05:00

Green Eye

Getting a bit mean here. I erased out areas in an under layer to get the cutout effects in ArtRage. I took out the blue eye and added a lizard eye.

Blue Eye

2008-08-20T18:42:00.003-05:00

Blue Eye

Another face using the tint and shadow in blend mode.

Light and Dark

2008-08-19T03:07:00.003-05:00

Princess

Fiend

Here are two faces altered in ArtRage using the same image from a picture on the Internet. One looks very fairytale princess, while the other is sinister and a bit masculine. I used the highlight feature on the first and the shadow on the second.

Noh

2008-08-11T00:10:00.003-05:00

Noh

Here is a combination of a bunch of ArtRage work that I have done. The cat from a couple of days ago added to the three quarter face.

One, Two, Three

2008-08-10T17:39:00.003-05:00

One

Two

Three

New background, same faces from past ArtRage work.

ArtRage Cats With Mouse

2008-08-09T12:03:00.006-05:00

Cat

Cat 2

Cat 3

Today I sketched my cat on top of my monitor using the mouse. I am looking into purchasing a sketch pad, but they are a bit pricey. I have gotten better with mouse control over the years, but I still make lines that I do not intend to make. I am sure my digital work would look different with a pen.

Recently, I joined the artists over at Ambient Design in their gallery forum. I have had a good time looking at others' work and posting comments. I placed a number of works there myself.

Softer Three Quarter ArtRage

2008-08-05T18:41:00.003-05:00

Softer

Had some fun with the taper on the airbrush feature in ArtRage. It makes a delicate line with a tapered end. I used the Three Quarter PNG file face again as a layer.

Homage to Warhol

2008-08-05T01:11:00.004-05:00

Warhol

I went to an old portrait PNG file for this one (Another Three Quarter Face, Mar 08). I layered some colors and made the lines with the eraser. It reminds me of Andy Warhol's silkscreens.

Distrub: A Different Direction in ArtRage

2008-07-28T01:43:00.002-05:00

Disturb

Disturb With Close Up Lips

I decided to leave portraiture behind tonight and brought back the lips from last winter (Feb and Mar 08). (I found that I had made a stencil of the lips and saved it.) The initial ArtRage is done in grays, but I added some transparent color in multiple layers and resized it for the second one. The area above the dominant lower lips was a bit too messy for me, so I added another layer and smoothed out some whites with "stitching" on top. The lines are just the roller feature with one click of the mouse for each stitch.

More Women

2008-07-26T01:59:00.003-05:00

Woman Version 2

Woman Version 3

I added some background to the woman that I worked on earlier tonight. Version 3 is more defined compositionally and looks iconic while version 2 is more "windswept" -- less defined in terms of specific space.

Woman Simplified

2008-07-25T23:43:00.003-05:00

Woman

I simplified the image of the woman by erasing out much of the hair and edge of her shoulder. She looks like she has a scarf on her head instead. I also corrected some of the bone structure of her face and opened up her eye by erasing out her upper lid and adding the whites of her eye. She looks like she is thinking of something. I am not sure how she feels about it. I don't think she knows herself yet.

Plain Face No Butterflies

2008-07-24T23:17:00.003-05:00

Plain Woman

Tried another face tonight and liked the plain, grayish-green background with it. I tried a bunch of other stuff, but this one just wanted to stay simple.

Another Butterfly ArtRage

2008-07-24T23:10:00.003-05:00

Hat and Collar

Here I have taken the image of the woman and added a butterfly hat and collar. She looks better with the dark around the face. I like the negative shapes made by the wings too.

Butterfly Hair

2008-07-18T00:08:00.004-05:00

Butterfly Hair

I made a few changes to the butterfly for this ArtRage. I used the same altered face from yesterday but made the butterfly larger. The butterfly blends into a layer of black and looks like the wings of the butterfly are part of her hair. The white areas around her head add needed contrast.

New Butterfly Face

2008-07-17T01:46:00.003-05:00

Three Butterflies Yellow

Three Butterflies Purple

I took another face from the Internet, altered it, and added a different butterfly image. I decided to use the three images together to make a better composition. I wanted the whole face and couldn't get it it to have nice negative shapes -- so I made multiples.

Butterfly Team

2008-07-12T00:17:00.002-05:00

Butterfly Team

This ArtRage uses the combined faces and butterfly in a softer background. I layered the face imports so the wings were blended into the softer background. The team name comes from the swimming cap look that the two faces have. One on the red team and the other on the blue.

