Dog art: Wonder how to do this style?

zip022 · #1 04-01-2005, 07:30 AM

I posted this at DPreview and got some wonderful advice, but thought since I've been "lurking" and just starting to "speak", you guys might help. I like this look and would like some advice. I've done the Warhol Effect and it come close, but....
Thanks Deb

http://www.houndfacemcgee.com/ORIGINALSLIST.htm

Legacy~Art · #2 04-01-2005, 12:26 PM

Oh my talk about expensive, that is alittle too expensive i would have thought, yes i'd like to learn if it makes that much money!

Nice to see you have de-lurked!

Did you have a nice easter?

Juliana Ross · #3 04-01-2005, 12:45 PM

thanks, really neat looking art......
and it is that expensive because they are actual paintings

be really cool to be able to do a similar effect in Photoshop, the colours look great

zip022 · #4 04-01-2005, 01:31 PM

Sorry, I forgot to mention that I knew these were real painting...oops. Just think there must be a way to get close in Photoshop.

DannyRaphael · #5 04-01-2005, 02:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Juliana Ross

...because they are actual paintings

I guess one could argue that you need to use "actual paint" to create a painting, but wouldn't "digital paint" qualify, too? I dunno.

Zip: Did you contact the artist for confirmation?

Here's why I think they are digital manipulations.

1. As a whole these look consistently photo-realistic. Isolate the dog from the background, paint the background in a contrasting, bright color, apply some simplifying effects on the dog and apply paint (layer blend mode = Color) or engage Corel Painter.

2. Descriptions on her website are suggestive, but not conclusive:
* "bright & bold artwork" - Simplified images (dog, floor, background) and a lot of saturation would (and do) achieve this.
* "Giclee Prints" - This is a finish that can be applied to any kind of print, not just paintings generated by traditional methods.
* "I paint using contemporary colors which means opposite colors on the color wheel" - I can paint (sort of) using contemporary colors using Corel Painter. With Painter's color wheel right in the middle of the colors palette, it's easy to identify a color's opposite (compliment).
* "BFA (Bachelor's degree in Fine Arts) in painting" - It sure doesn't hurt to have traditional skills to use Painter.
* "Commission time is 3 to 4 months" - Would you pay THAT MUCH if turnaround was, say, a week?

3. The complete absense of any verbiage on her site mentioning or describing traditional materials or media, to me, is very curious. Most traditional artists go out of their way to distinguish their methods from the digital cheaters.

4. Do the (IMO) very high prices mean she's using traditional means? Not necessarily. It just means she's found people (and who knows how many), who are willing to pay them.

It's all about perception.

But I could be totally wrong -- just ask my wife!

- - - - - - -

In the mean time, try this Creative Challenge.

Caitlin · #6 04-01-2005, 03:42 PM

Except if you click on the "original" images it does have 'Acrylic on Canvas' under each invididual piece. Personally I think they're rather hideous, whether they are 'traditional' or not! (Then again I'm not a dog person) But I agree they look photoshopped. Maybe they are paintings of photoshopped originals?

Juliana Ross · #7 04-01-2005, 03:49 PM

one of the paintings has a flash reflection on the top where you can pick out the texture on the canvas...I think it had a red background

DannyRaphael · #8 04-01-2005, 05:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Caitlin

Except if you click on the "original" images it does have 'Acrylic on Canvas' under each invididual piece. Personally I think they're rather hideous, whether they are 'traditional' or not! (Then again I'm not a dog person) But I agree they look photoshopped. Maybe they are paintings of photoshopped originals?

Very good observation. A+ on the sharp eyes. That could account for the flash reflection.

For those familiar with Mike Finn, he recently took up (physically) painting over Photoshopped prints, so you might have a point.

Recently I saw something like this where a Photoshop/Painter rendered piece that had been printed on cavas by a wide-body Epson 9600 printer, and then stretched over a wooden frame. After stretching the artist then manually applied color matched acrylic paints to a few places on the canvas. The addition of the acrylics bumped up the selling price an additional $500. Why? Because messing up the application of the acrylics = print again, new stretcher frame, etc. But, still technically "acrylics on canvas."

I remain skeptical, but good humored.

Legacy~Art · #9 04-01-2005, 05:28 PM

That would be easy...Sorry but if someone printed a picture and stretched a canvas showing all the colours needed, then most people would quite easily be able to paint over it, wow and that would make us millionaires!!!

Legacy~Art · #10 04-01-2005, 05:30 PM

Well here is a painting i did of my pooch and its not hand painted, oh no just simple photoshop and painter9 that did this...

I am only uploading the thumbsize as its a huge picture.

zip022 · #11 04-01-2005, 06:09 PM

I love, love, love it! Can you share your steps? You hit it right on and I'm so excited I can hardly breath!
Ok, back to reality, still on my 30 day trial of Painter IX but this might be the push. Can you tell me where to view the full size? Yeah!
Deb

zip022 · #12 04-01-2005, 06:12 PM

Forgot to mention your pic reminds me of George Rodrigue's Blue Dog Man, do you know of him? Just about my favorite dog in the world, except my own two.

righthanddesign · #13 04-02-2005, 08:28 AM

Hey guys maybe this will help or inspire you. I have done a bunch of these paintings and it all started in photoshop. I took these pictures of our friends and then opened them in photoshop and converted them to about 4 colors. I wanted the colors to express their personalities. I then printed out the image on transparency paper and use an over head projector to project it onto a canvas. I then used a pencil to draw the image on the canvas. I then proceeded to paint the image the way I had already converted it in photoshop. I could have done it by hand but it is so easy to change colors in photoshop and get just the right combinations you like. When you start painting and don't like a color you have to wait for it to dry then paint over it. Photoshop makes it much easier. Hope that helps or inspires.... sorry for the flash reflection... The canvas was about 24X30 something

DannyRaphael · #14 04-02-2005, 08:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by righthanddesign

Hey guys maybe this will help or inspire you. I have done a bunch of these paintings and it all started in photoshop. I took these pictures of our friends and then opened them in photoshop and converted them to about 4 colors. I wanted the colors to express their personalities. I then printed out the image on transparency paper and use an over head projector to project it onto a canvas. I then used a pencil to draw the image on the canvas. I then proceeded to paint the image the way I had already converted it in photoshop. I could have done it by hand but it is so easy to change colors in photoshop and get just the right combinations you like. When you start painting and don't like a color you have to wait for it to dry then paint over it. Photoshop makes it much easier. Hope that helps or inspires.... sorry for the flash reflection... The canvas was about 24X30 something

Facinating technique... Thanks for sharing your method and the examples. This is how all of us learn.

Much appreciated. You CAN have your Photoshop AND painting, too!

Legacy~Art · #15 04-02-2005, 09:39 AM

Zip(Deb)

I don't know the dog type you mention, I took a picture of Axl (dogs name) and the background is my blue carpet, took it into painter9 and overlaid it with original in PS7 as Danny said above...

The only thing different the picture had a couple of extra bits i had to remove from the painting cos its not the done thing to add them on a nice picture lol!

If you get my drift...

Elle