6.11.2011

Creating your own background. Making your own art.

I wanted a cool, warm background for a photo I was working on of four women in wild, bling, "art bras."  I'd be photographing them in a group and wanted something just......crazy....as a background.  So I dropped by the art supply store and bought a square canvas and came home for a little painting session.  Red, with tinges of black mixed in, as a background for warm yellow.  Now, this is just a starting point.  Once you've pulled the background into PhotoShop the sky is the limit.  I played with the background until I ended up with something I really liked and then I tested it by throwing in my favorite singer/actor/model: Selena.  The final background is the result of some motion blur, a couple of filters in Topaz Adjust (Photoshop plug-in) and some quick selection moves.  Nothing fancy compared to what I'm sure most of my readers are capable of doing.  But the cool thing is the idea that you can paint your own backgrounds for just about anything.

I'd show you the Art Bra finished piece but I need to wait on that until the people print it in their calendar.  It's wonderful to have a studio, no matter how small or rough.  At least you'll have a place where you can splash paint around without people fussing.  And you can sit in front of your computer and write blogs while the dog sits at your feet and looks at you adoringly.  Not bad.

Gaussian Blur.

Saturation and motion blur.

Just Plain Nasty.