texture tuesday: soft

I missed a couple of Kim's challenges (Kim Klassen Cafe), but am making the time to jump in again.  This week's prompt is "soft".  My thoughts turned immediately to our cat, Tigger.  She's about 14 years old, fluffy and long haired (what a mess!) and definitely soft.

Original picture:

Here's adding Kim's texture Fall In Grunge at linear burn 40%.

You can see it mostly added some distressing on the corners and edges....  Then I added another layer, her texture Little Things at soft light 80% to soften and brighten the image a bit.

Be sure to visit Kim Klassen's blog for more great images and manipulations as well as the occasional free texture so you can play along.

texture tuesday: happy heart

I loved this theme and this texture.  Kim at Kim Klassen Cafe offered a simple challenge this week - use her free texture Happy Hearts somewhere.

As I was thinking of what photo to play with this week, I realized that with a texture named Happy Hearts, the photo had to include my husband......since he makes my heart absolutely happy.

Original image (we were going out):

I used Happy Hearts at soft light 70%, duplicated it and used it at multiply 45%. Somehow it seems they should cancel each other out...one lightens, one darkens, but without both, the photo was either too washed out or too dark.  Then I added Kim's Pink which put some texture on the blank wall.  I erased around our faces a bit at reduced opacity to remove most but not all of the textures.

There are lots of talented participants on Texture Tuesday - check 'em out.

more texture

Using one of Nancy Donaldson's at The Evolution of Nancy crackle textures, some blending, etc. I altered a photo I took of a door in Indianapolis.  I just found Nancy's site as a result of some blog hopping (that is SO addicting; I've got to cut back.  Really.)  She also hosts a Texture Tuesday (similar to Kim Klassen's) and I'll be adding my digi transformations there too.  I'm also adding it to Texture Thursday (love these texture sites!).

My recipe for the above is:
Nancy's crackle texture at multiply 30%
duplicate the photo, linear burn 20%
duplicate the photo, convert to black/white 30%
Kim Klassen's word texture, linear burn 37%
top layer is the crackle texture again, linear burn 25%
some select spot erasing of the crackles.....

I wanted to keep the colors fairly muted to enhance the aged feeling.  What do you think?

AEDM -day2

 AEDM

This is a work in progress for Photo Art Friday - I'm struggling a bit with getting the images/layers to do what I have in my head.  So far I've layered a couple of my photos and snippets of a zentangle piece I did.  Lots of color and filter tweaking but I've got some more to do I think.  I'm certainly open to suggestions, recommendations, critique - I'm learning and will learn faster with some constructive feedback.  I'm tough, I can take it!

PAF theme is to make digital art outside your comfort zone - try new techniques, etc.  In my head I wanted something really abstract and hard to recognize the original images but to me I can still see the leaves and flower.  Is that okay or should I play with it more?  Also these are some zingy colors - too bright?  too vivid?  I'll have to think on it..... :)

Be sure to see all the other wonderful things people are creating this month:  Art Every Day Month

texture tuesday: and then some

Kim's challenge this week is to use her texture 'and then some'.....thought I'd try it on something other than a flowery thing this time -

I love this shot of my cat - so, first I copied the background and changed it to soft light (65%) to enhance the contrast, then I added the texture AndThenSome and changed the blending to soft light (100%) for the soft look and erased it at the center of the flower and around Tigger's eyes/nose.

Be sure to check out all the other great texture ideas going on for Texture Tuesday over at Kim Klassen's site.  I'll also be linking to Texture Thursday.

digital abstract

I found a new site (I know, big surprise, huh?) that will challenge my digital art efforts in a new direction.  Pixel Dust hosts a Photo Art Friday to showcase digital experiments and artistic efforts.  After browsing Bonnie's site and seeing her style, I was blown away and inspired to give it a shot.  I've done some playing with textures and enhancing some of my images with that, but her free textures are so totally different and the results are quite dramatic.  This will take a little getting used, but I like the stretch!

BEFORE:  an interesting ceiling - I like architectural photos but don't always know what to do with them

AFTER:

I used her textures Happy Day (hard light @ 65%), Mauve Magic (color burn @ 60%) and one call Water Stains (hard light @ 20%) from Hibbary.  I love the vibrant color and how extreme it is from the soft look I usually do.  After reading her process on the example in this post, I really experimented with some of those blending modes that I never really touch and didn't use my fave soft light.  I can't wait to do more of this!

Next Friday's challenge is to try something totally new, something we've been considering but too timid to try - I already know what I'll be attempting...... be sure and check back to see my efforts :)

I'm also linking this to Artists in Blogland which is a place to share your creative efforts each week.  Check it out.  I produced a few different things this week, but picked this post to share because it was the most outside my comfort zone piece - and I actually quite like it.  Sometimes taking off in a new direction or trying a new technique is slow going and not always immediately satisfactory.  But, it's sure fun when it finally comes together!

texture tuesday: doubles

The theme for this week at Kim Klassen's is just to use 2 of her textures - she offers so many great ones for free, it's easy to find a couple to enhance any style of photo.

My 365 POTD today is of a ceramic pear in my collection - I liked the play of shadows from the sun (we don't get that all that often here in Seattle).  While the pic was okay, I thought it a good subject to manipulate with some texture.
BEFORE:

AFTER:

The two textures I used were 'stamped softly' for the linen like texture and words and tea stained for the warm color and random splotches.  Both very cool textures Kim.  Be sure to visit Kim's site to see lots more beautiful photography!