EXPERIMENT WITH PHOTOSHOP!

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 PHOTOSHOP CAN WORK FOR PAINTERS, TOO!

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If you are an artist who likes experimental techniques, this method offers infinite possibilities! If you have a full version of Photoshop, and a scanner, or a digital camera, you can try this. Start with a stack of paintings that aren’t finished, photographs of nature’s textures, or some experiments with painting techniques. Import the images into your computer, at about half the size you would want a finished piece to be.  

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I chose a photo of an old still life originally painted in oils, a recognizable subject, to demonstrate the technique will work something realistic or completely non-objective. All my layers were about the same size in inches and the dpi count. This image was 12x18” and 300 dpi. (Dots per inch)

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The second layer imported was from a painting experiment with spattered paint, and washes of run and flow in blues and greens. A box will appear showing the two layers.

The top layer was made active. (The highlighted box shows which layer is active.) An eye in both boxes shows that both layers are visible. The active layer will be affected by what you do to it. It may be predictable, but so far I haven’t found controlling the method results in anything better than I have created purely by accident.

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The experimental part of the exercise was to change the mode of the top layer. (Look for the little box above the layers that says “Normal”) A pull-down menu will allow you to run through each of the modes, one at a time. The top layer, if active, will create changes with the bottom layer in combination. Try each of the modes to see which version(s) are worth saving.

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Do a “save as,” to save the version you like as a jpg, a pdf, or other type of document. The layered version in Photoshop will remain unsaved, so you can keep checking all the mode versions you want to save.

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Another method for further experiments is to change the top or bottom layer by rotating it, flipping it vertically, horizontally, or by changing the color. The subsequent versions in the same modes may be completely different than from the first run-through. The examples pictured show the change made to the original still life. Ultimately I saved two versions of the still life.

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Some versions may not retain recognizable imagery. It is up to you to decide what to save, and if you like the composition of an abstract versions of your experiments. Ultimately I use the textures or images printed out from these combinations, in collage.

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What I love about this approach is that I am not creating an artificial texture by using a filter. I know the painted textures are original because I painted them myself! And the choices are all mine. The computer is my studio, and my set of tools. It maximizes my creativity because it offers unlimited choices!

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Writing and Images are the Copyright © of Ruth Zachary.

COMBINING ORGANIC WITH GEOMETRIC COMPOSITION

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Combining Geometric with Organic Motifs in Abstract Composition

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The above composition is an example of the dynamic effect achieved by combining both organic motifs and geometric elements in the same picture plane.

The pale marbleized textures are contrasted to the sharp straight lines of the geometric shapes. The repeated narrow black shapes remind me of piano keys.

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The general effect of the geometric shapes is one of looking straight down at a design with the same depth of field, which creates a two-dimensional composition.

The curved lines and shapes, if predominant could create an impression of depth, or three-dimensional space.   

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In the future I will include examples of organic-geometric combinations, which produce different effects, and attempt to explain how they exemplify particular elements of design and principles of Composition.

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Images and Writing are the Copyright of Ruth Zachary ©

Composition with Abstract Art

 

Composition, whether it contains recognizable imagery or is limited to purely non-objective content, is much the same process. Shapes or forms of varied hues and values, lines, movement, balance, are arranged to create interest, and hopefully to keep the viewers interest for a period of time. Collage is a medium which allows moving shapes, lines and colors around within the picture plane before adhering the papers to a background.

The three images above show the steps this composition went through before the final version was chosen, and also that after choosing the final arrangement, many changes may continue to be made, using acrylic paint. (Not all the images were allowed on this post,  but the numbers will identify the order of creation)

In the first is shown the original computer concept. In the second, is the rearranged version, also on the computer. Paper textures scanned into the computer were used to come up with the layout, and printed out with colorfast inks on archival papers. The computer study was printed out as well, as a 4x6” image to work from. Working small initially helps me to overcome the difficulty I often have with larger scale proportions. The floral images were included at the end to convey the idea of a garden concert. The final image was size 18x24.”

Acrylic medium was used to adhere the papers to the canvas, and the finished image, which included tonal washes of acrylic paint to strengthen the composition, and the black border, was sealed with acrylic varnish. The final image was a photograph of the piece. I am having difficulties with my ten- year old camera, and put it on auto focus, which still comes out a little blurry.

The piece expresses a sad theme, using letters written home from soldiers in Iraq, which is why I called it Concert in Blue Flat Minor.

This piece was shown about one year ago in Greeley’s Madison and Main Gallery for the annual Garden Show.

Please note: I have a new blog site, which features Abstract Art Exclusively. Go to Google and ask for Mixed Media Abstract Art by Ruth Zachary.