Butterfly Collection

2008-07-03T02:48:00.003-05:00

Butterfly Collection

Tried another one tonight. Did this one on a very dark background. I duplicated the layer of the two faces and the blue butterfly and slid it out to the edge. I then duplicated that layer and flipped it horizontally. Not sure I like this one (the faces seem too high), but I like the brown colors of the face with the blues of the wings.

Many Butterflies

2008-07-03T02:09:00.005-05:00

Butterfly Combo

Butterfly Green

Butterfly Fade

Butterfly Silk

I decided to push this butterfly theme a bit more by adding a butterfly image from the web to my two overlapped faces. I used past background ArtRage images and added the butterfly and faces in layers. I erased out parts of the face to show the wings more in "Butterfly Silk."

Butterfly

2008-06-29T00:02:00.003-05:00

Butterfly

I put two faces together to make a butterfly shape. The red blotches remind me a bit of an earlier lips piece called "Pops" (Surreal Lips, Feb 08). Again, I thought that I was done with this face. I will be done with it when I am done.

Fury

2008-06-28T00:12:00.002-05:00

Fury

I thought I was done with this face, but I am posting yet another. This background was initially done with the darker reds etc. on the bottom. When I added the face, I transposed the background layer and flipped it vertically. The red looks like flowing hair.

Still More Faces

2008-06-23T22:47:00.006-05:00

Face with Creature

Creature

Pink Tartan

Combo

Combo 2

Still playing with the face in profile. The "Creature" background is an abstract drawing-painting that I worked on tonight. I didn't plan for it to have the "face" added as a layer, but it ended up with one anyway. The black lines and the soft erased areas work with the lines and whites of the face.

"Pink Tartan" is a result of smearing around the colors and erasing out areas of the under layers. I don't see any of the original background showing in it. Not sure I even like this one. I don't use this blog as a place to put my best work, though. I see it as a place to post all of the stuff that I am working on at the time. What works is a decision for later -- if I ever put them on my website or print them for a show. For now...

"Combo" and Combo 2" are a combination of "Punk" from yesterday and "Pink Tartan." Not sure the hair works, but I like the dark red contrasting with the rest of the piece. In the second one, I smeared out the tube paint from the under layer with the palette knife.

Three Different Looks

2008-06-22T01:13:00.003-05:00

Beaded Headdress

Punk

Blue Outline

Here are three faces that I worked on tonight. I didn't start new backgrounds; I just kept the faces and added and subtracted different paint effects. The first two use the paint tube similar to "Red" from yesterday. The third one is the light colored marker over paint for a semi-erased look.

Red

2008-06-21T01:46:00.004-05:00

Red

I took a second try at the silk face here by smearing it and adding the red tube paint and a layer of white. I like the color of the skin next to the coral-red paint. I enjoy taking a digital piece and altering it while keeping the original intact on my hard drive.

Silk Face

2008-06-21T01:12:00.003-05:00

Face on Silk

Face on Silk 2

Silk

This ArtRage background reminds me of a silk scarf. The green in the background is the gold paper found in the paper selection options in "tools" and "layers." Again, I used the paint and a lighter marker over the top to get the partially erased out look of the dark marks. Not sure I am happy with the placement of the face on the first one. The second try I kept the face in the center and flipped the background horizontally.

Blurred Face

2008-06-19T01:09:00.004-05:00

Blur

Blur 2

Lots of layers in this one. Lots of transparencies, as well. I like the darker qualities of this face; I kept just the bridge of the nose and the lips at 100% to make those areas brighter. The rest fades in a blur.

The second version of this one is the same except the percentage of the transparencies are smaller. A dark background is also showing through more.

Anne Faces

2008-06-13T12:48:00.004-05:00

Anne

Anne No

Anne Stripes

Trying another face. Took a photo and added black and white lines in ArtRage; smeared them around with the palette knife feature. Saved the layer as a PNG image. After opening into an existing background, I duplicated the layer and made the lower image a 50% transparency. The other upper face I kept at 100% but erased out everything but the features. The hair is on a separate layer from the face. ("Anne No" is saved as a jpg without the transparency layer showing.)

For "Anne Stripes" I merged the two face layers from "Anne," saved as a PNG, and imported into another background.

Gray Heart Face

2008-06-12T19:14:00.005-05:00

Gray Heart Face

Gray Heart Background

Still using the profile from this past week as a layer. This time I added it to the yellow background with some gray shapes that resemble a heart. I imported the face as a layer then duplicated it. I made the first layer a 50% transparency and erased out much of the upper face layer. I like how the gray shape works with the erased out face. It repeats the contours of the cheekbone.

