Dream of a Photomanipulator, by Rekano

To celebrate the 175th article on Digital Image Magazine, I’ve decided to celebrate by doing one of my favorite things: a showcase of great work. Besides, I love being able to share the work of fabulous, incredibly imaginative artists with you.

All of these images come from deviantArt.com. These are some of the best examples of photomanipulation I’ve come across. Most of the time, the image will be a collage of several photographs. Often, the photocollage is then hand-painted in Photoshop or Painter. Additional elements can be painted in, partially covering over the original photographs. In the deviantArt community, “photomanipulation” is any image that includes photography (as opposed to digital painting, which is done from scratch). Here then is my collection of the best of the best. Enjoy! (Click on the artist’s name or the image to go to their gallery.)

Michael O

Apple, by Michael O. This is a great example of how photomanipulation can start with a photo (inset), and turn it into a completely new and amazing work of art.

Another amazing work by Michael O. Click on the image to see more.

Trophy Wife, by Michael O

Cristalart

The Bird's Queen, by Cristalart

Autumns Goddess

Intention, by AutumnsGoddess

Higherdepths

Submariner, by Higherdepths

Schnette

Follow Your Heart, by Schnette

OneTaintedAngel

Dream of Silk and Silence Part 2, by OneTaintedAngel

Indigodeep

The Summoner, by Indigodeep

Gloom82

Society, by Gloom82

Billy Pilgrim

Portrait of a Sad Song, by Billy Pilgrim

ZWIR

Once in Venice, by ZWIR

Heakmeat

Nature, by Heakmeat

MrNoxx

Endangered Species, by MrNoxx

Taenaron

Dream, by Taenaron

Ghwamba

Do You Believe in Magic, by Ghwamba

BetweenTheClouds

Depression, by Betweentheclouds

Tammara

After the Ball, by Tammara

Bob Nolin (me!)

Myrddin, by Bob Nolin. Hope you don't blame me for including one of my own!

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2. Inspiration: Photomanipulation Masters Part 2 In part 2, we'll look at the work and the...
3. Inspiration: Photomanipulation Masters Part 3 Our photomanip master today is Pat Brennan, a.k.a. Moonmomma on...

Daybreak, by Pat Brennan

This week we return to the work of photomanipulation masters. From Part 1: “By photomanipulation, I mean a digital collage, a photo montage, of two or more images. When done successfully, it should look like a coherent image: the light source and color balance is consistent, nothing looks “cut out”. Photomanips require good, solid Photoshop skills, and a great imagination. The best photomanippers (new word, just made it up) have an uncanny ability to imagine how a given image can be altered and brought into a collage. Rarely are photos ready to go. You need to remove things, change the size, color, orientation…the list is endless. The end result can be something quite magical. It truly is an art.”

So the emphasis here is on combining quite ordinary photographs into one single, extraordinary image with them. Today we’ll look at some work by Pat Brennan (”Moonmomma” on deviantArt.com). She continually amazes me with her ability to see beyond the photos she starts with. She has great imagination and vision. I envy this ability in others, because I have a hard time imagining a photo looking different. I’m pretty literal-minded. When I see work like Pat Brennan’s, I’m reminded of just how limitless our possibilities are in this still-new medium.

Night Queen stock image by Lockstock on deviantArt. Click on image to see the original posting.

The famous clock in Prague, and a stock image. What could you make with these elements?

The images below come from www.sxc.hu (clock) and Eli-Exposed-Stock on deviantArt. Given these two images, what would you come up with? What if you could add anything you wanted? Suddenly, the possibilities are endless! Where do you even begin? Here’s what Pat Brennan came up with.

Time Flies, by Pat Brennan.

Four of the elements here come from the Prague clock image, but it’s not obvious, at first, that the same image is being used four times. Brennan has painted over the model, adding a new hairstyle, and given her a cloud to sit on. She’s added other images, including stars, wings, and a dove. The end result is not realistic, nor is it meant to be. It’s a cohesive, dreamlike vision, made of various elements and a lot of imagination.

