INTEGRATING REALISM INTO ABSTRACTION

 

Alabama Patchwork ii Collage by Ruth Zachary 

The first image shows how the figure looked after layering it over the blue background, in the luminosity mode. Note that very little color change occured in the gray scale drawing of the figure. The color in the figure drawing was achieved with acrylic paints used as watercolors matching hues in the background. Some distortion occurred in the second version because the varnish deepened the color. The image was photographed. The camera also distorts the straight borders at edges.

 

INTEGRATING REALISM INTO ABSTRACTION

In the previous post a figure was layered over an abstract black and white background, with the clothed model contrasted in grayscale tones.

I keep trying these experiments with color as well as black and white, because my original vision was to integrate realistic imagery into abstract shapes and textures.The blue-toned abstraction from the “Where Visions Gather,” series was chosen to be the background for the same fashion figure used in the previous post, inspired by Natalie Chanin, an Alabama clothing designer.

The figure, in grayscale tones when tried in various modes, applied as a top layer over the blue background resulted in a primarily grayscale image in many modes, with a few areas where the colors from underneath came through the figure. (luminosity mode)

The solution for this piece was to print the figure out in gray tones and then to paint areas which were in the color palette of the blues in the abstraction. Acrylic paint was used in thinned watercolor technique. Once dry, the whole composition – background and figure could be collaged to the Masonite panel with acrylic medium. Some compositional changes were made to the background before it was complete.

The figure was thus subdued to blend with the motifs of the underlying composition.This is much different than the figure used over the bold black and white patterns of the previous illustration. Both have merits, and the artist must choose the effect wanted.

The Masonite panel was prepared with a coat of water-based Kilz on both sides, and a second coat of gesso to the smooth surface side. Usually papers are collaged to the smooth side. The paper used was Epson matte Professional paper in a medium weight. Epson inks are colorfast, but some mediums and varnishes will dissolve and deepen the colors when applied to the surface. Test the products used together to be sure how they will work.

Small areas of the design elements were briefly soaked in water and the medium was applied to the panel, carefully placing the paper on the surface. One or two coats of matte medium were applied to the finished surface of the collage.

Note to my Readers:

I have been elected as secretary of the board of my church, and have less discretionary time than I had prior to taking on that duty. I still try to produce art, to write and create or manage other projects, including yard maintenance, but I will not be able to attend my blog as often as before.

Writing and Art Images are the sole © Copyright of Ruth Zachary

GOSH DARN IT!

Illumination. Experiment by Ruth Zachary.

 

Only a percentage of these experiments with layers of textures in Photoshop produce something worth while. If one thing is gorgeous by the end of one work session, I am usually satisfied. But I have tried several different approaches to the idea I wrote about on May 28^th, and so far none have resulted in the “look” I was trying to achieve. Above is an example. It would make a greeting card, but the technique doesn't conform to my vision.

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I believe I know why it doesn’t work. White seems to act as an opaque when layered in many modes, so often the white areas block out the layers underneath. In the modes which do not destroy transparency, it seems that the blacks and whites are inverted. I have not tried making different layers more transparent, and I will try that too, in my next trials, and share my results.

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But in the mean time, I think I must work in color… using colored pens, and either colored pencils or water colors in my “drawn” illustrations for the realistic sections of my work. I will start small, with small sections only slightly larger than my eventual illustrations. If the edges are vignetted, (blended) they may be used in different configurations for future layering, I believe.

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So, On to the next good thing! All this does take time, and so I'm not blogging as much lately.

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Writing and imagery are the Copyright © of Ruth Zachary.

SUBJECT TREATMENT: More on the Line

Landscape With Barn. Study for Collage

Approaches or treatments of a subject, can be applied to parts of the whole, or to the entire subject, or to the picture plane layout. Emphasis on line can be one approach to subject treatment.

