Layering - This Time S'All About Art!

This is one of the 'endangered species' images I created as a folding card using a layering technique (available on my Etsy Site).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I think I've mentioned before that my current art creation method of preference/choice/fondness is my Wacom Graphics Tablet. 

S'not that I don't still love real paint (oh, the smells and richness of it, the gooey slick texture!), but the Old Dragon no longer has the room or finances for the supplies required.

Where Moons Are Born - mixed watercolors and acrylics.

I adore my Tablet and the Corel Painter Program that provides me with a wondrous selection of 'brushes' (via pixels) with which to 'paint'. I can make my images appear to be drawn/painted with chalk or colored pencils, acrylics or oils, watercolors or ink, charcoal or tints--almost any style can be created. S'wonderful! Concepts/images my active Dragon mind envisioned, but for which I had no applicable training, are available to me. But--the talent to imagine and create remains the core of the work. S'no good having the tools if one is unable to apply them! That, my human friends, is the essence of an artist.

One of my favorite tools in the Painter Program is that of layering. It allows me to generate interesting shadows and depths and duplications that I think would be difficult to achieve with a 'real' brush. It allows my creativity to expand, and my art to grow with that expansion. I wanted to share, here, an example of layering with a graphics program, and the interesting way in which this tool can be applied.

This painting is called "Frog On Vines". The original image consists simply of vines painted with watercolor brushes. I wanted colors and textures that I love, and thought it would be fun to go vertical for a change.  

Next, after I was satisfied with the vines, I added the picture of a frog.

The great thing about using a graphics program is the ability to add an image if it is something that I am personally uncomfortable drawing. Do I look like I care if I drew the frog or used an image that I altered into a 'painterly' appearance? Well, if you could see my Dragon face, pearly fangs grinning, the answer would be No! 

Next, I decided I wanted something more...unusual. Different. Fun. So I began to experiment with the layering aspects of the Program. And with the application of textures, which, of course, true greenery tends to have.

Again, a graphics program is great because one can experiment! At any point you can change colors, textures, the entire style if you choose. Painting creativity without the old boundaries! Oh, great dancing steps of Dragon joy!

 I love the repetition of the background. This gives the image a rather 'infinite' appearance, a sweet echo of green and earthy rust colors that draws the focus to the still frog at its center.

Finally, I put in shadows (merely by changing the brightness/ contrast aspect of several layers) to give the image a quality of depth. This somewhat segregates the 'endless' background from the foreground, and provides a lovely 'framing' feature.

Voila! "Frog OnVines" is done. It is specifically my concept, my creation, my Art!  Mixed media thrives on layering, so I suspect this concept is applicable to that form of art (the building of bright, textured, richly layered art journals fascinates me! You can learn a great deal about that at Violette's Creative Juice). 

I enjoyed the time it took to work with my Program, learn the applications that would help me generate the image in my head, and create the actual work. That's the difference between the day job that pays the bills and the creative job that pays the soul. One keeps me fed, the other keeps me full to the brim!

S'all for this sparkling creative moment. Go forth, my human friends, layer where it counts and fill yourselves with enjoyment 'til it overflows!

The Dragon has spoken...