This site is about the techniques of creating art, especially in photo montage, and in mixed media collage and includes the various kinds of art I have made in the past, or am creating in the present, and includes both abstract art and realistic art.

Images and Writing are the Copyright © of Ruth Zachary.

The Value of the Thumbnail Sketch

This Winter Concert played on into Spring! I can't believe it took me a whole month to show the final result of this collage. (And there still may be more minor changes) As you can see the previous stage of planning this piece was not quite satisfactory. 

Ideally, changing the initial concept of a piece as the creative urge prompts, allows the most freedom of expression.  I have a problem working directly on larger pieces, but working on the computer to make a study where I can make changes is very helpful. It is a matter of scale, and since the change in my vision occurred, I am even more grateful to be able to do some of the work, especially the initial planning, on the computer. If others who see this also have a hard time working on a large scale, planning a composition as a thumbnail sketch may help you too!

Comments are Welcome!

Images and Writing are the Copyright © of Ruth Zachary.

Visualizing

Fortune Cookies, Study for Collage, by Ruth Zachary©

Imagining new art is the first step in manifesting it.

I recently left an invitation on my Mission Page to viewers, other artists or visitors to this site to comment, suggest techniques and to interact with other artists on this site for an exchange of ideas. Perhaps visualizing an ongoing commentary was the first step in manifesting that too.

And maybe the first step is for people to simply comment. Someone named John recently left a comment on the site, which was highly complementary.  Apparently he was responding to an older post, "SUBJECT TREATMENT: More on the Line"  He liked the post and the blog in general.

To John:  Thank you so much. Your comments are very encouraging!

Creating With Collage, Part 2

Winter Concert, Views 2 &3 in Progress. Mixed Media Collage, size 24x30" by Ruth Zachary. Final Version not shown.

Process of Collage part 2 -Winter Concert

The arrangement changed from the original concept as I went along. (See the previous post)The top and bottom were darkened, while the sides were lightened with acrylic grays, and tissue paper layers were applied over that. I do not use colored tissue papers because they are not colorfast. For color, they are painted with acrylic pigments.

Not satisfied with the composition at that point, I took a photo of it, and imported it back to the computer. Having worked close up and on a small scale for quite some time, I find it difficult to see needed changes when working on a larger scale, unless I experiment first with a smaller version, as on my computer screen.

I proceeded to copy small sections from the original layout and to arrange them in the side panel areas over the gray, turning, flipping and rotating to get something I liked. Repetition helped to tie the sides to the center, and touching the edge promised to anchor the center to the whole. I copied the small sections to one document to print out for the final layout. Adhering these to the panel, I attempted to maintain the sense of movement while retaining quiet areas at the edge to separate the image from the frame.

Check out my new blog, Ruth Zachary's Mixed Media,  which is intended to focus upon my Abstract Art, Patterned Field Landscapes and Geometric Compositions. 

This blog will continue to feature my Women's Heritage Art, Symbolic Photo-montages and Vintage Photo-montages. Techniques for all of my work, explaining Mixed Media Collage and Montage Art, as well as Abstract Compositions will also continue on this blog site.

Images and Writing are the © Copyright  of Ruth Zachary.

Creating With Collage

Study for Collage, Winter Concert© Ruth Zachary

Process of Collage  - Winter Concert.

The name refers to the black and white stripes which remind me of piano keys. The other colors are deep and almost somber, like winter, but warm, like being inside on a winter evening.

Some of the papers originated years ago, when I began saving papers that were the result of cleaning my print making rollers. The papers were newsprint, something I would never use in collage because of the high acidic content. Still the patterns and textures were so intriguing I couldn’t bear to throw them out. But imported into the computer, and printed on good papers with colorfast inks, the image will retain the details and hold up over time. These textures can be seen in the background grays of the composition.

This and other patterns, both geometric and organic, were layered one over the other in Photoshop. When some rich shapes and textures emerged, I cut them apart and arranged them on the computer. The first result could be seen in the long narrow image, and I planned to work from that.

Among various gessoed panels, none were long and narrow. I picked one, sized 24x30” to leave equal space at the edges. The collage would be mounted over a pre-painted dark tone. This separated the image from the frame, even though the borders would later include more elements. The creative process continued as the papers were cut up to be rearranged and adhered to the panel, using clear acrylic medium.

This is part 1 of 2, to come later.

All images and writing are the copyright © of Ruth Zachary.

"Virtual" Housecleaning

Laura's Refrain. Study for Mixed Media Collage.  © Ruth Zachary 2010

Dear Readers,

Today, I started another blog, because my work has been evolving over the past year into abstraction as a style. I will not be abandoning my other forms of expression, but I plan to separate the more abstract work from the forms which contain more realistic subject matter. The heading on the new blog includes “mixed media art”. As yet, It is not complete enough to come up with a search on Google.