In the above study, straight lines are contrasted with organic lines in the picture plane. The verticals and horizontals define shapes that are easily "read" as architectural shapes. Although diagonal lines exist here, they do not imply depth. Only the placement of geometric shapes above each other suggests possible three dimensional space, such as is seen in primitive painting.

In my current Series of work, my goal is to explore abstraction and composition, and to not attempt to depict a recognizable subject (at least in the beginning).

The geometric shapes were created in a children's program, Kid Pix which alters the imagery within the format with random generated options. Using geometric options, I saved one version and imported it into a Photoshop document and layered it over an experimentally created painted background. Sections of the geometric design were removed, and others retained. I chose to emphasize several shapes, including the barn.

Generally, in my current Series of Abstractions, however, I have deliberately destroyed recognizable shapes or images. I tend to become entrapped by recognizable imagery and unable to sacrifice elements which are counter to creating a better composition. But for now, I am trying to stay true to my purpose of becoming less dependent upon realism, in order to develop a better sense of pure composition.

The mind interprets visual information from the natural world, whether it was purposely created or not. Confronted with total non objective imagery, or abstraction, many viewers feel some discomfort. Impressionistic abstraction which resembles the familiar world is usually better received.

If one looks at the image of Barn on Marsh Road in my post of Jan. 13, the diagonal lines of the roofs are created by perspective and the viewer "reads" these as structures receding in space or distance.

Santa Fe Adobe.

This small painting, which combines a rendering of a large adobe structure, was designed with an overlay of grid-like checks. I began that series to learn how much three dimensional information must be retained in order to "read" an image as a solid recognizable form. Using checks is not unlike altering the surface texture of a landscape with spatters, drips, brush strokes and knife impressions.

The grid would normally be completely two dimensional. To enhance the building shape, I turned the lines of some grid surfaces to those matching the angles of the adobe walls.Vertical and horizontal lines often imply architecture, but in addition, diagonal lines often suggest depth.

What I learned was, the grid arrangement had to comply with and enhance the realistic image in order for the combination to be successful as a composition. Textures or patterns may be exciting, but they do not in themselves make a finished composition.

Other lines, such as Crosshatching, Gestural or continuous (scribbled) lines, parallel lines, and many other uses of line can be used to define the surface of the subject. When these lines are built up to create texture, they may also create shading, which also can imply three dimensional space. This shading and tone, or light to dark value, also defines depth. The direction of the line upon the surface of the subject helps define its form, contours and depth.

Extended Line

Some artists have used the lines of a subject’s boundaries, and extended them.

Architectural forms easily lend themselves to use of the extended line. Lionel Feininger’s work was largely characterized by the use of line to define space and dimension. He used perspective, and diagonal lines to inform the viewer about implied depth his forms occupied. He also extended lines to divide and organize the two- dimensional space within the picture plane.

Images and writing are the Copyright of Ruth Zachary.

SUBJECT TREATMENT: LINE

Daughters of the Earth. Pen and Ink.

LINE

Line is probably the most primitive method of creating shapes, maps, or writing. The mind recognizes the edges of shapes as they stand out against a background. Lines are formed by edges of things. As children we usually made a line indicate a shape or several shapes to make a human form, a house, the ground, a tree, and the sun, before filling in those shapes with color.

Line as a way of indicating a subject has evolved through the ages, so that lines and dots also form tones, shadows and suggest three dimensions even though we draw in two dimensions.

The Phoenix Always Rises. Pen and Ink

Line does not have to be limited to black on white. If you find line a natural way of expression for you, try using color. Try widening your lines. Draw in pastel, crayon, or the side of a 2 " square piece of mat board dipped in watercolor. Make lines and areas of color with the square of mat board. Think of using white on black or on a deep solid color.

Scratch board is a chalk coated board which if colored with inks can be scratched through, making white lines, looking like pen and ink in reverse.

Lines can be painted with a brush. Go back a few posts in this blog (Dec. 29) to look at the bottle still life, which used outlined shapes and solid flat shapes shaded in with paint to suggest dimension, without much modeling on the surface. One object was modeled in three dimensions to create a contrast and draw the eye to that focal point.