Stock image by Sinned-angel-stock on deviantArt. Click on the image to go visit this stock artist's gallery.

To my literal mind, a photo like this calls for a portrait. A realistic portrait. Brennan turns it into an illustration. Three dimensional space is played with here. Notice the transition from the face to the shoulders and hand. The face is high contrast and stands out, which is what we expect. But then the other elements are flattened into 2D space. The nest seems to be on her head, but at the same time it looks like it was painted onto the paper. Holding it all together is Brennan’s wonderful color sense and composition. This kind of symbolic, ethereal imagery is something I’d really like to try in my own work. I’m sure it’s a lot harder than it looks, though!

The Egg Thief by Pat Brennan

I want to finish up today with two images by Pat Brennan. Both used the exact same photo as their starting point, but the results are quite different. The starting image is by Dheks on deviantArt.

Misery by deheks on deviantArt. Click on the image to go her gallery.

This is a rather arresting portrait, and you can see why Brennan was taken with it enough to use it twice. In the first example, the subject has a bird’s nest for a hat, once again. And, once again, it works. I would never have thought of a bird’s nest. The second example is quite different. The head is outsized, sort of like the Red Queen in Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland. So it has a Wonderland feel to it. Both of these are wonderful, inspiring images, and I thank Pat Brennan for sharing her work with us.

Bird Dreaming by Pat Brennan

Trapping Beauty, by Pat Brennan

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Dressed for Success, by Jasmin Junger. Click on the image to visit her gallery.

In the second part of this series, we’ll look at the work of Jasmin Junger, who goes by the name Kuschlirmel on Deviant Art. Ms. Junger has created some visionary, creative works using Photoshop and stock images. She has also put together some fantastic, extremely helpful tutorials for you, dealing with various aspects of photomanipulation (photo compositing). I strongly recommend that you download these tutorials (they’re usually a JPG or PSD image) for later reference, as artists (and their works) come and go on Deviant Art. I’ve got a folder on my hard drive labeled “Tutorials” for these kinds of things, and it comes in quite handy, believe me! It gives me great pleasure to share with you the work of this very generous and talented artist. You can visit her at the following Deviant Art accounts:

- Jasmin Junger’s stock, including her tutorials

- Jasmin Junger’s artworks

Tutorials by Jasmin Junger

As I mentioned, Jasmin Junger has many superb tutorials available here in her Tutorials gallery. I’d like to point out some highlights, as a way for you to get started:

The Quick Selection Tool (video)
Lighting, Part 1
Lighting, Part 2
Layer Masks Explained
Layer Masks and Gradients
How to Simulate a Flooded Building
Setting a Mood – Part One (video)
Setting a Mood – Part Two (video)
The Making of A Change of Perspective, Part 1
The Making of A Change of Perspective, Part 2
The Making of A Change of Perspective, Part 3

The Key to Happiness, by Jasmin Junger

I hope you’ll stop by and check these out. I’ve learned a lot from Jasmin Junger, and I know you will, too! Thanks, Jasmin!

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Magic All Around, by Phatpuppy (click on image to see more of her work!)

Two of the most popular posts here on Digital Image Magazine are about photomanipulation. Sounds to me like photomanipulation is a popular topic with our readers, and so today begins a new series called “Photomanipulation Masters.” (The two posts are Photomanipulation Artistry by Louvre89, and How to Make an Anne Geddes Baby Portrait.)

First, let’s figure out what we mean by a “photomanipulation” (or “photomanip”). A photomanip can be a single photograph that has been altered (”photoshopped”) in some way. Usually this means much more than simple retouching. We’re talking head-swapping, huge eyes, big heads, that sort of thing. You can see many examples of this type of work at Worth1000.com.

Typically, though, a photomanip is a digital collage, a photo montage, of two or more images. When done successfully, it should look like a coherent image: the light source and color balance is consistent, nothing looks “cut out”. Photomanips require good, solid Photoshop skills, and a great imagination. The best photomanippers (new word, just made it up) have an uncanny ability to imagine how a given image can be altered and brought into a collage. Rarely are photos ready to go. You need to remove things, change the size, color, orientation…the list is endless. The end result can be something quite magical. It truly is an art.

