Tag Archives: Photoshop

Day 10 Of The 30-Day Creative Gathering

Day 10, FEB C.G., 4 x 6, on Arches 140 lb. cold-pressed watercolor paper. © 2020 Sheila Delgado.

All kinds of wonky going on her. The table is uneven, (and I used a guide, how did that happen?). The pot is the leaning tower of turquoise. But I didn’t say so. Haha! I tried to capture how the leaves twist and turn. I didn’t quite get it this time, but I can always try again.

The table is slightly darker in life. I like it here, It has a bit of a sheen to it. I’m so in love with my snake plant. Mostly because it is STILL ALIVE. I haven’t killed it. And every time I look, there is a new leaf or two. Sweet!

This was a quick little postcard. I have a busy two days, so I wanted to get ahead. Whew! I got ‘er done! I put down the background color first. Covered the entire piece. I left some white areas and some blooms. That provided interesting textures in some of the leaves. I went one layer too many though and lost those details. Lesson learned. Instead of trying to glaze to “mix” colors, I should have painted with the color mixed in the palette.

I was having fun, and working fast, next time I will be more thoughtful. Still, I am happy with how this turned out. The varying greens. But I think I would like a warm “wall” behind it.

You know me, I had to do it. I did a digital edit. I copied part of day 9’s background and pasted it here. Let me know which you prefer.

Day 10 revised, FEB C.G., 4 x 6, on Arches 140 lb. cold-pressed watercolor paper. © 2020 Sheila Delgado.

OH YEAH! That feels right. Haha 😉

I begin with an idea
and then it becomes something else.
Pablo Picasso

Doubt is part of the creative process.
Danielle LaPorte

Make It In Design Summer School – Brief Two

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This week my design time was drastically reduced. I participated in a Creative Live course with Bonnie Christine of Going Home to Roost. Her class was a blast. Really intense. Three full days on Illustrator and surface pattern design. More on that in a bit.

I only had three days to complete my designs for the MIID assignments. I was determined to complete them all, so I had to simplify. K.I.S.S. Keep it simple, stupid.

Make It – Beginner

Tribal Shapes, MIID. Beginner Brief 2, © 2014 Sheila Delgado

For the Beginner theme, Tribal Shapes, I came up with this basic repeat. I knew that I would incorporate it in the Tribal Collage for the advanced assignment.

MIID Beginner Brief 2 details

I added lines to mimic a woven fabric, and then I erased them partly for a worn look. I used a second brush to add splotches of color.

Make It – Intermediate

MIID Intermediate Brief 2, © 2014 Sheila Delgado

Animal Print was the intermediate theme. I felt the need for steed. My original thought was to do some sort of quilted pattern of just hides. But then I thought about those terrible 70’s patchwork purses, and I just couldn’t go that route. I am not sure this is better. Animal prints in general are just not favorites of mine.

Faux horse hide

I added the same texture details, thinking of nubby old blankets, or an old itchy rug. I do like how the details turned out, but they do not translate well on screen, and I am not really sure they are visible in MIID gallery pages. I also completed the required product mock-up for this, and I really like how it looks in use.

Mock up, MIID Intermediate Brief 2

Make It – Advanced

Tribal Collage, the advanced assignment, brought these elements together. I did this pattern in about six hours. Right up against the deadline.

MIID Advanced details

So tell me what you think. Did I take the texture too far, or not far enough?

MIID Advanced Brief 2, © 2014 Sheila Delgado

Design Surface Patterns From Scratch With Bonnie Christine

So amazing! Bonnie is a terrific teacher and she is so generous in sharing all she knows. To anyone interested in learning pattern design, I highly recommend this class. The instruction in Illustrator was geared specifically for pattern design. I have worked in Photoshop, honestly, because learning Illustrator seemed daunting.

Bonnie made it look so easy, she explained each step. I had planned on creating my MIID designs in Illustrator, because I was short on time I stuck with Photoshop. You know, learning curve.

But I am tackling Illustrator this weekend. Bonnie’s assignment is to create a six piece pattern collection. FUN!!

Enjoy your weekend!

Day 29 of 30 in 30

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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.

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!