2/23/12

PAF: beauty from ugly

Interesting challenge from Bonnie over at Pixel Dust Photo Art this week - take something ugly or that you don't like and see if you can improve it by making it digitally artistic.  Hmmm.....sounds like fun, right?  Well it is, but it's so darn addicting and it's hard to know which ugly photo to choose and when does it become "art".  Here's where I stopped....


Here are the elements I used.


My "ugly" is the image of the wing - it's the plastic wing from a Budweiser eagle that my hubby has hanging in the garage.  I keep trying to find a convenient and clear way to showing what I've done and I kind of like this little snapshot idea - what do you think?  Is it helpful or interesting?  Anyway, I combined 3 photos and Bonnie's Artist texture - you can see the word "artist" on the left side of the wing.  I thought if the words were there, that would make me one! Ha.  I used linear light on the ice at 100% and vivid light on the Christmas lights at 55%; overlay on the texture.  I used layer masks (love those!) on both the lights & ice images.

Then I tried another more......elegant.... treatment of the wing and came up with this:

The base photo here is some fall trees in Montreal, the wing and a texture from Nancy Donaldson and another one (the words) from Skeletal Mess (find him on flickr).

I can't wait to see what others have come up with - are you as addicted to the whole PSE thing as I am?


16 comments:

  1. Wow! You did a terrific job. Your BudWeiser eagle turned out to be quite angelic.

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  2. Two VERY interesting yet different edits Terrie. Think I like the second the best. Enjoyed your humorous account of your editing process! Always a pleasure to view your work and thank you for sharing it with Photo Art Friday.

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  3. I love the second image best, but both have been processed wonderfully.

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  4. Helpful AND interesting, seeing the components of your artwork. Getting two such different results must have been a nice surprise. I still remember your fascinating temple dragon in different guises.

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  5. Terrie, these are very unique and creative. It's the Budweiser wing that completes the images - LOL! The Christmas lights and the ice covered window are beautiful by themselves.

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  6. Oh my gosh....this work you've completed looks nearly biblical!! I love it.

    My art today is a QUILTED MOSAIC ROSE if you'd care to use my direct link. Have a glorious Friday.

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  7. beautiful work, and i agree the iced and the lights are stunning all by them selves

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  8. I love how layered these photographs....the wings really drew me into the image....

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  9. Awesome pieces. Each one is so unique and different. I loved seeing the different elements you used to create your 1st piece. - My favorite is your 2nd one.

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  10. wonderful transformation - and I love seeing the four individual images displayed below your final piece that way

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  11. Anonymous5:02 PM

    Like the composite of the four images.

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  12. Wonderful work.

    Regards and best wishes

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  13. nicely done and thanks for sharing it. :)

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  14. A wonderful merging of just the right pictures!

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  15. Such different effects on your two images. I love them both!

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  16. absolutely super Terrie

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Thanks so much for taking the time to add a comment. I value what you think!