Many digital painters (those who paint from scratch) look down upon the photomanipulator. They’ll ask, in a superior sort of tone, “Is that a painting, or is it *just* a photomanip?” My response to this kind of snobbery is: The image is everything; how that image gets made is beside the point.

This link will take you to a slide show of some of my favorite photomanips from Deviant Art.com. Check it out, and when you come back, we’ll take a look at our first master, Phatpuppy.

Phatpuppy

Perspectives, by Phatpuppy, on the right. Stock photo is by AoH-Stock on Deviant Art.

Phatpuppy (whose real name is Claudia) is one of the most well-known, popular, and prolific digital artists on Deviant Art. Her work is usually very striking and emotionally appealing, with a dreamlike, otherworldly quality. She creates a unique color scheme for each image, altering the colors from the original photographs. In the first example, above, (”Perspectives“), the final image is a combination of images. The main figure comes from the stock photo shown (by AoH-Stock, link). Now you can see what I mean when I say imagination is so important to this process. The artist took a rather ordinary shot and turned it into an extraordinary, glowing, appealing image. It has atmosphere, and drama. Let’s take a look at how she achieved this.

First, notice that just the figure is used from the stock photo, and the figure has been flipped horizontally. She seems to fit with the cloud shapes better that way. The figure in the stock photo is very close to the top of the frame. In the final image, her head is in the upper third of the frame. She’s positioned dead-center, and low in the frame, which gives the composition a gravity, a sense of meditation. She is obviously standing still, looking out. This is one case where it’s desirable to have a static composition.

The color scheme here is nearly monochromatic, with rich browns and dark golds. This works well with the subject matter, adding to the somber, sacred mood. As with many of the other masters we’ll be looking at in the weeks ahead, a limited palette is used a lot. If you’re just starting out with photomanips, you’ll find your task much easier if you stick to one or two colors. Often blue and orange are used (one of my favorites), for a dramatic look. It’s colorful, yet there’s only two colors.

Tip: You might want to try adding a Hue/Saturation layer at the very top, with Saturation all the way off. Compose everything in monochrome, at first. Once you’ve got your picture working, begin thinking of a color scheme. Don’t let the original photos force you into anything! You’re in charge. You decide what colors to use. One of the things I’ve learned from Phatpuppy is how to use color to unify a composite image, to create real visual impact.

Back to “Perspectives.” Notice how there are only three elements here: sky, figure, and grass. Simplicity, my friends. I’m working on an image right now with 30 layers and 10 different photos…I’m tearing my hair out! Keep it simple, is Phatpuppy’s message here. That’s what makes this image so powerful. And lastly, notice how she darkened the figure (check out the arm hanging down) to match the lighting situation. And then there is the “rim light,” as photographers call it, which lends a glowing quality to the edges of the figure. Just lovely. She added that whole glowing edge, yet it looks natural, like it belongs there. You can add touches like this, too. Just be bold. Don’t let those photographs boss you around. ; )

Here’s another before/after example for you to study. Quite a difference!

A Dream is a Wish, by Phatpuppy. Stock photo by Faestock (no longer on Deviant Art).

You can check out some of Phatpuppy’s Before/After gallery for more examples. Because photomanipulators on Deviant Art give links back to their source photos (they have to, according to site etiquette), you can study any image you admire to see what was used to create it. It’s an incredible learning tool.

I will leave you with one final image, another of my favorites. I invite you to check out Phatpuppy’s gallery (prepare to spend a good hour or more — there’s a lot to see!). Also, here’s a link to a tutorial that was just published on Worth1000, showing how to create a fairy image from a stock photo or two. Enjoy!

Walk With Thee, by Phatpuppy. Stock image of girl comes from Liam-Stock. Click on the image to go see the original stock photo.

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Daybreak, by Maxfield Parrish. Possibly the most-reproduced art print of all time.

