I am a lover of Photoshop Creative Suite (CS).
I truly am.
   While Photoshop has wonderful features, some people view Photoshop as something to dislike, or to see as something that only tekkie geeks use.
   I see it as an extention of my artistic abilities.
   Here are a few examples of how I use Photoshop to help me with my artwork.

Before: taken with my camera, but warped/discolored/lighter/daker than orginal        After: What it looks like in person
   Now, I can't speak for all artists who take photos of their work, but since I'm into graphic design, I have a photoshop program that can help me.
   But as you can see, I don't know how I'd have my finished pictures looking correct without having a little digital help. And since I have a Fine Art America account (FAA), I need my pictures to look as much as the real thing as possible.
   Or as you can see here, I was taking a photo of this picture framed, but since there is glass over top of the painting, there is a reflection big time. So I used photoshop to place the painting into the frame and from there I edited the photo until it fit into the frame. I didn't want to take the glass out of the frame because I had finally gotten the painting in and didn't want to got the hassle of taking it out again.
   Now, I don't always do this, as I normally don't take photos of the artwork with glass and frame, so I usually don't have to worry about making sure something fits in another photo. But in instances like this, it's really handy.
   I also don't have an expensive camera. That means that I can't take the greatest photo I could, so having a professional program to help me out is a fantastic thing.
 
   So, for those of you who read my previous post Digital Thor; After Days of Work, you know that I've been working on a digital piece of Thor.
   Well, I've finished it!!
    It took hours, and it was tough at times, but the finished product was worth it! I finishd Thor's helmet, and added some texture to his skin.
   The photo below is both pictures, the before textured face, and the one overtop; the finished face. You can see the texture difference. And yes, I understand the picture is kind of trippy =)
   I made a few different backgrounds, for those of you who'd like one for their computer. The only thing is please don't send the backgrounds to anyone. Please send the person a link to this post so they can get a copy for themselves. Thanks. Just rightclick on the photo and click on "New Tab".
   And all of these are done completely in Photoshop, with digital paint. Not photo manipulation.
 
   Why you haven't seen many drawings being posted on my drawings blog nearly as much as usual is because I have been working on a digital picture of Thor. This is what I did in 4 hours in Photoshop. The stuff that I did was the picture of Thor's face that is overtop of the other picture. Essentially, the less detailed picture is mine.
   And the picture below is what I've done so far. I've finished Thor's face, hair, cape, and armor. The only thing I have to finish is the winged helmet, which is in the rough draft. Or feathered helmet, depending on if you think of it like Loki or not ;)
 
   Now, since you probably can't read the text (I have no way of fixing it) here is what it says.

Doesn't matter what the press says. Doesn't matter what the politicians of the mobs say.
Doesn't matter if the whole country decides that something wrong is something right.

This nation was founded on one principle above all else. The requirement that we stand
up for what we believe, no matter the odds or the consequences.

When the mob and the press and the whole world tell you to move, you job is to plant
yourself like a tree beside the river of truth. And tell the whole world... No. Your move.

   I just thought this would be a little inspiration for you. Go Captn'!!


 
   For all of us artists out there, finding that "perfect picture" to draw is always challenge. I know that I almost always cannot draw a picture unless I feel/see the drawing in the picture. Same goes for the picture of paintings. Sometimes I'll look at a photo and immedietly see it in painting form or in a drawing form. I just get this feeling.
   So, how do I find those perfect pictures? And where do I go to get them? I have many places for finding pictures.

   Step 1: Google. I always start out in Google with the basic keywords of the picture I'm looking up. How google works is by keywords. For instance, I was looking up Loki pictures so I could draw Loki. So the keywords I looked up were "Loki, movie". I didn't find anything "drawable" from that search, so I changed keywords/added to them. "Loki, movie, avengers, head, shot" (without the commas). It brought up different pictures than when I just looked up just Loki and Movie.
   Now, the pictures that will come up all depend on what you have the security settings set as, what type of virus filters, and the serch settings you have set up. I have my settings set as strict, just because I like to run across the least amount of repulsive and virus filled images. But that is how I use Google for pictures.
   Also, always check the web address that image is from. Don't use pictures that come from colorbox.com, shutterstock.com, 123rf.com, depositphotos.com, istockphoto.com, these will have copyright watermarks on them, and cannot be used unless bought (which are quite expensive unless you pay hundereds of dollars for a membership, and there are other websites I haven't mentioned). So do not use photos that have *watermarks on them, unless you ask the photographer if you can use the photo first. I got into minor trouble with a horse photographer last year, and so I've been really careful with using photos with watermarks on them.

   Step 2: If I cannot find any type of photos in google, I usually turn to Facebook, but only if it's people I'm searching for. And it has to be a particular person. Like if I'm trying to find a picture of Lacy from the band Flyleaf, I will google her name and band first, (including going to her website), then if nothing prevails, I turn to Facebook going to the band's page, and if she has one, her personal page.
   Again, watch out for copyright on photography on Facebook as well. There are a lot of professional photographers on Facebook, but if they do post pictures, they will usually have watermarks on the pictures. If you still cannot find a picture that tickles your fancy that doesn't have copyright, but you've found a photo that you like that does have copyright, ask the photographer if you can use it, mentioning that you aren't going to sell it, and that you will write the name of the photographer on the back of the drawing. Some photographers will let you use their photo for a non profit use, while others will let you have full rights to the photo, even selling it.