Black Stipe Face

2008-06-11T23:59:00.004-05:00

Black Stripe Face

Background

Still using this face and combining it with different ArtRage backgrounds. This one has a bit of a camouflage feel to it. It starts to disappear into the background while the thick, black lines go through and around the face. So far, I like the green one that I did yesterday best.

Green Face

2008-06-10T15:10:00.004-05:00

Green Face

Another one of these profiles added to a different background made with ArtRage. The holes in this face is more in line with the highlights of face.

More Faces

2008-06-05T15:35:00.005-05:00

Dark Background

Face With Dark Background

Three Graces

Started with a new background that reminds me a bit of a Chinese landscape. I added the import from the face a did a couple of days ago. In "Three Graces" I duplicated the layers and erased out areas. I am not sure this one is working for me yet. I may try it again.

I get the textured areas in the background by applying paint and then using the marker over the top of the paint. (I use a light value for the marker.) It seems to create an interesting printmaking effect.

Two Faces

2008-06-02T22:22:00.005-05:00

Two Faces

Another try with the face from yesterday. I made a sandy background and imported the image from yesterday. I erased out the background and used the image again on another layer with a 75% transparency.

2008-06-02T22:22:00.001-05:00

Photo Face With ArtRage

2008-06-01T21:56:00.003-05:00

Face

I used a face from the Internet and added a layer of black and white pencil and smeared it around with the pallet knife in ArtRage. It has been a while since I have done any art. I needed a break after working on my technology certificate and finishing out the school year. I plan on working more on incorporating photos into the paint software in the near future.

Lips The Movie

2008-05-04T12:43:00.008-05:00

Lips

I created this video on a Mac in iMovie using Garageband music software. I also created the claymation portions of the video in Windows Movie Maker and saved them as avi files so I could incorporate them in iMovie.

The claymation lips are from my earlier ArtRage digital art (Surreal Lips, Feb 08; Three Lips With Sticks, April 08; and Stage Lips, Feb 08). I printed out the images without the lips and used Sculpy clay material for the black and white lips. To get the illusion of the lips on sticks standing up, I placed everything on a slanted board with the camera and tripod parallel to the image. I took about 200 pictures total for all three claymation sections.

The timing of the music I made in Garageband was just luck. I couldn't tell how long the various tracks were, so I just went by what sounded good. I am happy with it.

White Dog

2008-04-29T21:40:00.002-05:00

White Dog

White Dog 2

I haven't spent too much time on ArtRage for a while. Played around tonight and made a little dog. Not sure if it will become part of a series or not, but I made a PNG layer file for future possible use.

Powder Blue Face

2008-04-14T01:32:00.003-05:00

Powder Blue

Powder Blue Half Face

Playing around with an ArtRage abstract and added a couple of women's faces to it. The powder blue color is a top layer from the abstraction.

At first, the abstract work did not remind me of a face until I dropped the two faces into the different layers. Now I see a face even when there isn't one there. It reminds me of John Merrick wearing the sack on his head in the movie The Elephant Man.

Three Lips With Sticks

2008-04-07T15:22:00.004-05:00

Lips On Sticks

They fit better with the lollipop lips series that I worked on a while back (Surreal Lips and Stage Lips, Feb 08). Instead of floating in the sky, they now sway on very long lollipop sticks.

Three Lips

2008-04-07T15:09:00.004-05:00

Three Lips

I am still in re-hash mode. I have used the lips import yet again (Lips, Feb 08). This time without the lollipop stick. These are floating lips in a blue-gray textured sky. Maybe they are flying in formation. I wonder what they would look like with long sticks.

Headdress

2008-04-06T00:38:00.002-05:00

Headdress

Headdress 2

I played around with a couple of different backgrounds for these two ArtRages. The "headdress" areas are just random abstract shapes. I added the three quarter profile layer (Three Quarter, Mar 08) then flipped and tilted it down a bit in the transform layer option.

Flower Power

2008-04-04T16:29:00.003-05:00

Petals

This ArtRage is brighter than many I have been working on lately. Maybe it is the sunshine and nicer walking weather. This one reuses the lower profile from an earlier digital artwork called "Shoulder" (Two New Lower Profiles, Jan 08). It is an imported layer that I flipped horizontally in the transform layer option. The "flower petals" are also duplicates that I flipped both horizontally and vertically to get four identical shapes.

