PHOTO ART: Mini-challenge #59 – Hotel in Valides

[DannyRaphael]

FIRST MINI-CHALLENGE -or- NEW TO PHOTO-ART?
See below for "Information and Guidelines."

- - - - - - - - - - -

PHOTO ART: Mini-challenge #59 – Hotel in Valides

Here’s another “mini-challenge” to play with in the Photo-based Art category until the next major challenge is posted here.

The base image can be downloaded by clicking the link near the bottom of this lengthy introduction!


= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =

When I saw this photo taken by member Art Hill, I couldn't resist the urge to "borrow it" for this mini-challenge. Thanks, Art, for consenting to its use.

~DannyR~

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =

LEGAL VERBIAGE
Art retains the U.S. and international copyright © not only for the original image, but also for any photo-art versions of it. Unauthorized distribution or use of this image without permission is prohibited.

- - - - - - - - - - -
INFORMATION AND GUIDELINES

Unlike “official challenges” for this forum, which can be found here, this one will be self-contained within this thread. It is intended as an opportunity to engage in this art form until the next official challenge is posted.

The rules are more-or-less the same:
* It’s a challenge, not a contest -- intended to provide opportunities to experiment, share methods and/or techniques and, most importantly, have FUN.
* Everyone who participates is a winner.
* There’s no expiration date.

GUIDELINES:
1. Use any method, application(s), style(s) you like:
. * Convert to sketch, grayscale, abstract, watercolor, oil painting, pen-and-ink, Conte crayon, impasto, van Gogh or any style of your choosing
. * Add elements from other images (collage) or replace the background
. * Hand painting? Tracing? Freehand? You bet. Always appreciate entries of this nature.
. * Apply filters from your favorite application(s) or tweak it with 3rd party plug-ins
. * Feeling animated? Animated entries are definitely welcome. There have been some really funny ones submitted in the past. Fish jumping, leaves falling, wheels turning. You get the idea.
. * Any or all of the above

Bottom line:
How you create this masterpiece makes no difference. Whatever floats your boat as long as you follow guideline #4 in the process.

2. When done, reply to this thread and attach your work (don’t forget the 100kb size limit).

Note: Multiple entries OK if you’re so inspired.

3. By all means include some verbiage on how you achieved your masterpiece so others will benefit from your skills and experience. Make it as descriptive as you like. Grammar and spelling will not be graded. Priority given to content, not how it is written.

4. Have fun.


A special message to those who are new to Photo-art
… Who may be feeling a little uncomfortable about posting an entry.

If you’ve read this far, it means you’re at least curious. That’s a good sign.

But what if you’re feeling a little squeamish about posting your first image?

From time to time I hear from those who want to participate, but have considerable anxieties about posting their creations in these mini-challenge. “I’m just a beginner. My pictures don’t belong,” “I see the works of others and I know I’ll never get that good,” “How am I supposed to compete with those wonderful creations?” are typical expressions of concern.

To which I say: Put your fears to rest. This isn’t a competition. You will not be judged in the traditional “art critique” sense. Your honor isn’t on the line. This isn’t about who’s best.

Don’t hold back from participating and posting your creation because your initial attempts don’t measure up (in your own mind) to images generated by folks with more experience than you.

This is a no-fault, all-fun way to jump in the pool. Everyone started the same place: The beginning. Everyone who is more skilled and experienced than you got to that point by practicing, experimenting, asking questions, learning from others, and participating.

Can one learn without interacting with others? Sure. Can one learn as fast? Absolutely not.

When you participate, others get to know you. That makes it easier to ask them questions. Asking questions leads to learning from those with more experience than you. It just keeps getting better and better!

By all means give it a go. You’ll be glad you did.

The pep talk cheerfully brought to you by:

Danny Raphael
Photo-based Art Forum Moderator

[jerry]

Nice one Chuck..Looks like your getting the hang of psp7..Do you like it better than photoshop..I have it but never use it..

Thought this would make a nice tinted sketch..