One of my favorite artists is the “Golden Age” illustrator, Maxfield Parrish (1870-1966). During the early 20th century, Parrish’s prints hung on the walls of one in four homes in America. One in particular “was the decorative art sensation of the 1920s. It netted Maxfield Parrish a staggering $100,000 in royalties in its first two years of print sales. The piece was Daybreak, and it is Parrish’s best-remembered, and is believed to be the most-sold art print in history.” (Thanks to Aaron Art Prints for the quote.)

I’ve been doing some research on Maxfield Parrish for a book I’m writing, and came across a rare interview with him which I’d like to share with you. Parrish was a very private man, and hated to give interviews. In 1931, however, he did agree to be interviewed for a publication called “The Classmate: A Paper for Young People.” At one point, he is asked for some advice for the young artist trying to get a start as an illustrator. Here’s what Maxfield Parrish said:

“How to get a start? That’s the most difficult kind of advice to give. There are three or four thousand young people tramping the streets with portfolios under their arms. But there are too many of them, or there is not enough work to go around, although we have more magazines and others users of art in this country than in any other. But until young artists become known, it is very difficult for them to dispose of their work. So many young artists look through the magazines, see what is there, and imagine that is what editors want. Well, most editors would be delighted to find something just a little different –not freakish, you know, but something with imagination. Young artists seem to to fear to put their personalities into their work; they seem afraid to be themselves.

“There was a time when [Charles Dana] Gibson had a great run, and, as a consequence, he had thousands of imitators: people whose idea of what editors wanted was the head of a pretty girl on a magazine cover. The country was filled with artists trying to do what Gibson was doing well, but doing it very poorly. And all the time what editors wanted was not little Gibsonians but something entirely different and with imagination–something expressing the artist himself.

“Some artists have very fine technique, they have the faculty of making excellent drawings, but they have nothing to say. They are like those bright pupils in school who memorize what is in the books and what the teachers says, but they are not able to use their knowledge or their skill intelligently, imaginatively.”

What Parrish is saying is easy to understand: be yourself. Create your own style. Follow your inner voice, and create what only you can create. I think we all know this, but we’re sometimes afraid to follow through. But it’s the “secret” behind the success of every illustrator, matte painter, character designer, cartoonist, or digital painter working today. Did these artists have a vision of what would sell? Did they draw or paint in a style they knew would be popular? No. They simply painted and drew what was in them to paint or draw. As Parrish said, they “put their personalities into their work.”

Go to the edge of the cliff and jump off. Build your wings on the way down.
–Ray Bradbury

Copying the work of those you admire is a great way to learn. It helps you learn how to paint, how to use color, how to compose, and so forth. But at some point, you’ve got to step out on your own, and see what YOU have to say. Fill the blank canvas with something the world has never seen before.

Go forth, and create!

A digitally-painted copy of Maxfield Parrish's Twilight. Doing a copy like this is called a Master Copy. It's a great way to learn.

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Wave Polished Stones by Joan Hamilton.

Watercolor is a difficult medium to master, and that’s true in both the traditional and digital worlds. To get watercolor to behave, an artist needs perseverance and patience, plus a burning desire to succeed. Joan Hamilton, from Toronto, Canada, is one such artist, and she has quite successfully unlocked the secret to creating gorgeous watercolors using Corel Painter. Joan was kind enough to share her experiences with us.

Q: Tell us about your artistic background, and how you came to digital art.

Art, watercolour in particular, has always really appealed to me. All my life I yearned to learn how to do it, but was hampered in one way or another. In the summer of 2004 I purchased some watercolour paints, brushes and paper. I didn’t get too far into it, before I realized that it was going to take a lot of paint and paper to learn how to do this! Digitally, I had played around (a very little) with Corel Draw and PhotoPaint 5 a long time ago and upon looking for an updated version I found the software program Corel Painter 9. The bundled deal with the Wacom tablet and pen was too tempting to resist. My husband is the one that really pushed me into purchasing it. I probably couldn’t have spent that much money on what was then only a hobby. (I secretly think it’s because he felt guilty for buying Electronic V Drums myself! lol!) I received it in February 2005 and have been hooked on digital painting since! I’ve also had to get a new Wacom tablet and Intuos 4 Pen (I wore hole in my old one I painted so much!) and have upgraded to Corel Painter 11. I don’t use Photoshop or any other programs because I have enough on my hands with what I’ve got, as well as budgetary restraints.