When looking at objects in a painting or in real life, notice the contours and boundaries. These are lines which have direction and movement. Lines draw the eye in the direction they point toward. The goal of an artist is to keep the viewer's attention inside the picture plane long enough to see everything you placed there. Controlling the lines in your composition will help to do this. Lines with the most contrast are the most noticable.

Diagonal lines tend to create an illusion of depth, or perspective. Diagonal strokes behind a figure give the impression that the space behind the person or object is not flat, and when used on the the figure will imply the figure has dimension, as well.

There also needs to be a place where the eye may comfortably leave the frame if desired, or quiet places within the picture plane which create a sense of peace, or a welcome place of rest for the viewer.

Writing and Images in this blog are the property of Ruth Zachary.

DESIGNING THE PICTURE PLANE

Picture Plane shapes

The usual picture plane shapes are rectangular, vertical, horizontal, square, or sometimes round or oval. If a bias develops for one shape, it may be challenging to arbitrarily work with another shape. Some artists even create irregular shapes for their picture plane, perhaps to accent an element depicted.

It is possible to create a specific shape within the given picture plane, leaving a neutral boundary area around the main composition. Again, Format shapes may be geometric, circular, rectangular, organic, symmetrical, assymmetrical, or may spill out of the picture's inner boundary, as in the image below, Chameleon.

Summer Lace. Collagraph

Artists are accustomed to planning art on paper knowing it will be matted when framing. Matting can be used to alter the compositional shape. When creating art on a board or canvas, it is also a good idea to create a quieter area at the outer edges of the composition, to visually separate the image area from the frame.

Format shapes can be designed on canvas, board and paper surfaces, either in advance of working, or afterward. They can be circular, oval, arched, notched, rectangular, combination shapes, organic, etc. as with the above listed possibilities.














Chameleon. Computer Photo Montage.

It is possible to incorporate a composition which falls within an organic shape, as with the etching below, Damselflight. The lower area contains less imagery but the top is more active near the edges. This piece is always presented with a mat.

Format division as another approach to design. The picture plane can be purposely divided into segments for another effect, and for a new design challenge or approach. They can be geometric or organic. This can occur with both realism and abstract work.

Even if the format is not obviously separated by lines, the elements within can still form divisions within the picture plane. Divisions can be geometric, or they can be organic or a combination of both.

Damselflight. Etching

I'll Never Come This Way Again.
Watercolor and collage.

Consider the various options for dividing the format of a composition. Divisions help to organize elements into an order which can make the whole more interesting to view. Look at format shapes and divisions in galleries, art shows, note cards, architecture, and book illustrations. Consider using some of them.

The next blog posts will feature illustrations of different kinds of format divisions.

Images and Writing are the Copyright of Ruth Zachary.

THE MANY WAYS TO PRESENT A SUBJECT

SUBJECT TREATMENT

Finding a slightly different emphasis or viewpoint to get the best perspective, can make the subject more commanding than simply settling for a less than interesting first view.

If the subject is what inspired the work, and the artist is motivated to say something about that subject, how it is portrayed is vitally important.

But even if you do not have a great view of the subject to work with, it is still possible to rearrange or add to or subtract from the view you have to make a dramatic composition of the creation that results.

Still Life. Oil on Canvas by R. Wagy

Still Life: Draw, paint or photograph the various objects in a still life grouping. If possible move around to get the best view you can of the grouping. If you can’t move around, or rearrange the still life arrangement, draw the objects in different relationship with each other.

It isn't always required to present the subject realistically. One way to change the way you present the subject is to treat the objects with outline, filling in solid areas.

Lighting. Consider side lighting, back lighting or low point lighting to create an unusual view of your subject. At some times of the day, bright illumination creates interesting shadows. The photo at the top of this page illustrates the impact shadows can have at the end or beginning of the day.