My web site at www.rzachary.com will continue to feature Montage imagery, as will this blog, with more recognizable subjects. This is an effort to meet the needs of people looking for my work on line, so they can find what interests them most.

Eventually I may have a second website with the abstract work on it, but I am not very proficient with these programs, and my months away from the technical side means I can’t build a website as quickly as I can a blog.

Today I have done some “virtual” housekeeping, and am removing files from this blog which seem less relevant. I have removed most of the poetry, and eventually will transfer the purely abstract imagery to the other site. The emphasis for this site may also change to address techiques and methods for montage composition.

Note: Many of the images I have for the web are “studies” because the process of creating the final work results in a changed version. That is the nature of collage. When finished I will take a photo of the final image, but in most cases, final photos are not yet available.



All writing and images are the exclusive © Copyright of Ruth Zachary 2010.

Being Part of Your Art Community

DeJaVu, A Backward Look, Acrylic Collage with photo images, 20x24." $400.

A Dynamic Art Community Needs You.

If you want to be part of an exciting art community, it is important to give of yourself. Take part in the events, and give it your best effort. What you offer will have an impact, large or small! Talking to other artists has the potential to affect the attitudes of the Area you live in.

Friday Night, I attended an art opening for the Greeley Art Association show, Art from the Heart, held at Showcase Art Center. The show will be up until Feb. 26.

I was very excited to see the wide range of styles, media and subjects shown in the exhibit, something different than other GAA shows I have participated in during the past five years. To me, the change meant that the community of artists here is becoming more dynamic and reflects a growth in ability as well as increased openness to new ideas. I believe it is partly because more artists have followed their own path toward individual styles and modes of expression. I talked with a few artists that I had not met before. It was quite exciting. A wall-to-wall crowd visited the open house reception.

I have been involved in many different artist’s groups, coops and communities since I began my full time art career in 1977. I think it is good to have a good variety of approaches offered by different artists. Another positive factor is to include pieces by artists who are at different stages of development, if there is space. What happens is stimulation between contributors, creating mutual cross-fertilization of ideas. When this happens, there is almost always a growth process for the community of artists as a whole. The influence of this process also tends to evolve in a kind of Regionalism for a particular city.

In the city where I previously was active, Kalamazoo, Mi, there had evolved a regional trend of Surrealism and or Symbolism. Abstractions also took their place among the Impressionistic Landscape images. Printmaking and Photography were also very strong.

I am not advocating any particular style of expression for Greeley. I am pleased to see an atmosphere of openness so that freedom of expression is encouraged through acceptance of a variety of approaches. I am hopeful that an increasing dialogue between artists will occur here. If a different regional character of art emerges in Greeley, the artists who work here and in the areas around Greeley will influence that. It will be exciting to be a part of it.

Creative Process

I had the pleasant surprise of being awarded two ribbons on pieces I entered. All three pieces represented the direction of work of the last year, which I feel is moving toward a synthesis of several different ways of working, which has evolved for the last thirty years. One piece includes faces integrated into an abstract composition, “DeJaVu”. The other is completely abstract, titled, ‘Shape Shifting, Unbeing Myself.” All three pieces were acrylic collage; using papers adhered to a gessoed panel. Two incorporated photographic imagery layered in Photoshop within an abstract background, printed with colorfast inks on acid-free paper. I attempted to interpret broad conceptual ideas using a montage of images. I used experimentally painted textural papers and layout papers also. The composition was adjusted in the collage process, including fading some areas, painting over, removing some, and adding geometric shapes. The third piece was titled “Dream Fragments.”

Writing and Image are the Copyright© of Ruth Zachary.

NOT A DRESS REHEARSAL

Flight of Imagination. Computer study for Collage

Not a Dress Rehearsal

I don’t want to act as though anything is different than it is. The only acting I want to do is to act as if I am the person I most want to be; the artist I most want to be in the present moment. That kind of acting is practice, not pretending.

Hi, Readers,

I hope you have not given up on me. I am happy to report my Eye Doctor says my Surgery went as well as is possible, and I can look forward to improved vision. I had two cataract surgeries in December, and am trying to limp along with my old “readers” since I must still wait for a new prescription for glasses.

The new year often stimulates new plans for an artist, and after a year of not planning much, I am anxious to get on with it. This week I started experimenting with Photoshop, to take up where I left off almost a year ago. The above imagery is a piece in progress, working with layers and making experimental adjustments to the mode and the opacity oprions of the layers. If you like experimenting, you might try this. I used painted textures, painted imagery and photos in different layers.

Imagery and writing is the © Copyright of Ruth Zachary