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President’s
PDA
Computer
Connections
Melody’s
Media Mix
Poser
5
Poser
5, The Hand
& Maxell
How
I Did it:
A Mac Showcase
DotPhoto.com
Qaptain
Qwerty’s
Qorner
Photo
Page
From
My Keyboard
Volunteer
for
Express! |
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I
promised you an
article on Cascading Style Sheets this month, but something very time-sensitive
has snuck up on me. You may remember
the "upcoming
show" I always referred to at the end of my articles. Well, it's
here.
So I thought it
would be more timely to share with you the experience of preparing
for and defining the show. The CSS will wait for us until the
next issue, I'm sure. Also, if you get to this article in time,
you will be able to tune in and see if I've successfully
followed
my plans. You can catch the first show on Public Access
MNN (Manhattan Neighborhood Network) on Tuesday, July 26, at 7 p.m..
When I began
this project
I thought I would be doing the whole thing by myself – even
though I haven't had a lot of experience in video production.
It wouldn't be polished, but, after all, Public Access is
about the message, the content.
Luckily,
I happened to mention this to Stephan Blauweiss, a colleague
of mine from Pratt. Having known him for 15 years as a Photoshop artist,
I
was surprised when he told me that he does video, video editing,
and After Effects. So now he is working with me on this show, and instead
of using the simple character generator he is customizing
compelling
imagery and special effects. Click http://nycmediaarts.com/mmm/mmmpromo.html (or paste the URL into your favorite browser) to see the
30-second promo he has created for the show.
Here is the script
for the first
show, missing only the actual demo, which I plan to stream
on my web site soon:
Welcome to Melody's
Media Mix. I am Melody Reed. This
show is about the synergy between Art and Technology.
We will explore this relationship by showing you clear, practical demonstrations of
current graphic software techniques. I will also
have interviews
with artists who use this technology in creating their art.
For
the past
twenty-five years I have been exploring these "new media" technologies
as they developed, and have had the privilege of
teaching this to many talented artists and designers.
Observing what happens when artists
and technology meet is what has compelled me to create
this show.
I
find that most artists who remain open and stick
to computer graphic programs for awhile experience a wonderful surprise
and relief. More
often than not they come to see that these programs
actually allow them to spend more time on the creative process and
decisions, freeing
them from repetitive tasks.
In this show I will
be talking to two audiences: artists discovering technology, and technophiles discovering art. (I
was in the second group. For me it was photography,
especially digital photography and the world of computer graphics
that
inspired me to
learn more about art.)
Photography long
ago gave us all a newly accessible means of self-expression. People
with no
skill with a brush or pencil
could share their explorations and perceptions
of the visual world in a real, personal way. Now digital photography
and
computer graphic
programs make the creation of art and design
even more attainable.
The old prejudice
that photography could not be
art is no longer seriously
held. Art, in my definition, is the creation
of something that allows us to see the "marvelous in the mundane." It
shines a new light on something we've encountered a thousand
times and never saw, or never
saw in quite this way.
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First show will be
repeated at 7pm,
Tuesday,
July 26.
Future episodes:
7pm, 2nd Tuesday
of every month Ch. 34
(Time
Warner),
Ch. 107 (RCN)
For
artistic hopefuls,
I
hope to trigger your
creativity
by showing
you
simple techniques
with
powerful tools that
will
start you to begin
creating
something
you
can feel good about.
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So here's my challenge:
For artistic hopefuls, I hope to trigger your creativity by showing
you simple techniques with powerful tools that will start you to begin
creating something you can feel good about. And I will be interviewing
artists who will tell us about their creative process, and the techniques
they use.
For accomplished
artists, I hope to tickle your curiosity to the point that you might
add some digital tools to your repertoire, or at least try them. (You
can always leave an open can of paint nearby to reassure yourself).
Today I want to
demonstrate some interesting techniques to turn an ordinary photograph
into a painting. I will be using the latest version of Photoshop, CS,
from beginning to end. If you are an experienced artist who has painted
in traditional media, you will have the advantage of knowing how the
finished product should look and what kind of brushes to use. But if
you are approaching Photoshop without this background, you will start
to learn what brushes and strokes look right by doing this exercise.
(And don't belittle your native ability to observe. You've
been doing it all your life, and you know when something looks right
or not.)
If you can, take
a trip to any museum that has a decent collection of paintings. This
time look closely at the brushstrokes of the paintings – maybe
even digitally photograph them – and try to incorporate a little
bit of what you see in your next project.
The Demo
At this point in
the show, I demonstrate how to transform an ordinary photograph into
a "painterly" image. Here is the photo I start with.
The
magic is worked with Photoshop's Art History Brush. To find it,
click on the History Brush (in the tool pallette) and hold down
for a few seconds; a second brush, the Art History Brush, appears.
The
brushes are easily distinguished. The History Brush has a counterclockwise
arrow, because you use it to show something from the past. The
Art History Brush shows a curlicue, suggesting the impressionistic
effects it can create.
In
your Layers pallette you now have only a Background layer. Create
a new layer above it.
(You
can name it Paint Effects).
Now,
on this layer (which is transparent and shows the Background image
on the layer below) make a few strokes with the Art History Brush,
and see what happens. Amazing!
Where
you stroked, you have now created a wild, random, modification
of the image below. How wild and how random? It's entirely up to
you; depending how you use the controls on the Option Bar. At the
extreme left, under the Art History Brush icon, you find a dropdown
menu that lets you access sixteen different kinds of brush. Further
to the right, beyond the familiar controls for Brush Size, Blending
Mode and Opacity, you find another jaw-dropping control called
Style, with dropdown menu of ten painting style variants. The possible
permutations are infinite. The best way to learn is to play around
with these controls. Have fun. And don't forget to stop for meals.
You
can carry this process as far as you like. If you want to bring
back a bit of the original, say in the eyes or the lips, switch
to the History Brush. In the Options bar select the size and type
of brush you want, and set the opacity to a low figure, say around
50%. Now paint on the eyes, and watch the modifications fade and
the original details return.
Above
was the image at the end of my demonstration. Is it finished? Should
I go further? What do you think? Remember: this is only a tool: the
artistry resides in how you use it. Practice and time will bring you
to a happy balance between daring and restraint.
I look forward to
hearing from you. If you have questions or comments, send me an e-mail.
If you are an artist who works digitally and can explain an interesting
technique clearly, we could have you on the show. And if you have an
interesting example of this kind of image manipulation, send it to
me so we we can use it here in MetroMac Express.
Look for our next
show, second Tuesday of the month. I will be interviewing an artist
who will be sharing favorite inspirations and secrets.
Oh, yes: my Web Design
Tutorial will resume with Part 5, on Cascading Style Sheets.
| For accomplished
artists,
I
hope to tickle your
curiosity
to the point
that you
might add some
digital
tools to your repertoire,
or at least
try
them. |