Other times the even lighting of an overcast sky is better than unwanted shadows.


Distant or Intimate View?

Consider whether to present the subject from close up or from a distance away. If you are showing off a beautiful costume or capturing an especially interesting expression, probably an intimate view will serve you better.

Think about your choices and what you are trying to say. Choose to place the subject at one side (assymetrically) or centered (symetrically) of your picture plane. With animal or human subjects, do you prefer a direct gaze or averted gaze ? Either may say something about your subject, or this choice may express something about yourself. If your preference is strong, so that you repeatedly present subjects with an averted gaze or a direct gaze, it may be a trait that becomes part of your style.

Images and writing are the property of Ruth Zachary.

POINT OF VIEW

Photos for painting, Bicycle Cafe. Several photos were taken of the scene, with various possibilities for an interesting composition. My final choice would probably be the second one shown. (Click on the image to see three versions)


POINT OF VIEW

A dramatic or dynamic presentation of a subject in a composition is very important. The artist's point of view or perspective has a great impact on the final composition.

Some artists claim the composition is far more important than the subject. I have even heard this from teachers in a drawing or painting class, who said this in a classroom where many of the students did not have a very interesting view of the model, or of a grouping of several objects in still life. But there is no substitute for finding that best arrangement before beginning to work.

As can be seen when several pictures of the same subject are presented from different points of view, there is a difference. Preference has a lot to do with development of style, as well as learning to present a subject effectively.

The artist owes him/herself the extra time it takes to get the best possible point of view, whether photographing, drawing or painting the subject.

If a tree is the subject of a landscape, twelve different perspectives might result in several versions to get the very best one to convey its special quality. Hopefully, this in turn will capture the viewer and communicate the inspiration the artist experienced in the first place. Several exciting images could also result in a series.

Placement of the subject within the picture plane is also critically important. Composition and design attempt to present a subject in the best possible way, to convey the feeling, character, impact, or mood that inspired the artist in the first place.

NEW SERIES OF TECHNIQUES.

This leads to the next group of blog posts, which will illustrate a variety of options for presenting a subject, or Subject Treatment.


Images and Writing are the exclusive Copyright of Ruth Zachary.

COMPOSITION IN REALISTIC ART

Faded Photo of the House on Norris Road

House on Norris Road. Computer Adjusted Photo
Colors were enhanced, contrast increased, and some
window details were created by copying parts of them
where details were absent.

The Country Doctor's Home. Watercolor.

The image was enlarged and painted from the adjusted
photo. Areas of watercolor were loosely splashed onto
the surface, before refining the desired details. Some areas
were left vague to encourage the viewer's eye to move
around within the picture plane.

Composition in Realism

Realism is sometimes thought to be only copying nature by abstract artists or artists working from imagination. But anyone who had worked in darkroom photography knows there is often an elaborate manipulation of light, dark, contrast, texture, emphasis, placement of elements through cropping, dodging and burning, and by employing other means before a photograph is finished. The result is far from the first impression of nature.

The artist who paints consciously to create a skillful composition has controlled the combination of elements within the picture plane, until it is no longer simply a “copy” of nature.Successful realistic painters do this as well, even those using photographs as a means of beginning.

Realistic artists also bring together disparate elements to create one painting, although the final version may appear to be completely realistic in presentation.

The above painting used both indirect impressionistic methods and selected areas of directly painted realistic detail to blend both into a completed composition.

Recommended Books: For two dimensional artists seeking fresh approaches for presenting realistic subjects, I recommend:

Creative Landscape Painting by Edward Betts. (Watson Guptill 1978) and
Concept and Composition by Fritz Henning, (North Light Publishers 1983)

Many of these approaches can be applied to still life, figurative work, and other subjects as well as landscape painting.

Images and Writing are the exclusive Copyright of Ruth Zachary.