Saint

2008-03-29T23:15:00.002-05:00

Saint

Another "Three Quarter" face with tube lines in an under layer. It has a bit of a nun's habit look that reminds me of an old favorite - "Song of Bernadette." It reminds me of the end of the movie when the bitter old nun realizes the suffering of Bernadette and carries her around before she dies. Gets me every time.

Another Three Quarter Face

2008-03-28T23:56:00.006-05:00

Three Quarter Alt.

Background Three Quarter Alt.

Another version of "Three Quarter" from a few days ago (Three Quarter, Mar 08). This one has a simple, warm background with two imported layers of the earlier face. One is a transparency of only 60% while the upper layer of the face is at 100%; both are partially erased out so the under layers show.

Disturbing Face

2008-03-24T13:58:00.003-05:00

Disturb

Getting a bit darker again with the imagery. Somewhere in there is the face from an earlier image called "Forward" (Forward, Jan 08). I added black paint around the features and made an under layer with the paint tube feature on ArtRage, similar to "Caged" (Caged - Using Tube of Paint, Feb 08) only with a different mood.

Three Quarter

2008-03-23T23:48:00.004-05:00

Three Quarter

This ArtRage is much more painterly than many of my other faces. It is more female as well. I am also stressing the black and white of the lips less. It has a sadness that the others do not have; it is more about the eyes. It reminds me of a girl that I have seen a couple of times at the local Target. She wears makeup like a goth, porcelain doll.

Lips Again

2008-03-19T10:47:00.002-05:00

Lips With Lines

Porcupine

Back to lip exports for these two ArtRages. They are more about texture and dark values this time. I think I will try more of the hole punch lips.

Tilt

2008-03-17T23:44:00.003-05:00

Tilt

I am not in love with this image or the one before, but I do not feel done with them either. I keep bringing this unfocused-eyed face back and working on it. I started "Tilt" with another face underneath and brought in the exported layer from the ArtRage done earlier (Gray, Mar 08).

Gray

2008-03-15T22:15:00.007-05:00

Gray

Pulled out the old forward face from a while back (Forward, Jan 08). Mixed up some gray colors and lots of layers. I like the balance of whites, blacks, and grays. There is a bit of a hairdo thing going that reminds me of Gary Oldman's in The Fifth Element.

More Profiles - This Time in the Desert

2008-03-04T20:28:00.003-06:00

Desert

Desert 2

Here are two side profiles added to an abstract ArtRage that reminds me of the desert. The yellow gold in the abstract looks good with the yellows in the reversed profiles. The second version may look better than the first because the larger profile on the right has better contrast around the features. However, I do like the first one's overall look; the movement of the patterns is nice.

Stage Lips

2008-02-26T21:20:00.004-06:00

Stage Lips

The lollipop lips on a stick from the earlier "Pops" (Surreal Lips, Feb 08) made me try the stage idea again. This one is low key (darker values) and very layered. At first the stage was more realistic. It needed roughing up.

Double Profile

2008-02-24T01:04:00.004-06:00

Double

Three

I was just playing with a new abstraction and decided to add my old profile (Two New Lower Profiles, Jan 08) and forward portrait (Forward, Jan 08) from my earlier ArtRages. I like the effect of the background face showing through in "Three." I added some of the golden color from the profiles as a layer in the forward face by using the eye-dropper feature.

Surreal Lips

2008-02-19T21:13:00.003-06:00

Pops

Pale

Tissue Box Floral

Here is a series of three, high-key lip ArtRages that I did this evening. My favorite is "Pops." It looks a bit like lollipops on a stage, while the red candy invokes the visual cliche' of rosy cheeks on a face. There is a strange French mine thing going on that I like. The sticks are just lines of the paint tube feature going behind the lips.

"Tissure Box Floral" is my answer to all of the Kleenix tissues that we have been going through this cold season.

Caged - Using Tube of Paint

2008-02-18T23:00:00.003-06:00

Caged

"Caged" uses the same half-portrait that two of my earlier ones did (Still On Forward Faces, Feb 08). This one has texture from the tube-of-paint feature (reminds me of a basket). The bluish-green comes from the air gun feature in ArtRage on another layer. I like the textures showing through on the bridge of the nose.

Silly Lips

2008-02-16T23:12:00.003-06:00

Dressing Gown

"Dressing Gown" is an ArtRage that I did a while back for fun; however, tonight, I decided to add some lips to it. The effect is comic with a twist. At first, I tried positioning the lips all over the place with differing sizes. It didn't work until I went for "literal" lips. The misplacement in terms of anatomy is strange because the "face" seems so serious even if the lips are out of place.

My love of the show Project Runnway must be coming out.