Q: How did you learn to use Painter?

For the most part I learned to use Corel Painter on my own, through a great deal of experimentation. The thing that helped me learn the most was by looking at tons of other art, reading about it and doing studies of other artist’s works. It taught me some of the basics of painting, while helping me (forcing me) to learn techniques to make the kind of marks I wanted to make painting digitally. I focused on painting in a watercolour style from the beginning, but in the past few years especially I have concentrated on learning to use the digital watercolour and watercolour variants. Digital painting is an evolving process for me. Articulating what I have learned adds another dimension to my art. Being determined to paint a certain kind of wash with the forethought that you will have to explain how to do it to someone else really helps you define and polish your painting technique and your own style.

A Lacey Cap, by Joan Hamilton. Digital watercolor.

FolioTwist is a fantastic art site to build your artist website on. They are designed for artists and are full of features that artists really need to create a successful website. I chose a FolioTwist website about a year and half ago because they were one of the few I had researched that integrated the online art gallery with a solid working blogging platform. Before that I had a more static website/online gallery on ArtSites.ca and a WordPress blog at the same time. The trouble was, I could generate lots of visitors to my blog, but not nearly as many to my website which was where I wanted them to go in the first place … to buy my art!

A FolioTwist site is very easy to use because it is well designed and built to help artists with the process of marketing their work. I am currently receiving the Traffic Booster course they offer as a new part of their site services. The first four lessons have been very to the point and useful. Dan and Zac know how to explain their information in a comfortable, makes sense kind of manner. I would highly recommend them to any artist looking for a professional looking, artist friendly, affordable website. They frequently add new features based partly on user requests and are very accommodating about being available for great technological and blogging support.

Q: You offer prints of your work, and do the printing yourself. Tell us about that.

All my art is printed by myself using professional quality inks and papers. 
I use Red River’s Aurora Fine Art Paper, and an Epson Stylus Pro R1800 printer. The paper is a heavier weight 100% Cotton rag content, acid free, lignin free, bright white paper that complements my digital watercolour paintings. I use Epson Ultrachrome inks which are archival quality inks. They are waterproof, smudge proof and fade resistant up to 200 years. The printouts are true to the colours of the original digital image and the details are clear. Printing my own work allows me the opportunity for total control over the final output. I spend time, and money on inks and paper, to make sure the final printouts match my vision of the finished painting. There are always adjustments that need to be made. No two paintings are the same, so my adjustments to the dye concentration and the tonal values are tailored to the painting, taking into consideration different kinds of paper and the printer itself.

Charlton Lake Shoreline by Joan Hamilton

Aside from various size printouts of my art I make many of my paintings into Note Cards. I use the same paper as my printouts, as well as a Soft Gloss paper option. I often make them into sets and they can be fully customized with text inside or outside or both for no extra charge. My Christmas cards are very popular and have sold well to businesses as well as individuals wanting something a little different than those same old cards sold by card companies.

Q: You’re currently writing an eBook about digital watercolor. How’s it going?

Plans such as exactly how and where it will be sold, and for how much are not yet finalized. I will be blogging about my progress and will continue to offer tidbits and free demonstrations/tutorials on my blog.
I am passionate about discovering ways to paint digital watercolours with visually authentic language and sharing them with others who love the challenge and appearance of watercolour.

