Going from Photo to Painting

Going from Photo to Painting

or

"Do I really have to draw this?"

I firmly believe that drawing is good for the painter. It's good to get to know your subject intimately before you paint. But...sometimes I just want to paint. I want to use the tools that the 21st century has made available to me. So...

I use several graphics programs, but one of my favorites is MS Publisher. It's simple, but not as powerful as Photoshop. But simple is good. I can easily take the original photo (which was sort of gray and bland) and "warm it up! as shown below.

Photograph that has been "Warmed"

To make transferring the image easier, I can simply click a button and make a pencil sketch. And with all the detail in this photo, I can accentuate all the lines and cracks so I can draw in the details that were unclear in the original photo (as shown in the bottom image.)

Changed to a pencil sketch

Altered to show all the little lines and cracks

Creating a Custom Tab in Facebook

Creating a Custom Tab in Facebook

There's so much out there and it's hard to keep up with it. But here's a really useful tidbit I found. It's fairly easy to add a custom tab to your FB fan page. If you're pretty savvy with all things techno, then it's easy.

1- From Facebook, search for "static html iframe tab" and follow the directions for downloading the app.

2- Create whatever you want to attach to that tab. (Mine is a blog using google blogger)

3- Copy the html code

4- Follow the directions in the iframe tab to paste the code. There's also a snippet of code you can add to make this tab viewable on mobile devices. I haven't tried that yet.

That's it. I'm about "middling" savvy with techie things, so I needed a little more info than what I provided here. You can google how to do this in detail, so no need to repeat that. -- Shirl

https://www.facebook.com/ShirleyMercerArt/
www.shirleymercerart.net

Scanning Over-Sized Art

Scanning Over-Sized Art

Scanned in two sections and stitched together

I used an Epson (13 x 19 glass size) to scan this original watercolor at 700 dpi. The actual art is 22 x 15. So I had to scan in two sections.

I've read that all your scans should be oriented in the same direction. That would have been 4 scans (Upper left, lower left, upper right and lower right.) I thought I would try it scanning from the left inward and then from the right inward. I did drape a heavy blanket over the scanner to cut down on any ambient light filtering in from the scan cover. I'm happy with the image.

Then on to Photoshop (I use Elements). It's pretty easy to "erase" part of the overlapping top layer to get a seamless image. Each of these over-sized images that I "stitch" saves me at least $50.00.

Happy painting! -- Shirl

Watercolor Techniques - Is There a Front and a Back to Watercolor Paper?

I get that question...a lot.  The answer is, "Yes!" But the more important question is, "Which side should I use?"

The answer to that is a bit more complex.

It's okay to use either side of the paper, but knowing that the front side (the one that shows the manufacturer's watermark) usually has more tooth or more texture will help you decide whether to use the front or the back.


Watermark shows the "front" of the paper

If you are painting a portrait or a delicate flower (and you don't have any HP (hot pressed paper), you can use the back of a CP (cold pressed paper). The back has less texture for the paint to either settle in or "skip" over, which effect might not be desirable right in the middle of someone's face.

The best way to answer the question, "Which side of the paper should I use?" is to simply experiment with it.

Enjoy painting!!! -- Shirley Mercer

Create Greeting Cards from Your Original Art

"A Perfect Day" Original watercolor 16 x 20

Use your original paintings to create digitally printed note cards, postcards and bookmarks. They are all quick-sell items or can be used as give-aways to market your name and your product. And they are a lot easier to carry with you than a big painting.

I use MS Publisher to create the card template. You can go with Photo Shop or some other high-end package, but it's not necessary unless you are editing at the pixel level. If your painting or scan is that bad, you might want to repaint or rescan.

I digitally layout two cards on a 8 1/2 x 11 page. Since all printers have a "unprintable area" all the way around, check your borders. Do a test run with whatever printer you will be using so you can make adjustments. I have them printed on 110 lb card stock and I pay a small fee to have the 8 1/2 x 11 cut into two different cards.

Add a white linen envelope, enclose in a poly bag and start marketing!

www.shirleymercerart.com





"A Perfect Day" -- 4.25 x 5.5 Note Card (Blank inside)





Scanning Your Artwork



Beauty and the Beast

By scanning your 2-D originals at a high-resolution (this one is scanned at 600 dpi), you can create a jpg that picks up the texture of the paper. Your prints and cards look more like originals!!! --Shirley

www.shirleymercerart.com

360-460-9874