When you are creating, do you find moments when everything comes together and it just feels right? Your know your piece is finished. When you are new to a medium, it’s not as easy. You may not take something far enough or you may go too far, ruining something good. As you learn and progress, I think it’s easier to know when something is “done.” It’s part of the learning process, and our own style, to develop that feeling of done.
In mobile/digital art, I’ve learned that the name of the game is blending. Using multiple apps and blending them together, until it feels “done.” I had already started on this path, as I created some of my earlier pieces like Rain Painting and Winter Flowers. I had only touched the tip of the iceberg of what is possible with blending in those, however. I’m going crazy now. Today as I share one of this week’s pieces for Paint Party Friday I thought I would also give you a taste of the kind of blending I’m doing now, and how I created this one, called Under the Surface.
Here’s the starting image, taken with the ProCamera app. I love it! You can easily separate exposure and focus, and switch between aspect ratios within the app, going from square to rectangular.
Then the fun started. I’ve created this little matrix of images to walk through the process of creation, but it doesn’t even cover all of the steps. To be honest, I get so many layers going I don’t even remember the exact steps but I’m trying to recreate them to share.
From left to right, top to bottom:
- The first step was into Snapseed, to shift the color a bit. This also added some texture and vignetting.
- Next I pulled that image into Distressed FX to add textures. The next three are the image with various textures added. You can’t add more than one texture within the app, so I save an image of each texture I like on the photo. Distressed FX also will do color filters in addition to textures, but I often turn that off and just use the textures. It’s become my go-to app for textures lately.
- From there, I start to blend. The center image is a blend of the different texture images I saved out of Distressed FX. I’ve starting using the Image Blender app for blending, because it is easier to use and has more blending options than Iris Photo Suite. When blending, I just play with the blending modes and percentages until it looks good to me. There is no logical sequence I’ve got for this step.
- Once I had a nice blend, I started to use the painting apps. I take the blended photo into the apps and play around with different effects to get some I like. Middle right is the “Aquarell” painting filter from Autopainter HD (a recent favorite) and bottom left is from Glaze.
- From there I started blending again, with the textured image and the painted images. Bottom middle is the new blend.
- I was starting to lose the colors, so I took that blend back through Distressed FX and added a filter or two.
From there, I did more blending with previously created layers to get the final result.
Under the Surface
There were more steps and layers than these I shared, but it gives you the basic idea of how the final piece was created. There is a depth of color and texture in the final painting that is built through blending layers which won’t exist when you use a single app. It’s really the creative part of the process, and where the unique touch of each person will come in. I’ve started to learn the apps, what works on different images and how to achieve a certain look, as I play. Eventually I might develop a “style” but right now it’s all about play and exploration. Lots of fun!
Golly Kat, you are having a ball with your apps! Cool effects like delicate drawings on blotting paper! I love the different hues of pastels!
There is a real sense of being under water, looking up to the sky. Being smart-phone-less, your app steps don’t mean much to me but your sense of fun, joy and play certainly come shining through in the wonderful result!
Thanks Brenda! You can do all of this in Photoshop too, I have no doubt! It’s just layers, textures, and filters. The apps just make it seem easier than learning Photoshop, but I’m not sure it actually is!
you are getting awesome beautiful mystical results!
Wow, Kat. It’s so fun o see how things are progressing as you get the hang of it. Play and exploration are what make art so much fun. I’m so impressed with how quickly Lu have come this far. So looking forward to seeing more. Happy PPF
These are very beautiful. The process looks so complex! I’m impressed with your technical ability!!
Fascinating each a beauty!!!!!
This is really cool. Thanks for showing your steps!
Oh my goodness, it is fabulous! Thank you so much for sharing your process. You created a magical piece! I’d love to attempt something similar with my photos. A new technique to attempt. Happy PPF!
Beautiful, love the softness of the image!
It might be play and inspiration but is is a pleasure to look at and see the different effects and processes you go through… so interesting… happy New Year by the way!!!
To be honest Kat I was lost after snapseed……lol as I know nothing at all about digital art workings………….but am loving the results. Happy PPF, Annette x
Thank you for sharing whole process of creation. It seems to be so interesting and inspiring. A photo looks amazing.
This is truly so amazing. I, too, am not familiar with all these things you are doing. I enjoy learning about it. Blessings, Janet PPF
Very beautiful – those branches just draw me in and up to the heavens. Happy PPF!
Kat, this picture is beautiful. I love its softness. I am always inspired by how much you love what you are doing and how excited you are when you are learning and creating something new. Thank you for sharing.
PS Can’t wait for your course to start.
The best thing about digital is the ability to keep lots of different versions of a piece as it evolves. No need to choose whether to stop or keep experimenting. I really like the lacy effect you got with this piece.
very cool !!! I love these photos and this is a great post all about how you did it. I just took (cartoonized) photos of all my paintings that I currently have hanging up and I tried to get part of my own face in each shot just for giggles and I really love how it turned out I may do a post next Friday on those fun photos.
-KAT- #11
You’re speaking another language to me but the process is fascinating and your rendition is gorgeous!! Happy PPF!
Wow, I’ve never experimented with digital art before but I do find it fascinating to look at the amazing things people create that way. Thank you so much for sharing your process! Happy PPF!
Oooh, this is just incredible. And so haunting. Thanks for showing us your process–I am so impressed at your creativity and skill, harvesting this rich, finished piece from that simple, original photo!
Love the contrast and blending, Kat!
Such rich and beautiful colors!
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Happy PPF!!
Mary
wow and I love the results. Happy PPF from across the pond.
Beautiful!
I need to go review my photoshop cases.
Rinda
Thank you. I’ve really been enjoying these pictures and to see some insight into how you make them is great. I am now wanting to go and investigate all the apps! (I am rather loving my ipad!)
I’m glad! That’s why I’m posting them. It’s always fun to share what I’m learning.
really beautiful end digital painting. I don’t know about any of these apps, but it sounds almost how someone who does watercolor wet into wet would feel when they get surprising and beautiful results when just experimenting.
Really great analogy! Sometimes letting go of control yields the best results. 🙂