The very first brush I tried in Corel Painter 9 was a watercolour variant, Soft Runny Wash. It dripped alarmingly down the page at a fairly slow rate. The ways to control it seemed very esoteric and unknown, the possible variations infinite… In other words, it scared me silly and I didn’t fiddle around with them much again for a long time. I have learned a few tricks since then and am in the process of writing my first eBook entitled How to Paint Watercolours Digitally. I realized that while I do explain a lot of things on my blog, the intent has gradually changed from showing people what I was doing to teaching people step by step how to use these amazing tools and techniques. It is an enormous amount of work to organize the information in a cohesive manner so people can learn this stuff easier and faster than I did! I have the outline of the book done and already can see I will probably have to write two books at least. The first will concentrate on learning to use the tools needed and the second will focus more on painting more specific elements such as, petals, leaves snow, trees, clouds, rocks and whatever else comes to mind! I am not worried that I can only teach people to paint the way I paint using the brushes I use. That would be rather limiting, not to mention stifling to the other artist. Instead I want to give people an idea of what they can do with this incredible software, and feel that I’ve helped turn somebody on to painting as a means of creative expression all their own!

Q. Any advice for our readers?

Create the best art you can and constantly and consciously put effort into it that will improve it. Challenge yourself to learn the hard stuff. The skills you struggle with today will pay off in the future. This includes learning the technical and marketing side of being an artist. The competition to sell art is fierce and you need to use all the advantages you can.

Make peace with the idea that you have to sell yourself as part of selling your art, then act accordingly with regards to social media and blogging. Joining and participating meaningfully in Art Forums where you can post your art and be part of a community is helpful. Selling art in those large forums such as Red Bubble, ImageKind, Art Wanted, and Fine Art America, to name a few I’ve personally had portfolios on, is very difficult especially if you don’t sell your work any other way.

Don’t get discouraged by how long it takes to get your name out there. The one piece of advice I’ve read consistently over the last few years is that you can’t sit there waiting for people to find you on the web. You have to be proactive about it and it may take you out of your comfort zone. Do it anyway, you must if you really want results.

Do your best to have a balance between time spent creating and time spent networking, schmoozing, marketing yourself, creating your brand …whatever you want to call it. Make some realistic plans when you have defined your goals. Do your research, but don’t waste time surfing! Be true to yourself and believe in what you are doing (at least most of the time) and your talent and passion will come shining through. Don’t be afraid to share…what’s the worst thing that can happen to you? You’ll be ignored? Everybody is ignored, unless they draw some good attention to themselves. You’ll be laughed at and mocked? Even if you are, it’s doubtful that you are going to know about it. The best thing that will happen is that you’ll meet some great new people and be totally amazed at how many wonderful people there still are in the world!

You can visit Joan on her website, Joan A. Hamilton’s Digital Painting Site, and on her blog, Joan A. Hamilton’s Art Blog. Thanks, Joan, for taking time to share with us! I’ll close with my current favorite painting by Joan Hamilton. Thanks for reading!

Blue Silk and Oranges, by Joan A. Hamilton

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Serious costumes: historical re-enactments and Renaissance Faires are like a time machine for the portrait artist.

Every since I took Art History courses back in college, Renaissance and Old Master portraits have held a special fascination for me. Lately I’ve been indulging that interest by painting digital portraits that have the look and feel of the Quattrocento. As it turns out, there are many others who also have a love of history–so much so, in fact, that they participate in re-enactments of historical battles. Others work during the summer months attired in Renaissance garb, spouting “Prithee” and “Huzzahs” all day long. Renaissance Faires are found all over the country, and if you’ve never attended one, I highly recommend it. They’re a lot of fun. Photographs of people dressed in historical costumes are nearly irresistible to me, as a portrait subject. Luckily for me, there are some talented photographers who’ve posted great images online for all to see, and use as reference. I am grateful to these generous individuals. The works that follow could not have been created without them.

I’ve been making a conscious effort to use photographs as just the starting point for my historical portraits. As you’ll see, in the last example, the painting and the photo look nothing like each other. To me, this is a sign that I’m growing as an artist. I’m relying less and less on Painter’s clone tool. It’s kind of like learning to ride a bike without training wheels. Scary, but fun. You can see much larger versions of these, and other paintings, at my online gallery.

Enjoy!

Photograph by Chip Talbert, at www.chiptalbert.com. This young lady was a cast member at a Tennessee Renaissance Faire. At this size, the painting looks identical to the photo. At full size, it looks much more like an oil painting of the period.