COMPOSITION IN TWO DIMENSIONS

COMPOSITION

In two-dimensional art, composition and design are defined by the elements within the picture plane. Composition employs certain principles to capture the viewer’s attention and keep it moving within the picture plane

The illusion of dimension is created by various means, such as perspective, diagonal lines, diminshing size and height of objects, faded and undetailed distant shapes, and a a tendency for distant forms to be more neutral in color and to have less contrast.

Certain principles and rules of nature lead the eye around the surface or through the implied space of the picture. By using these principles or purposely breaking the rules, attention can be directed to different parts of the picture plane at the artist’s will.

Design principles attempt an aesthetically pleasing or dramatically demanding effect which can be learned, practiced, and almost unconsciously integrated into the way an artist works. These principles are inherently part of the natural world, and often children have a natural sense of composition in their art expressions.

Basic elements of design or composition to be mastered include: Balance, Contrast, Movement, Rhythm, Repetition, Variety, Unity, Harmony, Simplicity, Complexity, Proportion, Principles of aesthetic picture plane division and more. Whole books have been devoted to the subject, and so not much pertaining to these principles will be included here.

Three books I would recommend are:
Art Fundamentals – Theory and Practice, by Ocvirk, Bone, Stinson and Wigg.
Composition in Art, by Henry Rankin Poore (Avenel Books)
Composition, by David Friend (Watson Guptill)

WHAT MOTIVATES YOU TO MAKE ART?

Pink Landscape. Collage on Stuffed Canvas.18 x 24"

MOTIVATION

Inspiration is usually the source of an artist’s motivation for wanting to depict a particular subject, method, color combination, or idea as a piece of art.

Usually there is an initial drive to want to capture “something.” Inspiration motivates the artist to complete the work, even during disappointments and failures. While filled with emotion, it is a good time to articulate just what is the intention or goal to be accomplished.

During the actual work, the process itself may suggest new ways of working. The goal may be lost. The artist need not become bound to the original goal, but if the original intention has been understood, or even written down, there is always the option to explore different versions of the same subject and to return to the first concept. Subject inspiration, response, and process are so interconnected, it is often impossible to separate them.

The artist’s direction may change while creating a piece, as it did for me when working on this collage. It started as a piece of satin, which I marbleized as an experiment. This was sewn, stuffed and stretched with its canvas backing over a frame. Later I collaged computer printed paper strips on the surface to create the feeling of a landscape, using acrylic medium.

Whether by conscious choice or intuition, this kind of change in direction reflects growth. The evolution of choices leads to a refinement of direction, which uniquely defines not just one piece, but eventually, a body of work.

Being able to define these goals and the concept behind a single piece or a group of works will help the artist while working. Awareness allows adjustment.. It is the simple repetition of correcting something that leads to improved skill.

The artist must dismiss that negative little voice that tells him or her that s/he is “not good enough” rather than accepting that the painting, the drawing, or the photograph is not good enough. The real task is to learn how to make it better, and eventually it will be better than just good enough.

I have found it is easier to let go of preconceptions by working on “throw-away paper,” or to just allow an experimental process or technique to take over. Sometimes a remarkable accident has a wonderful impact. This affords and opportunity to shift, and work in a new way, or direction. Thinking about what was learned helps to integrate the discovery into the range of choices to be made in the future.

I would describe an artist’s process as a series of discoveries of what does work as well as what doesn’t.

The materials, tools, and medium used are the physical manifestation of that process. They record the artist’s journey, energy and handwriting left behind in that process. Employing a particular technique expresses the artist’s style. But it is the artist’s vision which creates the final work, and not the medium, or the tools.

VINTAGE MONTAGE USING PHOTOSHOP

Filling Her Shoes. Photo Montage. 9 x 12"

This piece reflects upon the relationship between the child and the grandmother, who in this case was the parent.

The montage images of the child and the grandmother were placed in a frame using layers in Photoshop. Portions were erased around the grandmother, to leave the child's photo dominant. The erase tool was used in paint mode, a large, #65, to create a blended edge on the cutout areas.

