Day 30. Pear, 5 x 5 watercolor on 140 lb. cold press paper. © 2014 Sheila Delgado
Another quick pear to finish off the month-long challenge. I have to be out the door before dawn so this will have to do. I had plans during this challenge to do some canvas work. I also was hoping to work with pastels, and get some practice in with those. But I have been painting late at night, and watercolors are quiet, and need very little clean up. There is always next month!
Have a super day everyone!
Pear Day 29. 4 x 5 watercolor on 140 lb. cold press paper. © Sheila Delgado
Today my painting comes with a mini lesson on the wonders of Photoshop. I am not going to get all into the specs. I just want to show the difference it can make. I have a couple of friends who are new to using the program, and I wanted to share some of the features I use.
I have not taken any classes on Photoshop, I would love to. I am self-taught, and what I need to learn is still more than what I know. But learning is fun, so I have more to look forward to!
For posting my artwork here, I often use image adjustments to show it at its best. (Most often, the scan is true to life, and adjustments are not needed.)
Pear Day 29. (original) 4 x 5 watercolor on 140 lb. cold press paper. © Sheila Delgado
My pear today was done in a very light wash. More water than pigment. I did not start with a sketch. As you can see, the original scan looks completely washed out. Faded. I think it is due to the transparency of the watercolor. The white of the paper is reflecting through the paint.
Pear Day 29. (vibrance) 4 x 5 watercolor on 140 lb. cold press paper. © Sheila Delgado
The original scan was not true this time. I first adjusted the vibrancy. ( Image – adjustments – vibrance) This also gives you the option to change the saturation, but I rarely do that here. ( You can adjust the saturation with more control with the hue/sat tab.)
You probably can’t see much, if any difference between the original above, and the pear to the left. Honestly, to me they look reversed. My eyes must be tired. This time the change did not make a huge difference, but it did brighten the colors a bit.
Pear Day 29. (curves) 4 x 5 watercolor on 140 lb. cold press paper. © Sheila Delgado
The other adjustment I use is the curves. There is a lot you can do, and I may not even be using it correctly. You can deepen the colors here. This is good in some cases, and I do like how the pear looks here (to the right). But It is not true to the original.
Pear Day 29. 4 x 5 watercolor on 140 lb. cold press paper. © Sheila Delgado
To the left is the image with both the vibrance and the curves adjustments used together. The green is deeper, and the yellow is brighter. This is true to the original painting.
One more day of the 30 in 30 challenge. If you have not had a chance to visit Leslie’s site for a look, you still have time.
Thanks for stopping by! Thanks to all of you who take the time to comment. It is always great to hear from you!
Chinese postcard. 4 x 6 watercolor, pen on 140 lb. cold press paper. © 2014 Sheila Delgado
I can not take credit for how pleasing this is. There is no credit given to the artist in The Grammar of Ornament by Owen Jones. In fact in his first book, he has almost nothing good to say about Chinese ornamentation at all. Regarding their design abilities he said, “they do not appear to have gone beyond that point which is reached by every people in an early stage of civilization; their art such as it is, is fixed… they are totally unimaginative, and all their works are accordingly wanting in the highest grace of art,”
Huh?
The book was first published in London in 1856 and was huge success. Owen was a product of his time, and his opinion was shared by many. This attitude can be attributed to a lack of knowledge and exposure, as travel to the Far East was still quite hazardous and limited.
Jones later published a volume entirely dedicated to Chinese ornament (1867), The Grammar of Chinese Ornament. I guess there was grace and imagination to be found after all.
I am thrilled to tell you, that much of the book is available for viewing online. I have followed John Hopper’s The Textile Blog for at least a couple of years. But I only just discovered the articles on this subject. You really need to visit this blog if it is new to you. Each article is loaded with information. A look at the Article Index, well let me just say It is a dangerous thing. If you are a creative, you will find yourself pulled in by a force stronger than the lure of Tom Selleck in beach shorts, handing you a box of chocolates!
Owen Jones and Chinese Ornament
Owen Jones Reappraisal of Chinese Decoration
Owen Jones and Egyptian Revival