Photo, left, by http://odessa11stock.deviantart.com/, a generous Deviant Art.com stock artist. Obviously this is based on Girl with a Pearl Earring by Vermeer.

A Texas Ren Faire cast member. Photograph by Photography on the Run. My goal here was to really play up the reflected light, as well as to make the image painterly. Still relying completely on the clone tool here, plus Topaz filters.

Another Photography on the Run image. I was happy with the new lighting and textures in this painting.

This was done right after the Moorish Gentleman. Photo by Photography on the Run. The Topaz Adjust filter really brought out this gentleman's character.

I'm particularly pleased with how different the painting is from the photo. Still using the clone tool, but not as much. Choosing my own colors, and using Overlay layers for the patterning. Photo by http://alp-stock.deviantart.com.

This gentleman, and the lady above, were dressed for a Viking encampment in York, England. Photo by http://alp-stock.deviantart.com.

This was the first time I made up most of the image. His tunic comes from my imagination. I didn't even know I had one! Photo by Photography on the Run.

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Enough seriousness already! Let’s take a look at some top-notch digital art that’s not about dragons, war, space battles, elven waifs, zombies, apocalyptic visions, or any of that serious stuff. Today’s gallery is nothing but lighthearted and whimsical. Funny, even. Most of these paintings were executed in Painter and/or Photoshop, though one is a 3D illustration. Nearly all come from the top award-winners on the Computer Graphics Society website. [nggallery id=14]

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Abstract Fractal by Nathan Smith

Nathan Smith creates beautiful, intricate images using Photoshop and fractal art. (Check out this article for more about fractals and fractal generators.) The image above, “Abstract Fractal,” is composed mostly of elements created in Photoshop. The carved gold is made using layer styles applied to paths, all within Photoshop. The jewels (a signature part of many works by Smith) are also made in Photoshop. Nathan Smith shares his knowledge, as well as his many striking images, in his Deviant Art gallery (here). In the gallery, there’s a page of tutorials, where you can learn how these amazing images are made. Smith has generously provided a huge page full of Photoshop tutorials and videos here, on the Utah State University site. You can download many of Smith’s works as desktop art, on the Caedes website. As you can see, Nathan Smith’s generosity is as great as his artistic ability, which is considerable. It’s gives me great pleasure to share some of his work with you.

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It takes Photoshop chops and a sense of humor to stand out on Worth1000.

It’s hard to believe, but we have not featured (or even mentioned) Worth1000.com here on Digital Image Magazine. Tsk tsk. Worth1000 is a site where you can show off your Photoshop skills in various contests. There are some really outstanding photo manipulations here. Also, Worth1000 offers many tutorials. If you prefer hard copy, they also offer three books full of fun projects. I gave one to my teenage daughter, and she loved it. Projects like this are a great way to dive into Photoshop. Say you want to turn Tom Cruise into an alien…oh, wait. Bad example.

Okay, let’s say you want to create a marble bust of Anthony Hopkins.

Create your own memorial statue of your favorite celebrity...or yourself!

There are lots of different contest types, at various skill levels, so even if you’re a beginner, you can compete against other newbies. My favorite contest is the Modern Renaissance, which involves placing a celebrity into a famous painting. The best of these do more than simply replace a face; they match the style of the painting, as well.

Robin Williams painted by Durer.

This next is from the “You Are What You Eat” contest. Top entry: Pickleman.

Well, that small sampling gives you a taste (sorry, Pickleman) of the fabulous work on view over at Worth1000.com. Definitely worth wasting an hour or two. Check out the open contests, and go for it! By the way, Worth1000 is maintained by the same people responsible for Aviary.com, the online image editor. Aviary was a subscription-based service (with some free areas available), but they recently decided to make the app completely free to the world. So head on over to Aviary.com, and give it a spin. It’s not Photoshop, but hey! It’s free!

Don’t forget to vote in the Reader Poll, over on the right. If you’ve voted already, thank you!

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