The background, the chest of drawers, pitcher and bowl, and the antique shoes came from a present day photo in an antique store, Lincoln Park Antiques, in Greeley. The frame was angled slightly, using the perspective tool to create the illusion of the photo turned to the left.

Color saturation of the modern photo was reduced using Image> Color adjustment tables. The antique photos were tinted slightly using a sepia color at about 20% value in color mode.

If anyone has additional questions about the Photoshop techniques used here, please ask. Also I would enjoy comments from you.

Comment
"Your photo montages are.... like someone's special dreams you're allowed to peer in on. I find them as rich and interesting as looking at my Grama's curious things, her button collections, from dresses I remember. Her fine leather boots - which seem so improbably matched to anything I ever remember her doing. Her crazy daisy little hats that were linked with had stories of her zany sisters..... I continue to think of them, and how they made me feel to see them at the gallery and your home; they certainly give tremendous mileage of thought, feeling and memory. The feelings they evoke still linger and ...are all tatted in now with the narrative threads of my own Grandmas and Aunts." Julia and Renee


Art images and writing are Copyrighted by Ruth Zachary.

MIXED MEDIA

Dreams Gone By Mixed Media.
Giclee Prints, 12 x 14"

Mixed Media; The Best of All Worlds (for complete expression of artistic vision.

This original mixed media montage was created using a variety of techniques, and was accomplished before the availability of Photoshop.

The photos were heat transfers of color xerox enlargements from old photographs, ironed onto the paper background so they would all be on one surface. (The back of the piece still has scorch marks from the iron.)

The images chosen to combine into one included childhood photos of my mother and father, an old house which had been their honeymoon home, the house they later bought and where I was born.The porch was reversed from the same photo used in a previous etching (The Homecoming) shown earlier on this blog.

The next step was the use of doilies, and living flowers and plants, laid directly over the transfers, to serve as stencils. Some of the photos were protected with paper to retain the photographic details. Green and brown spray paint were selectively painted on the stencils, through to the paper. After this was dry, and stencils removed, a checkerboard pattern was drawn selectively onto the paper, the squares filled with colored pencils, to suggest quilt blocks, and the country flavor of this nostalgic memory.

The use of the mixed media enabled more choices than only one would have afforded alone.

I have started a new blog, rzwritestuff.blogspot.com. The new blog will be about writing, and so I will gradually be moving posts about writing, in this blog, over to that site.


Permission required for use of writing and images Copyrighted by Ruth Zachary.

EMOTION AS A CREATIVE STIMULUS

Apron Strings. Copier images and chine colle.
Image size 17x22"

Strong emotional feelings about a subject is a great stimulus for creative expression. (This is true for writing as well as in creating images. At the point in life when this image was made, I was torn between the role as housewife and mother, and another desire to pursue a visual arts career. I had to work much harder, for longer hours, and still keep up with my housewifely chores in order to be an artist. In some ways working in an office and visiting homes was much less physically demanding. I traded it in for the personal satisfaction of being creative.

The shoes represented the two competing roles. The boot was worn in my print studio, while the low heeled shoes were worn at my previous job as a social worker. The two aprons represented the two different worlds, as well. I pretty much gave up the decorative apron for the practical printmaking apron.

As I worked, these symbols evolved in my mind and demanded to be pictured in a comment about my conflict. I saw that it was not my conflict alone, but one that was quite relevant for other women as well.

The piece was executed by using the copy machine as a camera, and then collaging the parts into a still-life sort of montage, which was re-copied in two parts on rice paper. The toner remained stable when the paper was dampened. The two halves were then placed face down on a blank zinc plate, flour paste applied to the back, and a damp print paper laid over that. The press rollers applied enough pressure to cause the rice paper to adhere and bond to the heavier print paper. (Chine Colle was described previously in The Homecoming.)


Images and Writing are the sole property of Ruth Zachary.

