+Special Thanks:
Straight Line Designs: [link]
Dream Concept GFX: [link]
Elite GFX: [link]
Versatile EFX: [link]
The BOOMS GFX: [link]
Act One Arts: [link]


Get A Grip featuring my Son, Abel. 2007.09.25


Revisiting the former years of when I use to use Corel before Painter X came forthcoming, was an experience with some of my own Photography. This particular photo, I was itching to jump upon and do something different with it.

The tree which my son was climbing had such a wonderful green, and detailed texture and surface, it was begging to be digitalized. Corel Painter X, along with Photoshop CS3, and some base work overs in CS (Version 1) were the "weapons" of choice in attacking this photograph.

Working with Wallpapers, LPs and Signatures for so long, I almost forgot how working with overly huge Photographs felt like. Hours going into this one was also a pain, as I lost 2 PSDs during a session where I reached to get an orange drink from in front of my keyboard, and my forearm accidentally pressed the SHUTOFF button... I think I cursed in several languages that I KNOW that I'm not fluent in. LOL!

After having to start over AGAIN... (chuckles) - though it wasn't funny when it occured, I started the entire theme in Photoshop first. Then exported to CPX and added a few minor brush overs on my pad, and then re-exported back to PS, for some touch ups, and some minor 'tainted glass' effects.


SOME IMAGE DIFFERENCES FOR VISUAL INTERESTS:
I left some of the main photograph parts intact, and unchanged. Also, I wanted to create a tri-visual digital painted piece: 1st part digitally painted, 2nd part Photoshopped/CPX'd using other elements and the sort, along with the already present photograph's lighting, and 3rd part the original parts of the image itself. Blending all of those parts together, made for a really "realistic digitally painted creative" piece. Some parts are the real photograph, other parts are digitally painted, and other parts are crossover applications added to the image, ie., as I didn't want to just digitally paint the image, and leave it as is. I wanted to just flow with how I was currently feeling with it, and just make it more interesting in the process.


Making this was quite an experience, and including my Son into one of my many released and unreleased themes is also a plus. He really liked the outcome, as well as several of my Clients, and I hope you all like it as well.

Coming back into Digital Painting after a long vacation since 2002, isn't a bad idea. Thanks to Qbex and Frantic from Cursed GFX [link] for the encouragements. They both told me that I should revisit Digital Painting, back in May 2007, and I took them for their word. Corel Painter X (its purchase) and the Corel Painter Magazine also helped in the "push".