Jerry

[angue]

Chuck,
Your version looks like a Monet painting. I like the colors.

Jerry,
You definitely achieved a tinted sketch. Much like those old photographs that were hand tinted.

Here's my rendition. I don't know what to call it.
It looks like a partly sunny weather before an impending storm.
In any case, much was achieved by using history brush tools with different blending modes: Multiply or Darken when I want darker color, and Screen or lighten when I want brighter colors.

[Snoleoprd]

Hi,

Here is my attempt at art. I first selected out the sky and dry brushed it, then made another layer from the background then used accented images, then did some curves adjustment then flatten the layers.

Enjoy,
Alan

[DannyRaphael]

Chuck:

I like that look. Haven't messed with PSP7 Watercolor lately. Will have to dust it off.

- - - - - - -
Tony:

Nice arty/sketchy style. Someday I hope to develop History Brush skills like you.

- - - - - - -
Jerry:

I can see why you liked it. Another solid rendition.

- - - - - - -
Alan:

Glad you're jumpin' in the pool with the rest of us. Pretty soon the water will feel warm enough to stalk underwater tropical fish!

- - - - - - -

Extracted the image from the sky; blurred the sky a bit and added a hue/sat adjustment layer in order to crank up the color.

I've found that Smart Blur/Edge Only seldom renders an image that's uniform in detail, so I generated three versions and pieced them together...then ran Phyllis's (and now my) favorite filter (PS7 Stylize -> Diffuse -> Anisotropic) to soften the edges a little.

Added some artificial green to the trees via Hue / Sat adjustment layer set to colorize and layer mask.

[pstewart]

Chuck, Tony, Jerry, Alan, Danny, all nice sketches and paintings. Jerry, lovely sketch as always. Alan, nice bright painting look. Chuck, I guess that's Virtual Painter...turned out great. Tony, maybe you "don't know what to call it," but I'd call it a moody watercolor. Danny, bold, bright, simple colors all work together...with the help of anisotropic diffuse, of course.

My first attempt at this is not a painting but more of a statement. I have to stop watching the news because the world is just too depressing these days. Why is everyone so anxious to kill everyone who doesn't agree? If there is a god, I don't think he'd be too happy with us these days...might just start to think he made a mistake.

Phyllis

[DannyRaphael]

A very powerful image with which to make a very sad point.

[pstewart]

Thanks, Danny, but not powerful enough, perhaps. It shows blue sky breaking through the clouds...the end of the flood. Hmmm... then again, everyone supposedly is dead by now, so I guess that IS pretty glum. But here's another version anyway, more stormy and mystical looking.

Phyllis

[pstewart]

Two "end of the world" pictures are enough...enough to put that hotel out of business at least. Here's something more traditional that makes no political or religious comment...just a simple pencil sketch.

Phyllis

[omeyas]

Phyllis, enjoyed the last pencil effect.

[omeyas]

Yeh, nothing difficult. It's just sliced down through the middle of the dome, duplicated and flipped! As you said, you sensed something was different. That's all I'm trying to do, seems the majority here have been at this longer than me and are the experts with the filters. Some using filters I have never heard of! Thr bottom of that picture is the flood filter (Flaming Pear) which was a freebie on a disk with a photographic magazine I bought this week here in UK. Looks like Phyllis has got it as well! Someone was asking about the ripples I did in one of the other photos, that is "Flood " as well.
Frank

[siodhach]

Phyllis ...

Planet Of The Apes !!!

Don

[omeyas]

Try again!

[DannyRaphael]

Frank:

I like both the horizontal and the vertical mirror versions. Again, a very creative approach and nicely spliced. The flood filter can do some pretty amazing things.

- - - - - -
Phyllis:

Sketch version came out especially well. Did you do anything out of the ordinary to get these out of the ordinary results?

~Danny~

[jrolinc]

I just started playing around so I don't have all the steps...

Added a Level's layer
Added a Posterize layer and then did some mask layering stuff (pretty technical, heh? ha ha ha)

Anyhow, got to this and liked it, so I stopped.