CREATING FROM MEMORY

The Homecoming. Etching with Chine Colle. 15x18"

Creating this etching was a way to recover a memory of a time when I was seven. The house pictured was actually the house where I was born, a farm house in rural Michigan. My parents had moved away for several years, but then they returned with my sister and me.

Moving there was both scary and exciting and as we explored the empty rooms, there were actually things I remembered from the previous time. And later on, I also remembered the sweet smell of Black-eyed susans and St.Johnswort in the long prairie grass that grew everywhere. I made a reference to that fragrance by including flowers over the house. In the cement porch, I wrote a poem about the memory, (written in reverse to make a readable version) and it became the texture of the decaying cement.

Several printmaking techniques were used. Thin paper was rubbed with pencil over a lace texture to make the curtains. A copy machine was used to copy photos of myself as a baby, the candy bar wrapper, and flowers on rice paper. (the grey areas) These copied shapes were carefully cut out and interspersed with the etched portions of the plate using a method called chine colle, which glues the pieces to the print paper at the same time the inks on the plate are printed.

The backs of the small copied pieces were coated with flour and water paste, and carefully placed. The wet paper is laid over all, covered with press blankets and printed with much pressure. When all works properly, the rice paper copier images stick, and blend perfectly with the etched portions on the print, to give it a two color effect. This is an example of both montage and collage. It is also related to other pieces I have done in the Vintage Montage genre.

At this point I am offering these images as a smaller giclee print, separately numbered.


All images and writing are the sole property of Ruth Zachary.

*

RUTH ZACHARY ART

Cygnet. Etching. 9x12" approx.

This etching was inspired by my daughter, who, like so many teenagers felt inadequate and unnattractive even though they are anything but.
This was an image responding to the "ugly duckling" theme... the swan who will one day emerge as a beautiful creature.

The reversed image is a kind of reflection, a metaphor for both my daughter's and my own.

Technically the image was executed as a typical line drawing with a stylus through ground, etched, and then in a second stage, a spray-paint "aquatint" method was employed. This involves etching the plate, and painting out lighter areas successively with asphaltum, to achieve a series of gradations in tone. The longer the exposure to acid, the deeper the pores in the plate, which hold ink for printing.

In this print, two tones of intaglio ink were rubbed into the plate with tarlatan. A rainbow colored charged roller was rolled over the surface. The plate was then placed on the press bed, wet paper was placed over that, under blankets and all were rolled through the press under great pressure. This forced the wet paper to pick up the inks, both on the surface and in the crevasses. Pulling the print paper away, carefully, resulted in an intaglio print.

If anyone has questions about process, please use this blog to ask, and I will answer. I promise not to use any information left on my site for anything other than contacts about my own shows, new work, etc.

About 25 etchings were made, each with a different color combination. I am not able to use my press at present, but I do offer limited editions of giclee reproductions of my etchings for those who relate to the images. These are printed with archival inks on heavy matte paper made for
printing art.


All art images and writing are property of Ruth Zachary.

MIXED MEDIA USING PHOTOSHOP

Somewhere They Are Smiling. Computer Montage.

Here is the final version of this series exploring the idea of a lineage descended through seven generations of sequential mothers. It is also the last of this series using Photoshop as a tool in creating montage.

This generation of women were placed in the foreground, while those of past generations were depicted as a reflection in an antique store window. The dress and bouquet on the youngest member of this matrilineage were also created using layers in Photoshop. The various faces shown were drawn from various stages in their lives, and the final version does not depict a single moment in time.

Each version of this series was carried through in the spirit of joyful play, with the ideas spurring me on, through multiple time-intensive steps. (Computer art is not less time consuming, nor is it easier, and no, the computer doesn't do the art work.) But for me, the use of Photoshop has become second nature, and is used like any tool using paint or pencil, minus paint fumes.

In spite of working with the computer, I frequently return to other traditional media, because those forms can do things the computer cannot. I use my hand-rendered images interactively with other media and photographs within Photoshop to create a final result. Computer art allows an artist to save each step, to be used in multiple new ways in new images later on.

