Trimoon: New Art History Brush tool preset

[DannyRaphael]

A new toy from Steve...

"Here is a preset for an art history brush that's kind of cool. The first link is a zip file to download it. There's also a large texture file included. The second link shows you how I use this texture file with this new brush.

New brush and texture: http://www.trimoon.com/TMBT.zip

A one-page how to: http://www.trimoon.com/html/ArtHistory.html

Enjoy.

Steve"

- - - - - - - -

I tried this brush and it works pretty neat. You have to adjust the size up/down depending on the level of detail needed.

After creating the basic painting with Trimoon's brush (mostly just daubbing here and there), I duplicated the original layer and moved this layer to the top of the layer stack. After adding a hide all layer mask, I airbrushed in a little eye detail. In retrospect not enough eye detail, but "Oh, well."

I created a Hue/Saturation adjustment layer (option colorize turned on) and to give the eyes more zing, followed by CTRL + I (to invert the mask), then airbrushed white over the eyes to reveal the enhanced color.

Then I flattened, applied Unsharp Mask for a little texture, added a layer filled with 50% gray, set blend mode to Overlay and applied Texturizer > Sandstone.

FWIW: I'm OK with this except the eyes which lost too much detail, but the brush (as a whole).

Thanks, Steve, for another fun toy.

~Danny~

[Janet Petty]

Thank you Danny and a big Thank You to Steve.

The compression needed to post makes for a little less viewing of details; but the results on the original were stunning. The only thing I did differently was to change the color on the texture layer to one that more closely complimented the colors in the picture.


Ya'll are welcome to use the trillium for your artistic experiments; but I retain the copyright to any and all renditions as well as the original. Thanks.


Janet

[Trimoon]

Link to Larger Image


Janet,

Hope you don't mind if I use your beautiful image for an example. By the way, I love what you did with it. I just wanted to demonstrate how you can take it a little further.

In this image, I used the same brush and the same texture that was included in the download and I took it to the same point I did in my ealier example. After applying the art history brush to the image with full coverage, I created a second layer making it the top layer, I set the blending mode the same as the previous layer (Hard Light), using the same brush I highlighted certain areas of the image that needed to be brighted and in doing so I started to create some depth, creating another new layer (I set the blending mode to screen), and using (again) the art history brush I brought out some of the darker areas. Now this tends be too light so just adjust the opacity down to a comfortable and pleasing setting. I then flatten the image, adjusted the color using selective color, and that's it.

Again, thank you Janet for the use of your image. I hope you don't mind my not asking first.

Steve

[byRo]

Let me get in line behind Janet - big thank you's to Danny and Steve.

I posted my first effort here. I haven't quite got the hang of doing light brushwork (maybe pushing a bar of soap doesn't help) so I mixed in my dripping-with-wet-paint stuff.

Thanks again.

Rô

[Janet Petty]

Steve, I don't mind you using it at all. In fact, I'm flattered. I didn't post a very large image for the simple fact that I hope to add this trillium shot to my own "for sale" items. I don't mean to be selfish at all.

Janet

[Trimoon]

Rô
Love the background..The color is good, just beautiful.

Loci
That is it! very nice painting.
Steve

[byRo]

Originally Posted by loci

do you think the image 1 looks too detailed?

I prefer the first.

Welcome to RP - that's a great first post!!!

Rô

[DannyRaphael]

Loci:

I agree with what Rô said...
a) Welcome - nice to have you
b) I prefer the second interpretation

Glad you found us. Keep sharing your creativity.

~Danny~

[Janet Petty]

Welcome again.

Great post. Great digital painting.

I much prefer the second.

Janet

[Trimoon]

Note:

Just need to straighten out a little misunderstanding about the texture and how I use it. The texture that came with the new art history brush isn’t applied as a texture. It’s used more as a paper on which to paint because there are added characteristics to this texture that you normally don’t have when applying it the traditional way using the texturizer. The layer order is as follows: First layer, which is your background layer, is the original image. Second layer is the textured layer. This layer is applied by opening it in a separate window and dragging it into your working image, which will create the second textured layer. Then, of course, the third layer is the layer where you apply your art history brush to, which is a layer with a blending mode of hard light.

Remember, you can also create additional layer with additional blending modes such as hard light, screen, overlay and vivid light. These additional layers will give your image depth and more color.


Steve

[byRo]

Originally Posted by Trimoon

It’s used more as a paper on which to paint because there are added characteristics to this texture that you normally don’t have when applying it the traditional way using the texturizer.

Aha!! So that's why mine came out different.

Here's another shot, now with Janet's Trillium.
Ended up throwing a load of stuff at it so I added a palette shot.

Once again thanks, Steve and Janet.

Rô

[Janet Petty]

It really pops Ro. I like what you did with it.

If it hadn't rained for the last three days, I would be out there on that dirt road trying to take pictures of a trillium that has opened all the way. They are SO gorgeous.

Janet

[obiron]

Here's one attempt at Trimoon's art history technique. I don't know if it's too close to a photo or not. My wife doesn't like it as well as the photo. Any comments would be appreciated.

Used the art history spatter 15a
Used the tutorial's texture121
First extra layer set to hard light just as in the tutorial
Added a second extra layer set to soft light; seemed to brighten and give some depth.

Ron

[DannyRaphael]

Originally Posted by obiron

Here's one attempt at Trimoon's art history technique. I don't know if it's too close to a photo or not. My wife doesn't like it as well as the photo. Any comments would be appreciated.

Used the art history spatter 15a
Used the tutorial's texture121
First extra layer set to hard light just as in the tutorial
Added a second extra layer set to soft light; seemed to brighten and give some depth.

Ron

Ron... meant to comment on your pic the other night, then I got distracted, and you know the rest. Anyway...

My wife doesn't like it as well as the photo.

If it makes you feel any better, I get that reaction more times than not!

I don't know if it's too close to a photo or not.

It does look pretty close to the photo 'cept for the more saturated colors. That's not necessarily bad. Most people have the problem that AHB obliterates their images far beyond recognition.

I've found the Art History Brush to be a wild and wooly tool, even with Trimoon's guidance. It kind of reminds me of a knuckleball thrown by a baseball pitcher: Very unpredictable outcome despite consistent thowing mechanics. There are times when I really like the results AHB renders and other times when I ask, "Why do I keep trying? It's hopeless."

All I can tell you is keep experimenting with different images, presets, brushes, sizes, settings, doing the multiple layers/different blend modes/varying layer opacities thing, etc. You might also try some over sharpening of some layers and applying Levels and/or Hue/Sat adjustments (on individual layers using the Layer > Group with previous command) to jazz up color and contrast.

As time goes on you'll get more comfortable since you'll be able to better predict (sort of) what you're going to get. Down the road if you ever get Corel Painter, you'll find that having learned the ins/out of AHB will put you on the fast track to understanding Painter's very popular (and much better behaved) cloning feature.

~Danny~

[byRo]

Originally Posted by DannyRaphael

I've found the Art History Brush to be a wild and wooly tool, even with Trimoon's guidance.

While poking around David Nagel's site, discovered the Direction and Fade options for brushes. These dynamics help tame the Art History brushes. I posted a set here that you may like to try out.

Rô