   There is this awesome photographer called Jeanette Yoder, and she is the one who let me use some photos that she took of the band Nine Lashes. I could not, I repeat COULD NOT, find photos of some of the band members, so I ended up asking her for permission to use her photography. Her reply was enthusiastic, giving me full permission to use the photos. Without her photos, I wouldn't have at least 4 pictures of the 5 band members.
   Now, the original photo is on the left with Jeanette's copyright on it, and the drawing on the right is what I got out of the photo, with some editing.
   Step 3: If I STILL cannot find a picture that I can draw, if possible, I will resort to going through videos that have the person I want to draw in it. That happened when I was trying to get a second photo of Randy Armstrong. I ended up having to take a photo from one of their filmed videos that had a good shot of Randy (around 2:09 area). I actually got quite a few shots that are drawable from this video, I got at least 3 other pictures.
   So that is what I do to find pictures to draw. It sometimes takes me a couple of days of serching to find the exact picture that I will end up doing, but for the most part I just go with what I want to do. If I see a picture of a Star Wars character that I WANT to do, I will do it. I also have a sister who is fantastic at finding picture for me, so sometimes I have pictures that I haven't the foggiest idea where they come from =)

   I hope this helps!!

 - Leauphaun

*watermarks on photos are any type of text or design that is placed over the photo. Example: iStockphoto as an image with text and an image, and is quite visible, and quite often obstructs the view of the image, while Colorbox.com uses a more subtle text, and no image. On both of these websites, you can buy photos, but at the cost of upwards of $20 for on image.
COPYRIGHT TO: iStockphoto.com, and Colorbox.com.
 
   You know when the unexpected happens, and it leaves you with cold shivers running up your back? Yeah that just happened.
   I was browsing through RED's band members' twitter accounts to see what they've tweeted about their new album (coming out in Feb of 2013).
   I go through Anthony's twitter account (guitarist) and see that he's posted a photo of him with his guitar; Joe (drummer) said something about hanging out at a snare factory, while Mike (lead singer) said he's going to get some Jamba Juice before heading back to record some more.
   When I get to Randy's page (bassist), I see that he's wanting to spend more time in the sun (woo-hoo). I scroll down his twitter feed to see what else he's tweeted.
   I come across this drawing. My interest grows as I'm always curious about drawings Randy's tweeting. For those of you that don't know, Randy (and his twin, Anthony) can be quite... blunt-brutal-honest, about drawings that people send/give him. Example? Sure.

Randy: It's me. I think.
Anthony on four drawings, one of each band member: Yikes!

   So as you can see, they speak their mind on what they think. Even in videos, they will speak their mind. Now, they don't mean to hurt people with what they say. They are just being honest, but without mincing it. Which is why they can be quite brutal with artwork.

That is why I think I got off easy. 
   So as you can see, Randy managed to find my drawing of him. And tweeted it. And I didn't send it to him. I'm not sure if he liked it or not. He didn't say anything like "yikes!".
   What I think he's saying is because his twitter name is LOW BROW BASS, he's connecting it with the comment "Is my brow really that low?".  Do you think that's a compliment?? I don't know.

   It doesn't matter, because I like it, and knowing that he's seen it is enough to make me giddy with happiness! This is where those shivers go up my spine.
 
I found this picture one day, and found it incredibly interesting. For those of you who don't know, the left side of your brain is mathematical, and the right side of your brain is artistic. Every person uses one side of their brain more than the other. I thought I would be the person whou would use the Right side of the brain more than my Left. But after reading over this, I'm not sure... This, of course, being loosly grouped together, and not everyone is everything that is listed, and it isn't from a Christian perspective, so things aren't necessarily correct, or true. Here's what it says because it's too small to read.
Left Brain
I am the left brain.
I am a scientist. A mathematician.
I love familiar. I categorize. I am secure. Linear.
Analytical. Strategic. I am practical
Always in control. A master of words and languages
I am order. I am logic.
I know exactally who I am
Right Brain
I am the right brain.
I am creative. A free spirit. I am passion.
Yearning. I am the sound of roaring laughter.
I am taste. The feeling of sand beneath bare feet.
I am movement. Vivid Colors.
I am the urge to paint on an empty canvas. Art. Poetry. I sense. I feel.
I am everything I wanted to be.
So, reading through that, I came to realize that I paint with the left side of my brain. Why? Well, I use my right brain with "creative", "passion", "yearning", "vivid colors", "urge to paint on an empty canvas", and "art".
But, I use the left side of my brain to paint with "linear", "strategic", "practical", "always in control", "order", and "logic".

So, I paint with the left side of my brain.

How about you?

Signed with apple pie - Leauphaun