I invite questions if I have not gone into enough detail. My aim here was not to overburden anyone with too much information, but to say enough so someone else working with a computer could explore some of these techniques. I would also love to learn what others have discovered in their artistic journey.


Images and writing are the exclusive property of Ruth Zachary.

USING PAINTING IN PHOTOSHOP

The White Dress. Computer Manipulated Photograph.

This image with the old fashioned white dress was one of two or three photos of a Halloween costume. In this case, none of the photos were suitable as they were. The hat was best in one, the dress better in another, and the face more clear in the third.

My task was to put the best together in one format. Each cut out portion was copied and imported into a Photoshop document in various layers.

An experimentally painted panel was scanned in to serve as the background. The same panel was reversed and used over the top of the figure. In the layers tableau the texture was made transparent. Areas planned for the face and clothing details were cut out of this layer and deleted. The layer was cut again into sections so that the desired amount of transparency could be retained in various parts of the composition.

In some cases the painted texture was more opaque and in others, less so. The blending draws the eye to the face, purposely left more vivid. The overall texture lends a uniformity to the whole.

This and the other images of this series was shown to illustrate some techniques that can be useful in Photoshop. The final version of this series will be added in another day or so.


All writing and images are property of Ruth Zachary.

MORE PHOTOSHOP TIPS

Matrilineage. Computer Manipulated Photos










A copy of the first black and white multi-generational family portrait was colored using Photoshop.

Each of the five heads in the back row was outlined with the lasso tool, and filled with an orange tint, using the "color" mode, with a reduced percentage of transparency.

The three figures in the front were already in color and were added in additional layers. The foreground and the background layers were retained separately over a transparent background, to enable use of separately cut out groupings. Layers must be saved as a psd (Photoshop) document to preserve them, and take a lot of memory. The file size can be greatly reduced as a JPEG document, but layers are lost and the background becomes white.


All images and writing are the exclusive property of Ruth Zachary.

TECHNIQUES USING PHOTOSHOP LAYERS

Foremothers.
Computer Manipulated Photographs

I have learned a lot of techniques by experimenting with Photoshop for the last fifteen years. People have frequently asked about the methods used for achieving certain effects.

Although it is better to have a hands-on situation to see how these methods work in practice, this forum is certainly better than explaining detailed processes at a gallery opening!

I hope to encourage others to learn from accident and experimentation as I have. I hope that others will ask questions if they have them, and will share discoveries of their own, using this blog site as a place to exchange ideas.

The bottom image (made first) was created by bringing five photos into one document, each on a separate layer, and arranging them in a sequence representing five generations. Prior to moving the photos, the size of each document was adjusted so the figures would all be the same size. The background was created from a digital photograph of a crackled paint texture on an old door.

The top, and second image was an experiment on a copy of the first one. One of the great things about using the computer is that all the steps can be saved, so if you don't like the experiment, you can go back and try something different. The layers were merged, using the merge visible command under layers.

A new layer was created. ( menu) This was filled with white and then the transparency of that layer was reduced to about 50% in the layers tableau. The darker images beneath began to show through. Then the eraser tool in the palette was set at a fine size, and a Wacom pen and tablet were used in a sketching motion to remove the white layer and reveal the dark details
of the figures beneath.

I made several variations on this theme, which I will explain in coming installments. Look for other techniques to come!

TECHNIQUES USING PHOTOSHOP LAYERS

The Foremothers. Manipulated Photograph.

People seeing my work on display often ask how
I created a particular effect. There are many
techniques I have learned over 15 years of working with Photoshop, and I am happy to share them.

I hope I may inspire someone else to let accidents teach them, and hopefully that person will share what was learned with me.

This image was created in layers, one for each of the faces. The background came from a digital photo of crackled paint on a door. The figures represent five generations.

Another experiment with the image was tried, after the figures were merged.